Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of questions from fans on ChicagoBears.com.
As a return specialist and receiver, would Devin Hester qualify as the last Bear to play two distinct positions? If memory serves me correctly, didn't he also play defensive back when he was first drafted by the Bears?
Jack S.
Indianapolis, Indiana
For those who don't know, I was asked in a recent Chalk Talk about the last Bears player to play two distinct positions at the same time. The first individual who came to my mind was William "Refrigerator" Perry, who lined up as both a defensive tackle and short-yardage fullback on a fairly regular basis as a rookie for the 1985 Super Bowl championship team. I received several emails from fans, including Jack above, who asked about Devin Hester. So I just wanted to explain my thought process: I didn't consider players who doubled as a return specialist because that's pretty much the case with every NFL team every season. For instance, Cordarrelle Patterson and Tarik Cohen both were return specialists for the Bears last year while playing other positions on offense. I also didn't include players who switched positions from one season to the next, like Hester or Rashied Davis changing from defensive back to receiver or Bradley Sowell moving from tackle to tight end. I appreciate all the feedback and hope this provides some clarity about my initial response to the question.
With Eddie Jackson switching from No. 39 to No. 4, it got me thinking: Who was the last Bears defensive player to wear single digits?
Kevin T.
Dyer, Indiana
This season safety Eddie Jackson will become the first Bears defensive player to wear a single digit jersey number since 1955 when Hall of Fame defensive end Ed Sprinkle wore No. 7 and defensive back Don Kindt donned No. 6. While uniform numbers often correlated with position groups throughout the NFL's first several decades, an official numbering system wasn't implemented by the league until 1973.
I loved seeing the Bears wear their 1960s throwback helmets with the white "C." When did they change the "C" from white to orange?
Phil P.
Morton Grove, Illinois
The "C" logo on the Bears helmets was changed from white to orange in 1973. The logo itself first appeared on their helmets in 1962.
Chalk Talk features fan questions multiple times each week. Email your question to Larry.
