The 50 Greatest Players in Chicago Bears History. Robert W. Cohen

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      An enormous man, especially for the era in which he played, Nagurski had huge hands, powerful wrists, and an extremely thick neck, with Sid Luckman saying of his longtime teammate, “A monster. The neck, the hands. They measured him for a championship ring in 1943, when he made his comeback, and his ring size was 19½.”

Playing at a time when the average defensive lineman weighed close to 220 pounds, Nagurski gradually increased his playing weight to 238 pounds over the course of his career, enabling him to often drag multiple tacklers with him. An outstanding blocker as well, Nagurski frequently cleared the way for the team’s smaller running backs. In fact, on those occasions when Nagurski suffered an injury, instead of sitting on the bench, he sometimes assumed a spot on the offensive line. In addition to his size and strength, Nagurski possessed remarkable takeoff speed, accelerating rapidly when he first received the football.

      Excelling on defense as well, Nagurski wreaked havoc on opposing offenses from his position on the defensive line, where the Bears often employed him as a ranging tackle or “Monster.” Displaying the same aggressiveness on that side of the ball that he exhibited on offense, Nagurski delivered violent hits to opposing linemen and ball-carriers, making them extremely wary of his presence.

      In discussing the totality of Nagurski’s game, legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice claimed, “You could have played him at any position.”

      Insisting that Nagurski exceeded the two men generally accepted as the greatest football players of the first few decades of the 20th century, Rice added, “Eleven Bronko Nagurskis would have beaten 11 (Jim) Thorpes or 11 (Red) Granges.”

      Limited to only five games and 170 yards rushing by a back injury he sustained while delivering a block to an opposing defensive lineman, Nagurski failed to earn All-Pro honors for the first time in his career in 1935. In discussing the play that broke two of his vertebrae, Nagurski recalled, “I threw a cross-body block on an end—a stupid block—and I plowed into his knees with the small of my back.”

      Returning to top form in 1936, Nagurski gained All-Pro recognition by rushing for 529 yards, before helping the Bears advance to the NFL championship game the following year by gaining 343 yards on the ground. Nevertheless, Nagurski, who had spent the previous few years supplementing his income by wrestling in his spare time, chose to retire from football and make wrestling his full-time profession after he and George Halas reached an impasse on a new contract following the conclusion of the 1937 campaign. In explaining his decision years later, Nagurski said, “I wanted to go home anyway. I was tired of knocking myself out, going on the wrestling tour between games to make extra money.”

      Nagurski subsequently became World Heavyweight Champion three times between 1937 and 1941, before retiring from wrestling and returning to Minnesota to work on his farm. Nagurski remained in Minnesota until the Bears lured him out of retirement when a player shortage developed during World War II. Playing almost exclusively on the offensive and defensive lines in 1943, the 35-year-old Nagurski helped lead the Bears to the NFL title—their third with him serving as a member of the team. Retiring for good at season’s end, Nagurski concluded his playing career with 2,778 yards rushing, 2,912 yards from scrimmage, 25 touchdowns, 474 yards passing, seven TD passes, and a rushing average of 4.4 yards per carry.

Following his retirement, Nagurski continued to work on his farm and wrestle until 1960, when his many physical ailments forced him to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle. Suffering from arthritis and aching knees that endured numerous operations, Nagurski ran a gas station in International Falls, Minnesota, before returning to Rainy River, Ontario, where he became a fishing guide. Nagurski remained at his place of birth until January 7, 1990, when he passed away two months after celebrating his 82nd birthday.

      CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

      Best Season

      Nagurski posted the best numbers of his career in 1934, when he earned First-Team All-Pro honors for the third straight time by averaging 4.8 yards per carry and ranking among the league leaders with 586 yards rushing, 618 yards from scrimmage, seven touchdowns, and 44 points scored.

      Memorable Moments/Greatest Performances

      Nagurski scored the first two touchdowns of his career during a 20–0 victory over the Minneapolis Red Jackets on October 5, 1930, scoring on runs of 8 and 2 yards.

      Nagurski gave the Bears all the points they needed to defeat the Giants by a score of 12–0 on November 16, 1930, scoring the game’s only two touchdowns on a pair of short runs.

      Nagurski’s 62-yard touchdown run highlighted a 26–13 win over the Chicago Cardinals on October 18, 1931.

      Nagurski contributed to a 28–8 victory over the Giants on November 6, 1932, by completing a 55-yard touchdown pass to Red Grange.

      Nagurski clinched a 9–0 win over the Packers on December 11, 1932, by recording a 56-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Nagurski led the Bears to a 17–14 win over the Portsmouth Spartans on November 26, 1933, by carrying the ball 18 times for 124 yards and one touchdown, which came on a game-winning 29-yard run in the fourth quarter, just moments after he committed a costly holding penalty on defense that enabled the Spartans to eventually take the lead. Angry with himself over his miscue, Nagurski returned the ensuing kickoff to the Chicago 45 yard line, after which he reportedly told his teammates in the huddle, “This is my fault. Give me the ball!” Playing like a man possessed, Nagurski subsequently proceeded to dole out punishment to the opposing defense until he ultimately recorded his 29-yard TD run in the closing moments.

      Nagurski proved to be a huge factor in the Bears’ 23–21 victory over the Giants in the 1933 NFL championship game, carrying the ball 13 times for 64 yards and throwing a pair of TD passes.

      Nagurski had a hand in all three touchdowns the Bears scored during their 24–10 win over the Packers in the opening game of the 1934 regular season, throwing a 7-yard TD pass to Bill Hewitt and recording a pair of touchdown runs, the longest of which covered 40 yards.

      Nagurski’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Bill Hewitt late in the fourth quarter enabled the Bears to defeat the Detroit Lions by a score of 19–16 on November 29, 1934, with the victory clinching the Western Division title for Chicago.

      Nagurski turned in the most memorable performance of his career nearly a decade later, with his extraordinary effort in the final game of the 1943 regular season enabling the Bears to clinch the Western Division title with a 35–24 victory over the Chicago Cardinals. After spending the entire season serving as a tackle on the offensive side of the ball, Nagurski returned to his more familiar position of fullback when the Bears found themselves trailing their arch-rivals by a score of 24–14 heading into the fourth quarter. Taking the game into his own hands, Nagurski ran for 84 yards and one touchdown in the final 15 minutes, leading the Bears to a come-from-behind win that earned them a berth in the NFL championship game. Looking back on his performance years later, Nagurski said, “That game gave me my greatest kick out of football.”

      Notable Achievements

      1 • Rushed for more than 500 yards four times.

      2 • Led NFL with four rushing touchdowns in 1932.

      3 • Finished second in NFL in rushing yards once, yards from scrimmage once, all-purpose yards once, and rushing average once.

      4 • Finished third in NFL in rushing yards once and rushing touchdowns once.

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