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I hear there’s a discussion underway about which NFL franchise has the best running backs. A #BackfieldBattle, I hear.
Let me introduce you to the clear winner.
Our Chicago Bears.
A thread.
Let me introduce you to the clear winner.
Our Chicago Bears.
A thread.
Our Bears take a lot of crap about our QBs— often from ourselves. It’s a trauma, well earned.
But I’ll be damned if NFL fans, players and press — plus the league itself — are going to pretend there is any debate about which franchise has the best history of runners.
But I’ll be damned if NFL fans, players and press — plus the league itself — are going to pretend there is any debate about which franchise has the best history of runners.
Whether top 1, top 4, or including them all, the Bears have the NFL's running back belt.
Here’s a look at our running back history, from 1920 to 2020:
11 players at the top of our list
8 bonus ones who show our positional depth
#BackfieldBattle @WCGridiron #BearDown
Here’s a look at our running back history, from 1920 to 2020:
11 players at the top of our list8 bonus ones who show our positional depth#BackfieldBattle @WCGridiron #BearDown
Red Grange (1925, 1929-1934)
3x All Pro (2x 1st)
NFL 1920s All-Decade Team
NFL 50th Anniversary Team runner-up
NFL 100th Anniversary Team finalist
Pro Football Hall of Fame — inaugural class, 1963
Simply put: The man who legitimized the NFL. https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2019/7/31/20703331/chicago-bears-wcg-top-100-players-spotlight-no-10-red-grange-history-george-halas-packers-giants
3x All Pro (2x 1st)
NFL 1920s All-Decade Team
NFL 50th Anniversary Team runner-up
NFL 100th Anniversary Team finalist
Pro Football Hall of Fame — inaugural class, 1963
Simply put: The man who legitimized the NFL. https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2019/7/31/20703331/chicago-bears-wcg-top-100-players-spotlight-no-10-red-grange-history-george-halas-packers-giants
Red Grange played five games in 14 days to start his pro career, and the numbers for his first two tell the tale:
37 carries
281 yards
7.6 yards per carry
2 touchdowns
The game before Grange, the Bears had less than 7,000 fans.
With Grange: 39,000. https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1320450851429900288
37 carries
281 yards
7.6 yards per carry
2 touchdowns
The game before Grange, the Bears had less than 7,000 fans.
With Grange: 39,000. https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1320450851429900288
How great was Red Grange? He was the best running back George Halas ever saw. https://twitter.com/SamHouseholder/status/1040036465722503168
Bronko Nagurski (1930-1937, 1943)
7x All Pro (4x 1st)
NFL 1930s All-Decade Team
NFL 50th Anny Team runner-up
NFL 75th Anny Team
NFL 100th Anny Team finalist
Pro Football Hall of Fame — inaugural class, 1963
NAGURSKI.
One of the few men considered the GOAT upon retirement.
7x All Pro (4x 1st)
NFL 1930s All-Decade Team
NFL 50th Anny Team runner-up
NFL 75th Anny Team
NFL 100th Anny Team finalist
Pro Football Hall of Fame — inaugural class, 1963
NAGURSKI.
One of the few men considered the GOAT upon retirement.
I mean really, what can be said about Bronko Nagurski that hasn't already been said about Hercules?
Here's no less than Grantland Rice placing him as an all-timer's all-timer.
Here's no less than Grantland Rice placing him as an all-timer's all-timer.
Beattie Feathers (1934-1937)
1x All Pro (1st)
1934 rushing, rush TD champ
1st player in NFL history with 1,000 yards rushing
Holds NFL season record with 8.4 yards per carry, 1934
NFL 1930s All-Decade Team
Beattie Feathers set an NFL record in 1934 that still stands. 1934!
1x All Pro (1st)
1934 rushing, rush TD champ
1st player in NFL history with 1,000 yards rushing
Holds NFL season record with 8.4 yards per carry, 1934
NFL 1930s All-Decade Team
Beattie Feathers set an NFL record in 1934 that still stands. 1934!
Bill Osmanski (1939-1943, 1946-1947)
2x All Pro (1x 1st team)
1939 rushing champ
NFL 1940s All-Decade Team
In a loaded 1940s Bears backfield, Osmanski was among the standouts. Most famous for his 68-yard touchdown run that opened 73-0.
#BackfieldBattle
2x All Pro (1x 1st team)
1939 rushing champ
NFL 1940s All-Decade Team
In a loaded 1940s Bears backfield, Osmanski was among the standouts. Most famous for his 68-yard touchdown run that opened 73-0.
#BackfieldBattle
George McAfee (1940-1941, 1945-1950)
1x All Pro (1st team)
NFL 1940s All-Decade Team
NFL 75th Anniversaryy Team
Pro Football HOF —Class of 1966
One-Play McAfee is one of FIVE Bears backs in the Hall of Fame. Your team's RB Mount Rushmore leaves a HOFer off?
Can't relate.
1x All Pro (1st team)
NFL 1940s All-Decade Team
NFL 75th Anniversaryy Team
Pro Football HOF —Class of 1966
One-Play McAfee is one of FIVE Bears backs in the Hall of Fame. Your team's RB Mount Rushmore leaves a HOFer off?
Can't relate.
Rick Casares (1955-1966)
1956 rushing champ
1956 rush TD champ
5x Pro Bowl
2x AP All Pro (1x 1st team)
Casares's 1956 campaign was the heart of his five-year burst into the NFL, in which he was named a Pro Bowler every year. I'll let Da Coach take this:
1956 rushing champ
1956 rush TD champ
5x Pro Bowl
2x AP All Pro (1x 1st team)
Casares's 1956 campaign was the heart of his five-year burst into the NFL, in which he was named a Pro Bowler every year. I'll let Da Coach take this:
Gale Sayers (1965-1971)
Gale's credentials won't fit in a tweet, so I'll just say this:
In Sept. 1969, the NFL named its 50th Anniversary Team. Two running backs were selected: Jim Brown at fullback, Gale Sayers at halfback.
To that point, Sayers had played four NFL seasons.
Gale's credentials won't fit in a tweet, so I'll just say this:
In Sept. 1969, the NFL named its 50th Anniversary Team. Two running backs were selected: Jim Brown at fullback, Gale Sayers at halfback.
To that point, Sayers had played four NFL seasons.
There's nothing more to say about Gale Sayers. Between him and Walter, you can do a blind draw of Bears RBs for the other two men in the #BackfieldBattle and be in the running as the top club.
So here's Gale scoring 6 touchdowns on 16 touches: https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1308765105723768833
So here's Gale scoring 6 touchdowns on 16 touches: https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1308765105723768833
Walter Payton (1975-1987)
If you thought Gale's credentials wouldn't fit here...
If you thought Gale's credentials wouldn't fit here...
Is GOAT possible in football? A sport segmented across three distinct skillsets?
I don't know.
But if it is, Walter is one of the few men in league history who qualify. https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1277068838480359424
I don't know.
But if it is, Walter is one of the few men in league history who qualify. https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1277068838480359424
Let's play a guessing game.
Player A: 339 carries, 1,222 yards, 6 TD
Player B: 303 carries, 1,540 yards, 16 TD
Give up?
Player B is Derrick Henry last year, the NFL's rushing leader.
Player A is Walter Payton in his worst full NFL season.
Player A: 339 carries, 1,222 yards, 6 TD
Player B: 303 carries, 1,540 yards, 16 TD
Give up?
Player B is Derrick Henry last year, the NFL's rushing leader.
Player A is Walter Payton in his worst full NFL season.
Neal Anderson (1986-1993)
4x Pro Bowl
1x AP All Pro (2nd team)
Neal Anderson was brilliant. He could run, catch, block. Three seasons rushing for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns, six straight seasons with 350 yards receiving. An absolute gamer.
4x Pro Bowl
1x AP All Pro (2nd team)
Neal Anderson was brilliant. He could run, catch, block. Three seasons rushing for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns, six straight seasons with 350 yards receiving. An absolute gamer.
Thomas Jones (2004-2006)
2nd Bear after 34 with 1,300+ yards in a season
5th longest run in Super Bowl history
7th in Super Bowl history for yards per carry in one game (7.5)
Member of the NFL’s 10,000-yard club
Three years, and TJ belongs on this list.
2nd Bear after 34 with 1,300+ yards in a season
5th longest run in Super Bowl history
7th in Super Bowl history for yards per carry in one game (7.5)
Member of the NFL’s 10,000-yard club
Three years, and TJ belongs on this list.
My guy @thomasqjones made his mark on this franchise in just three seasons. Did everything in his power to help this team win football games, and then did even more.
Matt Forte (2008-2015)
Set NFL RB record of 102 receptions in a season
2x Pro Bowl
From his very first game, I think we all knew that @MattForte22 was destined to be someone we think of as a "True Bear." Skillset out of this world with a heart to match.
Set NFL RB record of 102 receptions in a season
2x Pro Bowl
From his very first game, I think we all knew that @MattForte22 was destined to be someone we think of as a "True Bear." Skillset out of this world with a heart to match.
Matt Forte is another Bears back who did it all: run, catch, block. Set an NFL record in 2014 with 102 receptions for a running back, while also rushing 1,000 yards that year.
One of my favorite Forte games was a receiving one: 2010 W1 — 7/151/2 TD.
One of my favorite Forte games was a receiving one: 2010 W1 — 7/151/2 TD.
I think for a lot of other Bears fans, their favorite Matt Forte game was 2011 in London against the Bucs. Made 'em hug!
#BackfieldBattle @WCGridiron #BearDown
#BackfieldBattle @WCGridiron #BearDown
So, who is my Bears RB top 4? If we're going on what they did in their day, that's easy. Four HOFers, with apologies to McAfee:
Walter
Gale
Bronko
Red
If we're not really feeling the pre-1950s guys, for a variety of reasons:
Walter
Gale
Forte
TJ
Either way, THAT'S OUR BELT.
Walter
Gale
Bronko
Red
If we're not really feeling the pre-1950s guys, for a variety of reasons:
Walter
Gale
Forte
TJ
Either way, THAT'S OUR BELT.
Part 2 coming during the Bears-Rams MNF game, as I look at eight more @ChicagoBears running backs who many franchises would easily, and proudly, put in their #BackfieldBattle top 4.
Here's a preview of the greats to come :)
Bear Down!
@WCGridiron
Here's a preview of the greats to come :)
Bear Down!
@WCGridiron
Salute to the invaluable @pfref and @_newspapers (along with YouTube and Wikipedia). The best! https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1320565626872733701
