Bear Digest

Bears Trio Officially Headed to Canton

Devin Hester, Steve McMichael and Julius Peppers are among 40 players who wore Bears uniforms and are in Canton.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears Trio Officially Headed to Canton
Bears Trio Officially Headed to Canton

In this story:

Chicago Bears

The names came out on NFL Honors night of each new member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and only three remained to be named for the Class of 2024.

All of them wore Chicago Bears uniforms.

Devin Hester, Steve McMichael and Julius Peppers brought the total number of Bears in the Pro Football Hall of Fame to 40, 32 primarily as Bears and eight more like Peppers, who wore the uniform at least part of their careers. It's the most of all teams.

"We are ecstatic and extremely grateful that both Steve McMichael and Devin Hester have been selected for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame," Bears President & CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement issued by the Bears. "Both of these men were transformative football players who have always represented themselves, their families and the Chicago Bears with dignity, class and grace.

"Having Steve and Devin become the 31st and 32nd members of our franchise enshrined into Canton is very memorable and special. We would also like to congratulate Julius Peppers on his enshrinement and we deeply appreciate his positive impact on the Chicago Bears."

McMichael, 66, is stricken with ALS and was represented at the NFL Honors night by his wife, Misty. A watch party was held back at McMichael's home in Homer Glen. Friends and former teammates were in attendance.

Art Powell was one of three finalists among senior players with McMichael and linebacker Randy Gradishar and didn't make it into the Hall because he didn't get the required 80 percent support.

Dwight Freeney, Andre Johnson, Patrick Willis and Gradishar were the others voted into the Hall of Fame besides Peppers, Hester and McMichael.

Getting in three players who were Bears or wore the uniform at least part of the their career led to plenty of speculation the Bears will be playing in Canton, Ohio in the preseason's first game, the Hall of Fame game.

McMichael and Hester's announcement led to emotions across Bears nation, McMichael obviously because of his declining health and Hester because he missed on his first two shots and was a special teams player, who rarely have been acknowledged by the Hall. He is the first player inducted as a return man.

Hester made 20 total TD returns plus one to start Super Bowl XLI after his rookie season.

"When you're talking about the Hall of Fame, you're talking about a lot of great athletes, a lot of great quarterbacks, a lot of great running backs, defensive backs, linebackers," Hester told NFL Network after the ceremonies. "But when you talk Devin Hester you're talking about right now the first one ever to do it, and I just thank God that he allowed me to open up the door for the rest of the returners. 

"And not only returners but special teams guys as well and say, hey, at the end of the day we do have a big part of this situation in this ballgame, which is the NFL."

Peppers made 159 1/2 career sacks and only Bruce Smith (200), Reggie White (198) and Kevin Greene (160) made more. He made 37 1/2 of those sacks while with the Bears from 2010-13.

The last Bears players inducted were Jimbo Covert and Ed Sprinkle in the Class of 2020, a ceremony delayed by the pandemic.

A former Bears player did actually go in with the last class, Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley. He was drafted by the Bears and played 15 games in 1958 and 1959 before a knee injury and then was traded to Dallas. Eventually, he was the MVP of Super Bowl V when he intercepted two passes and forced a fumble.

The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award was Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward.

The other major award winners were:

Offensive player of the year: 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey

Defensive player of the year: Browns Edge Myles Garrett

Offensive rookie of the year: Texans QB C.J. Stroud

Coach of the year: Browns coach Kevin Stefanski

Defensive rookie of the year: Texans DE Will Anderson Jr.

Defensive player of the year: Browns DE Myles Garrett

Offensive rookie of the year: Texans QB C.J. Stroud

Assistant coach of the year: Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz

Comeback player of the year: Browns QB Joe Flacco

Salute to Service award: Patriots long snapper Joe Cardona

MVP: Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

Art Rooney sportsmanship award winner: Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner

Jim Brown top running back award: Christian McCaffrey

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

Home/News