Chicago Bears history is a fascinating place. One filled with spectacular highs and woeful lows when compared to the rest of the NFL. If there’s one position they’ve dominated forever it’s running back. They’ve sent a parade of players at that position into the Hall of Fame from Bronco Nagurski to Red Grange, Gale Sayers, and Walter Payton. They’ve also had other great players like Rick Caseres and Matt Forte among others.
Yet people might be stumped when posed this simple question. Which of the several great backs they’ve had over many decades actually holds the team record for the longest single run in franchise history? This became a topic of discussion after watching the Titans’ Derrick Henry tie the NFL mark with a 99-yard rampage over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night.
Was it Sayers with one of several of his game-breaking plays early in his career? Was it Payton with one of his never-die-east runs that made him the least-desirable man to tackle? Or maybe Forte had one of those smooth glides to a big play? Hell maybe the speedy Beattie Feathers way back when? Nope. All great candidates, but none hold the mark.
That belongs to a too-often forgotten name in Bears running back lore: Neal Anderson.
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Anderson had the dubious honor of having to replace Payton in the late 1980s. This he did better than anybody could’ve hoped. He would reach four Pro Bowls in his career and keep the Bears offense effective into the early ’90s before injuries finally began to tap his body of its strength. Not before he left his mark though. That run against the Packers was one of the last great highlights Chicago would enjoy against their arch rival for a long time.
