Chicago Bears

Dick Jauron (1950–2025), former NFL player and coach 

Dick Jauron was a longtime veteran of the NFL, first playing for the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals, then coaching the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills.

Tommy Hart (1944–2024), 49ers defensive end 

Tommy Hart was an NFL defensive end in the 1960s through ‘80s, most notably for the San Francisco 49ers.

Greg Landry (1946–2024), Detroit Lions Pro Bowl QB

Greg Landry was a quarterback for the Detroit Lions, Baltimore Colts, and Chicago Bears in the 1960s through ‘80s.

Bob Avellini (1953–2024), 1970s Chicago Bears quarterback

Bob Avellini was a quarterback for the Chicago Bears in the 1970s and early ‘80s who threw a famous pass that helped the team to the playoffs in 1977.

Golden Richards (1950–2024), won a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys

Golden Richards was a former NFL wide receiver who caught a touchdown pass for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1978 Super Bowl.

Ronald Powell (1991–2024), 2010 All-American Bowl MVP

Ronald Powell was the 2010 All-American Bowl MVP and a linebacker with the New Orleans Saints. 

Dick Butkus (1942–2023), Hall of Fame Chicago Bears linebacker

Dick Butkus was a Hall of Fame linebacker for the Chicago Bears and an eight-time Pro Bowl player before becoming an actor, broadcaster, and philanthropist.

Johnny Lujack (1925–2023), oldest living Heisman Trophy winner 

Johnny Lujack was a quarterback who was honored with the Heisman Trophy while playing for Notre Dame in 1947 and went on to play for the Chicago Bears. 

Marion Barber III (1983–2022), Dallas Cowboys running back

Marion Barber III was a running back for the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Bears.

Gale Sayers (1943–2020), Hall of Fame running back with the Chicago Bears

Gale Sayers was a Pro Football Hall of Fame running back who was a Chicago Bears legend, playing for the team from 1965 to 1971.

Roosevelt Taylor (1937–2020), former Bears All-Pro safety

Roosevelt “Rosey” Taylor was a former Bears All-Pro safety who helped lead the Chicago Bears to the 1963 NFL championship title.   

Zeke Bratkowski (1931–2019), Bart Starr’s backup

Quarterback behind Starr during the Packers dynasty years.

Wally Chambers (1951–2019), former Bears defensive star

Wally Chambers was a star defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears. He was the NFL defensive rookie of the year in 1973 and was a 3-time Pro Bowl selection. Chambers was drafted by the Bears in the first round of the 1973 draft out of Eastern Kentucky University. He recorded an unofficial 14 sacks during the 1976 season. He injured his knee before the 1977 season which greatly affected his abilities. Chambers finished his career with the Tampa Bay Bucaneers in 1979. He became a coach for various college football teams and the New York Jets.

Cedric Benson (1982–2019), former NFL running back

Cedric Benson was a star running back for the University of Texas who was the first draft choice of the Chicago Bears in 2005. Benson was a legendary back in Texas who was a high school superstar at Midland Lee and rushed for over 5,000 yards at the University of Texas. Benson had a tough 3-year stint with the Bears due to injuries and disagreements with coaches. He signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2008 and rushed for over 1,000 yards three out of four seasons. He retired from injuries while with the Packers in 2012.

Chris Gedney (1970 - 2018), former NFL tight end

Chris Gedney, former NFL tight end and first-team All-American at Syracuse University, has died, according to The Associated Press. He was 47.

John Thierry (1971 – 2017), former NFL defensive end was a first round pick for the Chicago Bears in 1994

Played 9 seasons for the Bears, Browns, Packers, and Falcons…

J.C. Caroline (1933 – 2017), College Football Hall of Fame running back

J.C. Caroline, former Chicago Bears defensive back and stand-out University of Illinois running back, has died, according to The Associated Press. He was 84.

Joe Fortunato (1930 – 2017), Chicago Bears linebacker known for speed

Joe Fortunato, former linebacker for the Chicago Bears, who helped team win 1963 NFL title, died Monday, Nov. 6, 2017, in Mississippi, according to The Associated Press. He was 87.

Rashaan Salaam (1974–2016)

Rashaan Salaam, a former Heisman Trophy-winning running back, has died at the age of 42, according to ESPN.

Bryan Robinson (2016), former Chicago Bears defensive lineman

Bryan Robinson, a former Chicago Bears defensive lineman, died June 11, 2016, according to the Chicago Tribune. He was 41.

Walter Payton's Sweet NFL Career

On Nov. 1, 1999, the NFL lost one of its all-time greatest players, running back Walter Payton .