As we prepare for the Chicago Bears’ season opener against the Green Bay Packers, we are providing fans with a list of 100 interesting facts, records, and tidbits to help get you in the football mood.
We’re starting that list today with 10 facts that we’re nicknaming “Bear Necessities.” These facts include basic facts about the team’s founding and uniforms, as well as a few interesting facts about current players on the team’s roster.
What exactly is a “charter member” of the NFL?
The Bears are often called a “charter member” of the NFL, and they gained that distinction because they were among the founders of the league all the way back in 1920. The Bears and Arizona Cardinals are the only two remaining charter members of the league.
Where did the Bears get their name?
Most fans know the Bears were originally called the Decatur Staleys, and kept the name for their first season in Chicago in 1921. After that they changed their name to the Bears, which was inspired by the name of the Chicago Cubs.
Local
What does that “GSH” stand for?
The Bears’ jerseys feature the initials “GSH” on the sleeves, which stands for George S. Halas, the founder of the team and one of the founders of the NFL.
The Bears haven’t always played at Soldier Field
The Bears have played home games at Soldier Field since 1971, but prior to that season the team had played its home games at Wrigley Field for nearly 50 years.
Bears Fan Tattoos to Get You Hyped This Football Season
The Bears don’t like to switch training camp sites
The Bears have held their training camp in three different states. They currently reside in Bourbonnais, Illinois at Olivet Nazarene University, where they’ve trained since 2002. Prior to that, the Bears spent 17 years in Platteville, Wisconsin.
The Bears have won more than just one title
Don’t let derisive fans from other teams fool you. The Bears have only won one Super Bowl in 1986, but prior to the merger of the AFL and NFL in 1970, the Bears won a total of eight NFL championships, including three in a four-year span in the 1940s.
Quick facts about Mitchell Trubisky
Now that you have an idea about the history of the team, we’ll throw you some facts about current players. Mitchell Trubisky was just the third Bears player to be selected with a top-two pick (joining legendary quarterback Sid Luckman and Bob Williams, also a quarterback). He also is one of only three quarterbacks in Bears history to throw six touchdown passes in a game, doing so in a 2018 game against Tampa Bay.
Khalil Mack is raking in the money
Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams became the highest paid defensive player in NFL history in 2018. Literally one day later, Mack topped him, signing a six-year deal worth $141 million after the Bears acquired him in a blockbuster trade with the Oakland Raiders.
Matt Nagy is setting some coaching records
In their first year under Matt Nagy, the Bears went 12-4 and made the playoffs. Nagy became just the second Bears coach to win 10 games in his first season, joining George Halas, and he became the second coach to lead the team to a playoff berth and a winning record in his first year, joining Paddy Driscoll. Talk about elite company.
The Bears’ defense is a force of nature
If you’re looking to really focus on a few players on the Bears’ defense, you’ll want to focus on the team’s three First Team All-Pros from a season ago. Khalil Mack was named to the All-Pro squad in his first year with the Bears, and cornerback Kyle Fuller and safety Eddie Jackson also joined him in that elite group.
For more Bears facts, and for all of the Bears content you could ever want, be sure to check out our Grizzly Detail blog.
