Plenty of Chicago Bears fans already know the story. Then again there are several of both the old and new generations that don’t. Everybody remembers the 1985 team and their smart if rebellious young quarterback Jim McMahon. ‘The Punky QB’ was one of the most unique personalities in NFL history and also one of the most entertaining.
He’s the last Bears quarterback to make the Pro Bowl but also one of their bigger disappointments. Not because he was a bad player but more because he never fulfilled his full potential. This was due in large part to persistent injury problems he suffered throughout his career.
What a lot of people may not know is that McMahon actually came into the NFL with an injury that almost ruined his football career before it even began. In fact, it was an injury that paved the way for one of his most famous fashion statements.
Jim McMahon always wore sunglasses due to an accident as a child
He hasn’t told the story much over the years, only revealing it in his book and during acclaimed America’s Game documentary on NFL Network about the 1985 Bears. It turns out McMahon was actually half blind his entire career. This was due to an unfortunate accident as a child. He explained it for the first time on Twitter.
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Surprised by the amount of people who really know why I wear 😎 all time. Real story is this- I was playing Cowboys and Indians with my brothers as a kid. Tried to untie a knot in my gun holster with a fork and it slipped. Had 2 prongs go through my eye.
— Jim McMahon (@JimMcMahon) June 27, 2018
McMahon credited doctors with being able to save the eye. If they hadn’t acted quickly he would’ve lost it entirely. However, there were still consequences. The vision in the eye is severely impaired and by his own admission extremely light sensitive. Hence the reason he always wore and continues to wear different pairs of sunglasses.
The fact he managed to set all sorts of passing records at BYU, make a Pro Bowl and a win a Super Bowl in the NFL is a cause for celebration about overcoming the odds. Greater odds than far more talented QBs have faced and failed to conquer.
