Top Five Bears Tragedies: Part 3
The bears have been around for over one hundred years at this point, we've had many triumphs and many failures. As much as we celebrate our victories we also need to remember our failures. So here is part one of my top five bears tragedies.
TWO OF THEIR BIGGEST STARS OF THE '60S RETIRED WAY TOO EARLY
The Chicago Bears weren't short on star power in the 1960s, but we should also note that two of their biggest stars that decade had much shorter careers than what you'd expect from players of their caliber. Gale Sayers was an instant superstar at running back for Chicago, as he scored a then-NFL-record 22 touchdowns from scrimmage en route to the Rookie of the Year award. He would also lead the league in rushing yards twice and get selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first five seasons. Tragically, he suffered multiple serious knee injuries, and he was 28 years old when he played his last NFL game in 1971 � way too young to call it quits had he been healthy.
During that same 1965 NFL Draft where Sayers was chosen fourth overall, linebacker Dick Butkus was taken with the third pick, and he likewise wasted no time dominating on defense for the Bears. He was a regular All-Pro selection who led the Bears in tackles for eight consecutive seasons, and running backs cowered in fear at the mere sight of No. 51 stepping on the field. However, his hard-hitting, take-no-prisoners style of play ultimately caught up with him, and he was just 31 when he retired after the 1973 season.
