No franchise has a greater tradition when it comes to running backs than the Chicago Bears. Look back over the entire 100-year history of the NFL and every single era saw the Bears featuring a great runner. Red Grange in the 1920s. Bronco Nagurski in the 1930s. George McAfee in the 1940s. Rick Casares in the 1950s and so on. However, when it comes to the greatest of the great, people always point to two names above all others when talking about the Bears.
They were Gale Sayers and Walter Payton. One revolutionized the game with his incredible mixture of speed, quickness, and vision. A home run every single time he touched the ball. The other was the embodiment of relentlessness. He wasn’t the biggest, strongest, or fastest but it was going to take an army to get him on the ground. Those two are still revered to this day. That is no doubt why a panel of top experts included them among the 12 running backs selected for the NFL’s 100th anniversary All-Time team.
“Brown was one of the 12 running backs chosen to the team — one of only two to be unanimous (Walter Payton was the other) — and he is still regarded by some as the best player ever, in large part because you could envision him being dominant at any point in the game’s history…
…The six who remained on the list from the 75th edition: Brown, Payton, Marion Motley, Gale Sayers (who was on the 75th team as a running back and a kick returner), O.J. Simpson and Steve Van Buren.”
Chicago Bears had unparalleled eyes for the position
What’s amazing is how different the two men are in terms of their careers. Sayers only played a total of 68 games. Perhaps the fewest of any player residing in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This was due to a series of knee injuries he suffered during his playing days. However, his impact on the game during that short span was so electric and unforgettable that it was impossible to leave him off the roster. This is a man who scored 23 touchdowns in a 12-game season. A record unlikely to ever be broken.
By contract, Payton was the model of indestructible. He missed one game in his career, spanning from 1975 to 1987. During that time he won a league MVP, set the NFL all-time rushing record, and guided the Bears to their first Super Bowl championship. When people talk about the greatest players in Chicago sports history, it’s always a competition between two men. Payton and Michael Jordan. His spot on the list was a lock and everybody knew it.
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This is a legacy the Bears remain very proud of.
