Before there were Gale Sayers and Walter Payton...
...there was Willie Galimore (28), who was killed on the way to Bears' 1964 training camp at the age of 29. Also killed in the accident was Galimore's teammate, wide receiver John (Bo) Farrington.
Willie was a great one. Injury prone, his dazzling runs and unbelievable moves were a comparatively rare treat for Bear fans. If he'd stayed healthy and lived longer, it's hard to say how great he could have been.
Also featured are quarterback Ed Brown (15), fullback Rick Casares (35), and place kicker George Blanda (in a hoodie). Blanda, who is best known as a quarterback with the Oakland Raiders, was pretty much limited to kicking during his career with the Bears.
These guys, along with defenders like Joe Fortunato and Bill George and Doug Atkins, were my gridiron heroes when I was growing up. BTW, the games depicted below were played at Wrigley Field. Notice that the lack of space between the end zone and the wall, which caused the Big Ten to decree that all offensive plays in the Illinois-Northwestern game last week had to go the other way, was no obstacle either in these games nor in any of the others the Bears played during the years when they shared Wrigley with the Cubs (the other Chicago NFL franchise, the Cardinals, played at Comiskey Park. The Bears, like the Cubs, were regarded in those days as the North Side team, and the Cardinals, like the White Sox, as the South Side team).
Willie was a great one. Injury prone, his dazzling runs and unbelievable moves were a comparatively rare treat for Bear fans. If he'd stayed healthy and lived longer, it's hard to say how great he could have been.
Also featured are quarterback Ed Brown (15), fullback Rick Casares (35), and place kicker George Blanda (in a hoodie). Blanda, who is best known as a quarterback with the Oakland Raiders, was pretty much limited to kicking during his career with the Bears.
These guys, along with defenders like Joe Fortunato and Bill George and Doug Atkins, were my gridiron heroes when I was growing up. BTW, the games depicted below were played at Wrigley Field. Notice that the lack of space between the end zone and the wall, which caused the Big Ten to decree that all offensive plays in the Illinois-Northwestern game last week had to go the other way, was no obstacle either in these games nor in any of the others the Bears played during the years when they shared Wrigley with the Cubs (the other Chicago NFL franchise, the Cardinals, played at Comiskey Park. The Bears, like the Cubs, were regarded in those days as the North Side team, and the Cardinals, like the White Sox, as the South Side team).
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