Orange is George H. McCaskey's favorite color. But that's only part of the reason he's excited that the Bears will wear their orange jerseys again this season.
"I think it's a great look and it's a modern-day look that's reminiscent of our past," said the Bears chairman and grandson of franchise founder George Halas.
On Friday, the Bears unveiled the orange Nike jerseys that they will wear this season in games at Miami Oct. 14 and at home against the Vikings Nov. 18. They last wore orange jerseys in 2011 after also donning them from 2005-09.
This weekend the Bears will debut their new Nike orange jerseys against the Miami Dolphins.
One of the most memorable games in which the Bears wore their orange jerseys occurred on Nov. 13, 2005. On a blustery day at Soldier Field, Nathan Vasher returned a missed field goal attempt 108 yards for a touchdown in a 17-9 win over the 49ers, setting a record that has since been eclipsed for the longest play in NFL history.
McCaskey's fondness for orange jerseys dates back to the early days of the franchise. The Bears won 17 straight regular-season games in 1933-34, an NFL mark that stood for 70 years until it was broken by the Patriots in 2004.
"I'm a big fan of history and to me it's not so much an alternate jersey, but one that's really reminiscent of our past when we dominated," McCaskey said.
For the first time, the NFL is allowing teams to wear alternate jerseys in addition to a classic jersey that was formerly described as a throwback. The Bears will again wear their 1940s-era classic uniform in a game that has yet to be determined.
"Before it was a tough choice because it was either the alternate orange jersey or the classic jersey," McCaskey said. "This year we're really excited that they're going to allow us to wear both in the same season."'
Fans can purchase the orange jerseys by clicking here.
Take a look at some of the best photos of former Bears players wearing the team's orange jerseys from 2004-2011.
