With the NFL set to celebrate its 100th birthday on Sept. 17, 2020, here's a look at what transpired this week in Bears history:
June 29
In 1950, former punter and tight end Bob Parsons was born. Parsons spent his entire 12-year NFL career with the Bears from 1972-83, appearing in 170 games. He averaged 38.7 yards on a franchise-record 884 punts. Parsons also played tight end, making 10 of his 11 career starts at the position in 1975. He had 19 career receptions for 231 yards and four touchdowns.
June 30
In 1957, the Bears re-signed starting quarterback Ed Brown. Selected by the Bears in the sixth round of the 1952 draft out of San Francisco, Brown spent his first eight NFL seasons in Chicago from 1954-61, posting a 39-25-2 record as a starter while completing 48.7 percent of his passes for 9,698 yards with 63 touchdowns, 88 interceptions and a 62.5 passer rating. Brown was named to the Pro Bowl in 1955 and 1956. He also served as the Bears' punter, averaging 40.6 yards on 343 punts. He passed away Aug. 2, 2007 at the age of 78.
July 1
In 1979, former running back Adrian Peterson was born. Chosen by the Bears in the sixth round of the 2002 draft out of Georgia Southern, Peterson spent his entire eight-year NFL career in Chicago. Appearing in 106 games with six starts, he rushed for 1,283 yards and eight touchdowns on 311 carries and caught 78 passes for 665 yards. Peterson was also a valuable special-teams contributor throughout his career with the Bears.
In 1988, former safety Major Wright was born. Selected by the Bears in the third round of the 2010 draft out of Florida, he played his first four NFL seasons in Chicago. Appearing in 54 games with 42 starts, Wright recorded 254 tackles, nine interceptions—three of which he returned for touchdowns—18 pass breakups and seven tackles-for-loss.
July 2
In 1925, former halfback and defensive back Don Kindt was born. Selected by the Bears in the first round of the 1947 draft out of Wisconsin, Kindt spent his entire nine-year NFL career in Chicago. Playing in 108 games with 74 starts, he rushed for 586 yards and four touchdowns on 172 carries and caught 43 passes for 506 yards and two TDs. On defense, he registered 21 interceptions, including a career-high six picks in 1953 when he was voted to his only Pro Bowl. Kindt passed away May 5, 2000 at the age of 74.
July 3
In 1965, former linebacker Vinson Smith was born. Acquired by the Bears in a 1993 trade with the Cowboys, Smith played four seasons in Chicago from 1993-96. He appeared in 59 games with 48 starts and compiled 229 tackles and 6.0 sacks. Smith was obtained from Dallas along with linebacker Barry Minter and a sixth-round draft pick in exchange for linebacker John Roper, tight end Kelly Blackwell and safety Markus Paul.
July 4
In 1931, former fullback Rick Casares was born. Selected by the Bears in the second round of the 1954 draft out of Florida, Casares spent his first 10 NFL seasons in Chicago from 1955-64, leaving the team as its all-time leading rusher with 5,657 yards and 49 touchdowns on 1,386 carries. He was voted to the Pro Bowl in each of his first five seasons from 1955-59, was a two-time All-Pro selection, and led the NFL in all rushing categories in 1956 with 1,126 yards and 12 touchdowns on 234 carries. Casares was also a member of the Bears' 1963 NFL championship team. He passed away Sept. 13, 2013 at the age of 82.
In 1937, former safety and return specialist Roosevelt Taylor was born. Taylor spent the first nine seasons of his NFL career with the Bears from 1961-69, never missing a game. He appeared in 118 contests with 108 starts and registered 23 interceptions. The New Orleans native scored four defensive touchdowns, three on interceptions and one on a fumble return. In 1963, Taylor was named first-team All-Pro and voted to the Pro Bowl after leading the NFL with a career-high nine interceptions while helping the Bears win the league championship. He passed away May 29, 2020 at the age of 82.
July 5
In 1941, former defensive tackle John Johnson was born. Chosen by the Bears in the sixth round of the 1963 draft out of Indiana, Johnson spent his first six NFL seasons in Chicago, appearing in 85 games with 20 starts. As a rookie, he was a member of the Bears' 1963 NFL championship team.
