People love to say that the Chicago Bears are an organization defined by defense. This is true to some extent. Most casual football fans always recall the 1985 defense first before anything else about this franchise. It’s a legacy they’ve cultivated numerous times over the years. Yet not a lot of people have recognized how rich the Bears history is in the third phase too.
Special teams even today doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Despite having such close ties to franchise success across the NFL, especially in big games, there are plenty of critics still out there who feel it doesn’t hold a candle to the glamorous offensive and defensive sides of the ball. The Bears though have shown a greater appreciation of it than most franchises over the decades.
This was reinforced by longtime NFL writer and Hall of Fame voter Rick Gosselin. He decided to assemble a 53-man roster of the all-time greatest special teams players in history. Few teams were better represented on the list than the Bears.
Chicago Bears dominate one of the key positions on all-time ST list
There are many key parts to making a successful special teams unit. Of course, it starts with the kicker and punter, not to mention the always-undervalued long snapper. However, perhaps the most instantly impactful position has been the return men. These are the guys who can often flip the momentum of a game in the space of a few seconds. Gosselin proved beyond a doubt that no franchise has mastered this reality better than Chicago.
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Both the kick and punt return positions of his first team roster were secured by Bears greats Gales Sayers and Devin Hester.
“First team
Kickoff returner: Gale Sayers
Years with Bears: 1965-71
Other teams: NoneA Hall-of-Fame halfback and a member of the NFL’s 75th anniversary team. Sayers led the NFL in kickoff returns with an average of 31.2 yards in 1966. He was even better in 1967, with an average of 37.7 yards per return, but finished second in the NFL to Travis Williams (41.1) that season. Sayers holds the NFL record with a 30.6-yard career average and six touchdowns.
Punt returner: Devin Hester
Years with Bears: 2006-13
Other teams: Falcons (2014-15), Ravens (2016), Seahawks (2016)A member of the 2000s’ NFL all-decade team. Hester holds the NFL record for touchdowns on kick returns with 19 — 14 on punts and five on kickoffs. He scored a 20th touchdown when he became the only player to return the opening kickoff of a Super Bowl for a touchdown, a 92-yarder against the Colts in 2007. Hester led the NFL in punt returns in back-to-back seasons, averaging 17.1 yards in 2010 and 16.2 yards in 2011. He ranks eighth all-time with his 11.7-yard punt return average and also averaged 24.9 yards on kickoffs.”
Sayers and Hester may be two of the most electric runners in NFL history.
Everybody, including the opposing sideline, often stood up to watch whenever those two touched the football. That’s respect. Sayers is already in the Hall of Fame. Most believe it’s only a matter of time before Hester joins him, especially as the league continues to marginalize the return game.
It wasn’t just those two who made the cut though. The second team on Gosselin’s roster was well-represented by navy blue and orange. Former punter Brad Maynard was the holder on field goals. Patrick Mannelly was the long-snapper and Brendon Ayenbadejo was a coverage man. It raises a fun question.
Who could end up joining these greats as the Bears look towards the future?
