In 1989 the Chicago Bears defense was a mess. Gone were the dominant days of Buddy Ryan. At that point they were just struggling for respect. By the end of the season they ranked 25th overall in the NFL and 24th against the pass. The team finished a woeful 6-10. Many thought their run as playoff contenders was over.
The Bears knew if that would be proven wrong, they had to improve their secondary in 1990. So they decided to take no chances, using the #6 overall pick in the draft to take a young safety out of USC by the name of Mark Anthony Carrier. The first ever Trojans defensive back to win the Jim Thorpe Award, he finished college with 13 interceptions. He was smart, instinctive and experienced.
Hopefully he could help the defense out right away. Nobody had a clue what was to follow.
Carrier finished his first year with a Pro Bowl, Rookie of the Year honors and a franchise record 10 interceptions. Better still, his arrival had the exact impact the team hoped for. The defense went from 25th to ninth overall and 24th to 10th against the pass. Carrier ended up being a three-time Pro Bowler in seven seasons with the Bears.
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His presence kept the defense strong for a little longer even though it was clear age was catching up to several key players at that point. He finished his career with 32 interceptions. Given the success they had last time, why wouldn’t Chicago consider trying again?
