100 Chicago Bears Facts: An Ultimate Tribute to a Legendary Team

100 Chicago Bears Facts are essential knowledge for any true fan of the Midway. Whether you are a lifelong season ticket holder at Soldier Field or a new fan discovering the rich history of the NFL’s most storied franchise, this list will blow your mind. From the founding days of George Halas to the iconic 1985 defense, the history of the Bears is the history of professional football itself.

Below, we have compiled the ultimate collection of trivia, records, and obscure details. Dive into these 100 Chicago Bears facts that celebrate the triumphs, the tragedies, and the glory of the monsters of the midway.

The Founding Fathers & Early History

1. The franchise was originally founded in 1919 as the Decatur Staleys by the A. E. Staley food starch company.
2. The team is one of only two charter members of the NFL (originally the APFA) still in existence; the other is the Arizona Cardinals (originally from Chicago).
3. George Halas, known as “Papa Bear,” not only coached the team but also played end and ran the business operations.
4. In 1921, the Staleys moved to Chicago and played at Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs.
5. Halas changed the team name to the Chicago Bears in 1922 to link them to the Cubs, reasoning that football players were larger than baseball players, just as bears are larger than cubs.
6. The team colors, Navy Blue and Orange, were inspired by George Halas’s alma mater, the University of Illinois.
7. The Bears won the very first NFL Championship in 1921 (though it was decided by league vote, not a game).
8. In 1922, the Bears completed the first player transaction in league history, purchasing Ed Healey from the Rock Island Independents for $100.
9. The Bears participated in the first indoor football game in 1932 against the Portsmouth Spartans (now Detroit Lions) at Chicago Stadium.
10. The 1932 indoor game was played on a condensed 80-yard field due to space constraints.
11. Because of the 1932 indoor game, the NFL instituted hash marks to help spot the ball near the sidelines.
12. Beattie Feathers, a Bears running back, became the first player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season in 1934.
13. The Bears went undefeated in the 1934 regular season (13-0) but lost the championship game to the NY Giants in the famous “Sneakers Game.”
14. The “Sneakers Game” got its name because the Giants switched to basketball shoes at halftime to get traction on the icy field, sparking a comeback.
15. The nickname “Monsters of the Midway” originally referred to the University of Chicago Maroons but was applied to the Bears after U of C dropped major football in 1939.

The Glory Years & Championships

16. The Bears hold the record for the most lopsided victory in NFL history, defeating the Washington Redskins 73-0 in the 1940 NFL Championship Game.
17. In that 73-0 game, the Bears used the T-Formation, a revolutionary offense that changed football forever.
18. The Bears ran out of footballs during the 73-0 win because so many were kicked into the stands after touchdowns.
19. Chicago built a dynasty in the 1940s, winning championships in 1940, 1941, 1943, and 1946.
20. The team has won a total of nine NFL Championships (eight pre-merger titles and one Super Bowl).
21. The 1963 Championship team was led by defensive coordinator George Allen and broke the Giants’ dynasty.
22. Mike Ditka is the only person in modern NFL history to win a championship with the same team as a player (1963) and a head coach (1985).
23. The Bears have more retired jersey numbers (14) than any other NFL team.
24. Number 7 (George Halas) and Number 34 (Walter Payton) are among the most sacred retired numbers.
25. Number 51, worn by Dick Butkus, is synonymous with the position of middle linebacker.
26. Number 40 was worn by the “Kansas Comet,” Gale Sayers, whose career was cut short by injury.
27. Number 41 belongs to Brian Piccolo; his friendship with Gale Sayers was immortalized in the movie Brian’s Song.
28. Number 89, worn by Mike Ditka, was the last number retired by the organization in 2013.
29. The franchise has the most players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame of any NFL team.
30. Red Grange, known as the “Galloping Ghost,” signed with the Bears in 1925, legitimizing professional football in the eyes of the public.

The 1985 Super Bowl Shuffle Era

31. The 1985 Chicago Bears are widely considered the greatest NFL team of all time.
32. They finished the 1985 regular season with a 15-1 record.
33. Their only loss in 1985 was to the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football.
34. The ’85 Bears recorded back-to-back shutouts in the playoffs against the Giants (21-0) and Rams (24-0).
35. They defeated the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX.
36. At the time, the 46 points scored were a Super Bowl record.
37. Richard Dent was named the MVP of Super Bowl XX.
38. The defense, coordinated by Buddy Ryan, utilized the famous “46 Defense,” named after safety Doug Plank’s jersey number.
39. The “Super Bowl Shuffle” was a rap song recorded by the team before they even won the Super Bowl.
40. The song reached #41 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned a Grammy nomination.
41. Walter Payton, sadly, did not score a touchdown in Super Bowl XX, a decision Mike Ditka later regretted.
42. William “The Refrigerator” Perry, a rookie defensive tackle, scored a rushing touchdown in the Super Bowl.
43. Jim McMahon, the “punky QB,” famously wore a headband saying “Rozelle” to taunt the NFL Commissioner.
44. The 1985 defense led the league in points allowed and yards allowed.
45. In a 12-game stretch that season, the defense allowed only 6.4 points per game.

Legends of the Gridiron

46. Walter Payton retired as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher with 16,726 yards.
47. Payton missed only one game in his entire 13-year career (in his rookie season).
48. Payton once held the single-game rushing record with 275 yards against Minnesota in 1977 (while suffering from the flu).
49. Dick Butkus was selected to the Pro Bowl in his first eight seasons.
50. Butkus was known for his ferocity; he once famously said, “I wouldn’t ever set out to hurt anyone deliberately unless it was important…like a league game.”
51. Gale Sayers scored a record-tying six touchdowns in a single game against the 49ers in 1965.
52. Sayers is the youngest player ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (34 years old).
53. Sid Luckman was the first great T-Formation quarterback and led the Bears to four titles.
54. Luckman still shares the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a game (7).
55. Bronko Nagurski was a two-way star who could run over linebackers and block defensive ends.
56. Nagurski came out of retirement in 1943 to help the Bears win a title during WWII.
57. Mike Singletary, known as “Samurai Mike,” was the heart of the ’85 defense and a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
58. Singletary was famous for his wide-eyed stare across the line of scrimmage.
59. Brian Urlacher revolutionized the linebacker position in the 2000s with his speed and coverage ability.
60. Urlacher won the NFL Rookie of the Year award in 2000 and Defensive Player of the Year in 2005.
61. Devin Hester is widely regarded as the greatest return specialist in NFL history.
62. Hester holds the NFL record for most all-time return touchdowns (20).
63. Hester is the first player to return the opening kickoff of a Super Bowl for a touchdown (Super Bowl XLI).
64. Peanut Tillman (Charles Tillman) perfected the “Peanut Punch,” forcing 44 fumbles in his career.
65. Jay Cutler holds the franchise record for most passing yards, despite a polarizing tenure.
66. Matt Forte set an NFL record for receptions by a running back in a single season (102) in 2014.
67. Olin Kreutz, a tough-as-nails center, anchored the offensive line for 13 seasons and made 6 Pro Bowls.
68. Dan Hampton, “Danimal,” played both defensive end and defensive tackle and is a Hall of Famer.
69. Steve McMichael, “Mongo,” played in a franchise-record 191 consecutive games.

Stadium, Rivalries, and Culture

70. The Bears played at Wrigley Field for 50 seasons (1921–1970).
71. The end zones at Wrigley Field were so short that one corner had to be padded because it was close to the dugout.
72. The team moved to Soldier Field in 1971.
73. Soldier Field is the oldest stadium in the NFL (opened in 1924), though the Bears haven’t played there the whole time.
74. It is currently the smallest stadium in the NFL by capacity.
75. The Bears vs. Packers rivalry is the oldest and most played rivalry in NFL history.
76. They first met in 1921, when the Packers were shutout 20-0 by the Staleys.
77. For decades, the Bears led the all-time series wins, though the Packers recently took the lead.
78. The “Halas Trophy” is awarded to the winner of the NFC Championship Game.
79. The Bears mascot is Staley Da Bear, named after the original team sponsor.
80. The fight song, “Bear Down, Chicago Bears,” was written in 1941.
81. The song was inspired by team heroics but also by the rallying cry of the University of Arizona (where the songwriter’s son attended).
82. The Bears have never had a quarterback throw for 4,000 yards in a single season (a notorious statistic fans hope Caleb Williams will break).
83. Chicago holds the record for the most victories in regular-season history (a title they traded back and forth with Green Bay).
84. The 2006 Bears reached the Super Bowl with Rex Grossman at quarterback.
85. The team held training camp in Platteville, Wisconsin, for 18 years, in the heart of “enemy territory.”
86. They now train at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Illinois, one of the premier facilities in the league.
87. The C-logo on the helmet was adopted in 1962.
88. The logo is asymmetrical; the bottom curve is slightly less round than the top.
89. The Bears wore orange jerseys for the first time in the modern era in 2005.
90. In 2018, the Bears won the NFC North under new coach Matt Nagy, breaking a long playoff drought.

Obscure & Fun Facts

91. The Bears drafted Bill Hewitt without ever seeing him play; he refused to wear a helmet until rules mandated it.
92. George Halas was supposed to be on the SS Eastland, which capsized in 1915, but arrived late, saving his life.
93. The Bears once played a game against the Philadelphia Eagles in a dense fog (The Fog Bowl, 1988 playoff game).
94. Chicago won the Fog Bowl 20-12 despite players unable to see the sidelines.
95. Robbie Gould is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.
96. The Bears played the first NFL game outside of North America in 1986 (preseason in London against the Cowboys).
97. Linebacker Otis Wilson was a featured vocalist on the Super Bowl Shuffle.
98. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio led the 2018 defense to be the most feared unit since 2006.
99. In 1952, the Bears drafted a player named George Blanda, who played in the NFL until he was 48 years old.
100. Despite decades of ups and downs, the Bears remain one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world, estimated at over $6 billion.

These 100 Chicago Bears facts prove that this team is more than just a football club; it is a cultural institution. From the dusting of snow at Soldier Field to the echoes of “Bear Down,” the legacy of Chicago football is unmatched.