With the Bears assigning jersey numbers to their draft picks Wednesday, here are three amusing anecdotes about past Bears numbers:
Yes sir, Mr. Butkus
After he was selected by the Bears in the 11th round of the 1985 NFL Draft, linebacker Jim Morrissey was assigned No. 51—the same number that Hall of Fame middle linebacker Dick Butkus had worn throughout his illustrious career in Chicago. (The number wasn't retired in Butkus' honor until 1994.)
Morrissey was worried about what Butkus—who was a Bears radio analyst at the time—would think. So when Butkus walked into the locker room before the preseason opener, Morrissey hesitantly approached the legend.
Morrissey gave me the details of the awkward encounter Wednesday:
"This is the first preseason game in St. Louis. I was fully dressed two hours before the game because our trainer, Fred Caito, said: 'All you rookies and especially you late picks and free agents, you better get in here and get dressed so you make room for the veterans when they come in.' So I'm fully dressed like 2-3 hours before the game, shoulder pads on, jersey on, everything. I'm sitting in my locker and all of a sudden the door opens and Dick Butkus walks in and looks right at my number—or his number I should say.
"I was like, 'oh my God.' I knew it was Dick Butkus. I knew it was his jersey. I didn't know what to do. Do I go hide? Do I go in the training room? I said, 'You know what, I'll go say him to him.' So I say, 'Hi, Mr. Butkus, my name is Jim Morrissey out of Michigan State. I hope you know I had nothing to do with wearing your jersey.'
"He said, 'I don't give a [expletive],' and started to walk away. But then he said, 'I was just kidding. But do me a favor, don't get the back of my jersey dirty.' It became a thing during the '85 season. When he'd come around and say hi to the linebackers, he'd always pretend that he was dusting off the back of my jersey and say, 'I told you to keep my jersey clean.' That was my big introduction to Dick Butkus."
The famed "25" defense?
Hard-hitting safety Doug Plank spent his entire NFL career with the Bears from 1975-82. He was not a member of the 1985 Super Bowl champions. But his presence was very much felt by that team and continues to live on today through the famed "46 defense," which defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan named for Plank's uniform number.
Interestingly, the "46 defense" could very easily been named the "25 defense," the number that Plank was originally issued as a rookie.
"The first couple weeks that I was here, I was wearing No. 25," Plank said. "We traded for an All-Pro receiver from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ron Shanklin. The first practice, he got out there he saw me in 25. He goes, 'Rookie, you've got my jersey on!' I'll never forget this, over there at Lake Forest College, taking the shirt off and throwing it at him and then going downstairs and asking the equipment [manager], 'What else do you have?' He said, 'How about 46?' And I said, 'Sounds good to me.'"
Plank recalled when Ryan first created the 46 defense.
"He never called anybody by their name. You were either a number or you were an adjective and it usually wasn't a complimentary adjective," Plank said. "So I was a number; I was very thankful. He drew all the numbers on there and he brought me down from the free safety position and put me right in that middle linebacker position and circled my number three times and said 'we're going to call this the 46 defense.'
"No one really thought it was unusual because probably half the people in that room had something named after them—a blitz, a coverage, something. It just grew. As the organization put better players, more gifted players into that scheme, it became unstoppable."
Payton initially wore No. 21
Legendary Bears running back Walter Payton remains synonymous with No. 34, the number he wore throughout his Hall of Fame career in Chicago. But after being selected by the Bears with the fourth pick in the 1975 draft, Payton was initially assigned No. 21. Sweetness didn't change to No. 34 until shortly before the start of the regular season.
Senior writer Larry Mayer ranks his 10 favorite Bears players who changed jersey numbers prior to the 2021 season.
(10) Sam Acho (No. 49 to 93)
The outside linebacker wore No. 49 in his first two seasons with the Bears in 2015-16 before changing to No. 93 in his final two years in 2017-18. Acho made the switch because he liked the number "3" following the release of defensive lineman Will Sutton, who had been wearing No. 93.
(9) Jim Flanigan (No. 68 to 99)
After wearing No. 68 as a Bears rookie in 1994, the defensive tackle from Notre Dame wore No. 99 for his final six seasons with the team.
(8) Emery Moorehead (No. 43 to 87)
After wearing No. 43 in his first season with the Bears in 1981, the veteran tight end switched to No. 87 for his final seven years with the team.
(7) Rashied Davis (No. 21 to 81)
Before joining the Bears in 2005, Davis had played receiver and cornerback in the Arena Football League with the San Jose SaberCats. Signed by the Bears to play cornerback, Davis was assigned No. 21. But when he was switched to receiver in his second season, he changed to No. 81.
(6) Earl Bennett (No. 85 to 80)
The Bears receiver wore No. 85 as a rookie in 2008 before switching to No. 80 for his final five seasons with the team. Bennett did not catch a pass as a rookie before registering 185 receptions the next five years.
(5) Josh McCown (No. 15 to 12)
The popular quarterback had worn No. 12 in each of his first eight NFL seasons with the Cardinals (2002-05), Lions (2006), Raiders (2007) and Panthers (2008-09). But when he signed with the Bears in 2011, Caleb Hanie had No. 12, so McCown took No. 15. McCown's contract expired after the season and the Bears acquired receiver Brandon Marshall in a trade with the Dolphins and gave him No. 15. McCown re-signed with the Bears one day later and was given No. 12.
(4) Mike Ditka (No. 82 to 89)
After Mike Ditka was selected by the Bears with the fifth pick in the 1961 draft, the Hall of Fame tight end was assigned No. 82. The No. 89 that Ditka had worn at the University of Pittsburgh belonged to Bears kicker John Aveni. But Aveni was released before training camp and Ditka was able to get No. 89—a number that has since been retired by the team in his honor.
(3) Lance Briggs (No. 91 to 55)
When Briggs was chosen by the Bears in the third round of the 2003 draft, the No. 55 belonged to veteran linebacker Mike Caldwell. But Caldwell was released before the start of the season and Briggs switched to No. 55.
(2) Doug Plank (No. 25 to 46)
The hard-hitting safety was originally given No. 25 after arriving as a 12th-round pick in the 1975 draft. But the Bears traded for Steelers receiver Ron Shanklin in late August and Shanklin asked for No. 25—the number he had worn for five seasons in Pittsburgh. Plank acquiesced and switched to No. 46. Had that not happened, we'd probably all be talking about the famed 25 defense!
(1) Walter Payton (No. 21 to 34)
The legendary Hall of Fame running back was initially assigned No. 21 when he arrived as the fourth overall pick in the 1975 draft, but he switched to his famed No. 34 before the start of the regular season.
