A story I heard was that someone made the comment that Bobby Douglass could throw the ball through a barn door, to which Hank Stram made the comment "He'd have to hit the barn first".
Jack Concannon - one of the coolest quarterback names ever. Bobby Douglass was a fullback/linebacker who happened to play quarterback. He was tough and had a cannon for an arm, but he just couldn't win. Running for your life every game will do that to you. I don't think Bobby Douglass was wearing a helmet. It was more like the helmet was wearing him.
Thanks for the video. Lifelong Bear fan who started following the Bears in 1970. Yes, I have suffered thru some dismal quarterback play! Bobby Douglas had a cannon for an arm! Butkus and Sayers careers suffered on these miserable teams. Shout out to the memory of all the past Bears players.
Thank you for watching. How 'bout a shout out to two #65's with the same last name of Jackson? Randy Jackson who wore it from '67-'74, then Noah Jackson who wore it from '75-'83. Randy played Left Tackle and Noah played Left Guard.
And in all this futility the Bears wasted to careers of Butkus and Sayers, who never saw a post-season game. How sad. That Cowboys-Bears tilt in 1971, was the one Tom Landry switched his QB's on every play. Staubach and Morton were competing for the starting job, so Coach Landry tried this head-scratcher. Near the end he had Craig finish the game. Roger thought he was finished in Dallas. Then the Man in the Hat made the historic decision to go with Staubach. 10 straight wins later The Cowboys were World Champions. The rest is America's Team History.
The 70s NFL was nothing like it is today. Pass interference and roughing the passer were only suggestions. Having a 55% completion stat was not all that bad. Throwing for 2000 yards was considered the upper end of the NFL. This was basically a halfback league. 👍
Yes, you are exactly right in all accounts - anything over a 50% completion percentage was considered very good, in fact. The game was played totally differently than today where they throw so many short passes to bump up their completion percentages.
This was also before the 1978 rule changes to make the game more pass friendly, with some Steelers players and fans believing that it was targeting them. Ironically, Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw benefited from the rule changes, and would go on to win NFL MVP, Super Bowl XIII, and Super Bowl MVP.
Its amazing the Bears are the oldest or one of the oldest franchises in nfl history and yet you can count on one hand the number of great / really good qbs they've had and still have a few fingers left..alot of great, even hall of fame linebackers and tailbacks for sure but for some reason the qb position has perpetually been subpar to say the least🤷🏽♂️
The #1 passer in Bears history is universally hated by fans to this day, #2 played wearing a leather helmet, and #3 will be coaching for the NCAA championship tomorrow night.
The chemistry between Concannon and Gordon was undeniable. When Concannon went down the next season, Gordon's production dropped, manily because Nix or Douglass could not consistently get the ball to him...
Bobby Douglass was the original Tim Tebow. 2 left handed TE's playing QB. Did you catch Dick Jauron on the pick 6 return for the Lions. He would go on to coach the Bears. It was also great to see crabby old Abe Gibron stalking the sidelines. Cool music too.
Abe looks like he didn't miss too many meals and that he got his monies worth at the all-you-can-eat buffets. Every time I see footage of him I think of those song lyrics "Jeremiah was a bullfrog"
@@markgardner9460 Remember the World Football League? Abe Gibron coached the (very) short-lived Chicago Winds WFL franchise that played in Soldier Field in 1975. After losing out on signing Joe Namath (after having promised he'd be in a Winds uniform), the team lost all credibility. As a result, all the promotional material for their one home game in 1975 could trumpet was, "The Return of Abe!". Needless to say, it didn't excite Chicagoans and only about 1000 showed up. Even as a 13-year old kid with very little faculty for discernment, I could tell that they were pathetically grasping at straws. They went out of business forever shortly thereafter (having lastly only 5 games), as did the rest of the WFL not long after that.
Some GREAT footage! Unfortunately, it didn't get much better with Bob Avellini and the Bears were so desperate that they actually traded a 1st round pick to Cleveland for Mike Phipps that the Browns turned into HOF'er Ozzie Newsome.
I was amazed to learn that Dick Butkus achieved a pair of touchdown passes each on botched snaps! I forget if they took place in the same or separate seasons though. It definitely appears that Bears fans didn’t have a whole lot to cheer about from 1970-1974. I think that may have changed in 1975 with the arrival of a certain rookie running back from Jackson St?
Butkus got one touchdown and one extra point (the extra point came in the game against the Eagles in '72 Week 13). Payton put the Bears back on the map, for sure.
@@brianthomas2434 Well, they did have winning seasons in 1977 and 1979 and made the playoffs on both occasions, though they were immediately eliminated both times.
bobby douglass held the quarterback rushing record (968 yards) for 34 years, found out he tried pitching in the white sox organization, he pitched for the triple a iowa oaks who would have a lot of great players pass thru, douglass pitched in 4 games, 7 innings, walked 13 and didn't get a strike out.
Supposedly George Farmer, Bears WR, had fights with Douglass for throwing short passes too hard and smashing his fingers badly. Huff sucked and threw short yardage sideline passes a lot. Great job, super footage and stats to remind us Bears fans who lived in that era how bad they were.
Gary "hospital ball" Huff. Douglass was as tough as woodpecker lips. Douglass led the league in getting his head gear torn off. Brutal. Douglass a 1970's Tim Tebow.. Thanks brother appreciated.
8:10: It is so funny today watching those games back then when a receiver goes across the baseball dirt infield to catch a touchdown pass and celebrates in the third base baseball coaching box.
As a 60 plus years Packer fan, I can relate. Between Bart Starr and Brett Favre we had a list of Doggos that can rival anyone Jerry Tagge, Carlos Brown, David Whitehurst...on and on it goes.
Now you're both bringing up so many best-forgotten memories of the quarterbacks my Raiders have had since their last Super Bowl victory (1983). Except for David Carr, Rich Gannon, and (at times) Jeff Hostetler, try spending your Sundays stuck with the likes of Marc Wilson, Jay Schroeder, Vince Evans, Rusty Hilger, Jeff George, David Klingler, Aaron Brooks, Dante Culpepper, Marquis Tuiasosopo, Rick Mirer, and JaMarcus Russell.
Given the physical abilities of Bobby Douglass, it makes you wonder how good he could have been had he worked with a really good QB coach, and played with a better group of receivers. Maybe he still wouldn't have been that good, but the potential was certainly there. Nice interception at at 18:18 by newly hall of famed Ken Riley. It looks like he caught the ball one handed, but it's hard to tell for sure.
6:30-Wow what a missile! And 12:40! -As a fan I never saw that before nor knew of it. Awesome. Holy cow, 18:25, again? Wow and Butkus just passed away so it means more to me now seeing this. Good old 51.
4:40, gale sayers chasing alan page into the end zone. gale was done by 1970, after the injury, he only played in 2 games in 1970 after making a great comeback in 1969.
1:42 This is one of the most unique sights I've ever seen in football history...thanks NFL. Also, I had no idea that the Bears had such a confounding situation with their home stadium choices prior to entering Soldier Field.
I forgot about those stadium troubles. While watching I thought about how nice it would have been had they stayed in Dyche Stadium, but naturally, Evanston residents would have none it.
BTW you have on tape two of my favorite Bobby Douglas hilites - the point after the touchdown the Dick butt is caught in the end zone very athletic, and the 65 yard frozen rope to Jim Seymour in the back of the end zone against the bills it’s probably in my top five most incredible throws and reveals Douglas Arm Strength
Great upload and analysis. Always liked Douglas,.The stats /numbers cited may not be the best , but the video shows what a great athlete and open field runner he was. Here, once he gets past the Raiders D-line, he easily outmaneuvers all 3 LB's which then leaves George Atkinson the job of tackling him . Given his options are neither after the whistle nor from behind, he clearly is not up to the task. 14:58
Thank you very much. You make good points. It should also be noted that the Bears running game was woeful, so they had a lot of 3rd and longs. Defenses pinned their ears back and put big pressure on the Bears QB's, so it's understandable that their completion percentages would be less than the league average.
@@scoop1127 Seems like the fans (and Certainly Walter Payton) deserved better. Still chaotic situation with city "leadership" and the Stadium issues.....
I remember having a Bobby Douglass football card as a little kid. It seemed like he should have been better than he actually was. He had a lot of tools.
They don't call it the Windy City because of the weather. Anyway, I always liked Douglass. Even though he was a crappy passer, he was gutsy af. How many times did he lose his helmet on a play? It must be his own unique stat.
I've read that it's in reference to a tornado that blew through the city, as well as local city officials who were windy or full of hot air, as well as high winds that blew through the downtown skyscrapers.
2:05 Wow - The placement of the end zone at Wrigley Field is ridiculous. And the back corner of it being occupied by spectators is equally ridiculous....
Douglass lost his helmet more that anyone I ever saw. He threw the ball with zero touch. One play I remember the Bears had the ball on the other teams 3 yard line. Douglass rolled to his left with an open receiver 5 yards deep in the end zone. He threw the ball so hard, it hit the receiver in the face so hard it knocked him down, and the ball went flying about 15 feet in the air and out of bounds. God, he was terrible.
But the man was tough as a big truck. Always too bad their offense so primitive. Elsewhere he might've been better. Easy to see in these before my time highlights... Still interesting to see that athlete who was the only offense. Bears were a mess yet fielded a team...😉
As a kid I remember watching Douglas (when the games weren’t blacked out). For some reason I chose to be a Bears fan. Why did I do that to myself? The long list of horrible QBs started with Concannon.
Douglass broke his wrist in that Bills game in 1970, but somehow finished the game. That's why he didn't play again that year. Too bad: We would've learned how bad he was a little faster than we did.
I started watching Bears in 1970 at 8yrs old. I remember watching Bobby's passes bouncing off receivers and those brutal but effective runs. Not sure but I think Bears wanted to switch him to RB but he refused. Abe Gibron was from my old home town Michigan City IN. Dad layed carpet at his house. Thanks for posting.
I remember that there was always talk the bears were going to convert Bobby Douglas to a tight end. So after this group of QBs the bears got Mike Phipps, Bob Avellini and Vince Evan’s . Waiting for your video on those 3. Story of the franchise really, no QBs.
Sid Luckman was the last great QB for the Bears. Defense won the 85 championship. Jim McMahon was only an average quarterback. Same for Jay Cutler. Let’s see if Justin Fields can be a franchise quarterback
It was mentioned that in 1970, after the 4TD game against Buffalo, the Bears went back to Concannon. Reason: Douglass suffered a broken wrist in that game. If that didn't happen, Douglass probably starts the rest of the year. The head coach, Jim Dooley was enamored with Douglass. Dooley was also not a man of his word. In 1969, Virgil Carter started a game vs. Green Bay in Week 13. Carter completed only 2 of 10 passes. At halftime, he asked Dooley not to pull him from the game. Dooley said he wouldn't, then promptly said Douglass would start the 2nd half. Carter was enraged, called the Bears a "chicken s**t organization (or something of the sort). Whatever was said, George Halas didn't like it, and Carterdidn't play anymore that season. He would go on to Cincinnati, where he was coached by Bill Walsh. Carter didn't have much of an arm, but was an accurate short to meduim passer. This was the beginning of the West coast offense
Same here, from Detroit, I remember the field mics would pick up Bobby Douglass, he had such a gruff voice, I guess...Huuuutt. Huuuutt Hike. Great, great video footage!!!
I am not sure that the Bills coaches want Allen running like a man possessed much like Douglass did - like when he lost his helmet and stuck his head into the Packers' Fred Carr's chest in order to fight for a first down.
I want to say that after that one great game that Douglass had, it was discovered that he had broken his wrist during the game. They had to shut him down.
In that same time frame, the QBs who won Super Bowls were: Len Dawson (Chiefs), Johnny Unitas/Earl Morrall (Colts), Roger Staubach (Cowboys), Bob Griese (Dolphins).
...and Dawson and Unitas were castoffs, while Morrall was a journeyman and Staubach a 27 year old rookie in 1969 (29 years old during the Super Bowl game)
It's too bad that the Bears couldn't have extended Gordon's fine play for a longer period of time. Halas and money issues entered into the equation, as it did with a lot of players throughout the years.
Where was the game played between the bears and saints with Concannon? It appeared like both end zones were painted one for the saints and the other was painted for the bears, like a neutral field game.
I was told. But cannot confirm that one of the end zones at Wrigley field was built over one of dugouts. Using heavy plywood and putting dirt on it. Padding on cenent bricks.
As if Bears quarterbacks from 1975-79 were a big improvement. (Edit) How good would Bobby Douglass have been if the Bears had a QB who could throw? Having him be the Christian McCaffrey guy in their offense...holy crap!
Wow! In 1974 my team, the Washington Redskins, had Kilmer as the starting QB, Sonny Jurgenson was the back up QB and Joe Theisman was the 3rd string. You guys in Chicago had it Huff, I mean rough, lol.
They lost a coin flip with the Steelers in 1970 to see who would draft the consensus Number 1 Quarterback Terry Bradshaw. The rest as they say is history!
Douglass was always my favorite from those years because he could run and wasn't afraid to get hit. A pretty good arm too. If he was playing today, I think he'd be a pretty big star.
Bobby Douglass was a great, gutsy runner, but in seven years on the Bears, his pass completion percentage was an abysmal 42%. In 1972 he started 14 games and completed 37.9%. A QB passing for under 50% wouldn't get a sniff today.
@@69FOSTER You’re right but in those days they threw the ball downfield practically every play. Yards per completion was 13-14 yards. Nowadays the passes are a lot shorter and less yards per completion.
@@Rusty571000 Agree, plus passing offenses have evolved by leaps and bounds. In1972, Norm Snead completed 60% of his passes, but that was a result of many of his throws being all "dink and dunk" passes. Len Dawson had the second best percentage among full time starting QB's at 57.4%. That year, Joe Namath and Billy Kilmer threw the most touchdown passes with 19 each.
@@69FOSTER I wouldn’t bet any money on it and am too lazy to look it up but I wouldn’t doubt if every modern NFL QB has a higher completion percentage than Dawson. Do you think it’s because they’re playing more zone today? I’m probably full of it as I just pulled that out of my @$$. 😂
It's only 1970-1974, but lather, rinse, repeat up to today (2024), except for maybe McMahon & Cutler, but the team couldn't keep them healthy. Too much pressure on Williams to change all this.
I remember watching Bobby Douglass play. It was always exciting mainly because you never knew exactly what was coming next. If he could of been "refined"...who knows?
This was before Walter Payton was drafted in the 1975 NFL Draft. During his time, the Bears offense became Payton and 10 other guys (without looking it up, do you know who the Bears QBs were during Payton’s time, besides Jim McMahon, Steve Fuller, or Doug Flutie)?
I do, but I'm going to save the names from '75-'79 until I publish that version of this video. I'll probably address the other QB's at some time, too. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@tomv4408 Evans had a looooooong career. I remember when the Bears drafted him in '77, 6th Round (USC), the talk was of converting him to Safety. ~~He left the Bears in '84, went to the U.S.F.L.'s Chicago Blitz. Blitz were coached by some guy named _Marv Levy,_ who succeeded some other guy named _George Allen._ 😉
Of course at the end of Walter's career, there was _Mike Tomczyk,_ from Calumet City IL. and Ohio State U. He played for the Bears, Packers, Browns, and your _Pittsburgh Steelers._ There was another Mike, last name I couldn't remember, had to peek: _Mike Phipps._ The Bears gave the Browns a First Rnd. Pick to get him. That pick became *_Ozzie Newsome._*
I was thinking that Walter Payton should’ve been the Bears QB. Sounds crazy but I think in today’s game he would be a QB. He had the strongest, most accurate arm of any Bears player on the roster. You could’ve given him the option to either run or pass with his insane athletic ability. Jimmy McMahon is still to me the best Bears QB of the last 70 years in a Bears uniform. Who was the Bears first 4k yard passer? Erik Kramer back in 1995. He was really good for a couple years in Chicago. Btw: Love your videos, I’m an old school NFL history freak. Whatever happened to Dick Gordon? Seemed like he was the only guy making big plays back then. I wish the Bears somehow could’ve gotten Joe Ferguson in the mid 70s to go along with what Jim Finks was building in Chicago. Finks was really one quarterback away from having a solid contender
I read where Dick Gordon wanted a big pay increase after his fantastic 1970 season, but tight-fisted George Halas would not give in. That lead to a lot of acrimony and Gordon played out his option after the 1971 season. He was signed by the Rams as a free agent and the Bears received the Rams first round draft choice in 1974 as compensation (turned out to be defensive lineman Dave Gallagher out of Michigan). Gordon only caught 3 passes for the Rams in 1972. He was released by the Rams after week 5 of the 1973 season. The Packers signed him as a free agent in 1973, but he didn't catch any passes for either team in 1973. In January 1974, the Packers traded him to the Patriots for Tight End John Mosier, but Gordon never suited up for the Patriots.
This all happened before my time. Wow...that really was BRUTAL! I heard about Douglas and though he was an absolutely terrible passer, you can't deny he played the game with great heart. A lot of those misses were on his receivers being unable to haul it in. Whether that was due to his throwing velocity or their incompetence is a debate for the afterlife. And none of it matters anyway..those teams were utterly forgettable.
Believe it or not, for that one start against the Bills in 70 Douglass was AP Player of the week. His stats? 8-20, 196 yds, 4 TD, 1 int, 7 sacks(!), 12 yds rushing
Concannon is my earliest recollection of a Bears QB. They were terrible. They finished 1-13. I can still remember a play I saw on TV where Concannon stepped away from center to call timeout and the center essentially snapped the ball to a St. Louis Cardinals player for a Cardinals TD. I don't think it was this 1970 season, though. Must've been a season or two before. Any further back and I wouldn't remember as I was too young to care.
I saw Bobby Douglas make that TD run as a seven year old kid at Cleveland Stadium in 1972. I was with my father and former Chicago Bear Gunner Johnson.
@@markgardner9460 His name was Fordham "Gunner" Johnson. He played for the University of Wisconsin and later was a Lt. in the US Marine Corps during WW2. He was drafted by George Halas and played end for maybe two seasons with the Bears in the late 1940's. He then became an international sales executive with BF Goodrich and traveled the world. He worked with my Dad. He took his old contract, copied it and erased his name. He then signed me to play for the Bears for $15.00 a game. My number was 00. 😂 I was thrilled. I have been a Bears fan ever since. 😄
Think about those Kansas teams with both Bobby Douglas and John Riggins in the same backfield. I remember those years. I’m an old guy.😂 Lost to Penn State in the Orange Bowl.
Believe it or not there are worse QBs than these.At least Douglas could run,keep plays alive.I saw some worse modern day QBs. That Douglas run against the Browns was so cool!!!
It's kind of amazing that they could throw for so few yards, and score so few touchdowns. Imagine betting on a QB to throw for less than 50 yards, and winning.
Can you imagine watching a Sunday morning football show with people arguing their points as to whether or not Bobby Douglass would throw for 50 yards against The Purple People Eaters? Great thought.
@@markgardner9460 And the Bears averaged 162 rushing yards per game in 1972. That was back before people realized that throwing the ball gained more yards than running the ball, I guess.
I give it to you, you actually found enough Bears qb footage to put this together, my wife is a Bears fan. I I made her watch historical footage of the Bears. If you're a fan of a team you better know the history...me I'm a Raiders fan.
75 to 81 was absolutely terrible. Watching Avellini, Phipps, and Evans constantly be pulled and put back in, just to be pulled again because of terrible throws and picks was miserable. Then they totally cratered in 81, with collective 45% completion rate, 14 TD passes v. 23 interceptions, and a 56 passer rating. Miserable
They finished 6-10 in '81 with those lousy passing numbers. In '77 they threw 11 touchdowns and 18 interceptions (all by Avellini). They went 9-5 despite that and made the playoffs as a wild card team. Let me digress a moment. An interesting tidbit was that they were tied with Minnesota at the end of the season but lost the division because of net point differential in head to head games against Minnesota (Vikes were plus 3). The Vikes won the first game 22-16 and the Bears won the rematch 10-7, but late in that game the Bears were inside the Vikings 10 yard line and could have kicked a chip shot field goal. A 13-7 win would have meant the next tiebreaker which I believe was net points in division games, which would have ended up in the Bears favor and they would have won the division. Instead of kicking the field goal the Bears gave it to Payton, which was his 40th carry and gave him 275 yards, setting a NFL record but ironically costing the Bears the division (There was always a fear that the Vikings could block the kick and run it back for a TD, which also likely played a role in the decision). In '78 they had 7 touchdowns and 28 interceptions and still somehow went 7-9. in '79 it was a more respectable 16-16 ratio and they went 10-6( tied with Tampa Bay atop the division but being the wild card based on division record). In '80 it was back to 13 touchdown passes and 25 interceptions and a 7-9 mark. If they had average quarterback play they likely win the division in '77, 78 (Minnesota won at 8-7-1) and 1980 (Minnesota won at 9-7) and probably in '81 as well (Tampa Bay won the division at 9-7). Jim Finks receives many plaudits, and rightfully so, but his blindness to the QB position cost the Bears dearly in the late '70's and early 80's. I always wonder what would have happened if Halas and Ditka had not taken control in '82. Would Finks have taken McMahon? I don't think Finks ever drafted a QB in the first round. He did trade a number one for Tarkenton in Minnesota and a number one for Phipps in "77 (WTF).
A story I heard was that someone made the comment that Bobby Douglass could throw the ball through a barn door, to which Hank Stram made the comment "He'd have to hit the barn first".
That's a classic!!!
Hilarious 😂
@@kendallevans4079Stram a great coach for a time,but a narcissist!
@@stevenzimmerman4057 Agree!
Even at age 15, Hank didn't have hair in the thickness or breadth of the hairpieces that he would adorn later.
Not just a video, but a spontaneous act of generosity 😊
It's 2023 and the Bears STILL have brutal quarterbacks. Some things never change.
1970 coin flip to see which Team would have first pick in the Draft, Steelers or the Bears, Steelers won the coin flip and choose Terry Bradshaw
@@petermurdoch3001 Ozark Ike was overrated in my opinion. He had the luxury of going for broke on passes knowing that his defense would bail him out.
That might change this year with Caleb Williams hopefully.
@@lanceallington9175He's a total bust. A wasted pick.
Jack Concannon - one of the coolest quarterback names ever. Bobby Douglass was a fullback/linebacker who happened to play quarterback. He was tough and had a cannon for an arm, but he just couldn't win. Running for your life every game will do that to you. I don't think Bobby Douglass was wearing a helmet. It was more like the helmet was wearing him.
Cool thumbnail
@@markgardner9460 That was me in another lifetime.
I agree. A very cool, quarterback name. Shame it was wasted on less than mediocre talent. I have a #11 Concannon jersey for that reason
Douglass' helmet covered more yards than his passes😉😜.
What an arm considering he's throwing so much off his back foot!
Thanks for the video. Lifelong Bear fan who started following the Bears in 1970. Yes, I have suffered thru some dismal quarterback play! Bobby Douglas had a cannon for an arm! Butkus and Sayers careers suffered on these miserable teams. Shout out to the memory of all the past Bears players.
Thank you for watching. How 'bout a shout out to two #65's with the same last name of Jackson? Randy Jackson who wore it from '67-'74, then Noah Jackson who wore it from '75-'83. Randy played Left Tackle and Noah played Left Guard.
And in all this futility the Bears wasted to careers of Butkus and Sayers, who never saw a post-season game. How sad.
That Cowboys-Bears tilt in 1971, was the one Tom Landry switched his QB's on every play. Staubach and Morton were competing for the starting job, so Coach Landry tried this head-scratcher. Near the end he had Craig finish the game. Roger thought he was finished in Dallas. Then the Man in the Hat made the historic decision to go with Staubach. 10 straight wins later The Cowboys were World Champions. The rest is America's Team History.
Yes, Morton passed 36X in that game, while Staubach only passed 11X. That is a ton of passing for a Cowboys team back then.
The 70s NFL was nothing like it is today. Pass interference and roughing the passer were only suggestions. Having a 55% completion stat was not all that bad. Throwing for 2000 yards was considered the upper end of the NFL. This was basically a halfback league. 👍
Yes, you are exactly right in all accounts - anything over a 50% completion percentage was considered very good, in fact. The game was played totally differently than today where they throw so many short passes to bump up their completion percentages.
This was also before the 1978 rule changes to make the game more pass friendly, with some Steelers players and fans believing that it was targeting them.
Ironically, Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw benefited from the rule changes, and would go on to win NFL MVP, Super Bowl XIII, and Super Bowl MVP.
if Douglas played under rules today to protect QBs, may have rushed for 2000 yards
Its amazing the Bears are the oldest or one of the oldest franchises in nfl history and yet you can count on one hand the number of great / really good qbs they've had and still have a few fingers left..alot of great, even hall of fame linebackers and tailbacks for sure but for some reason the qb position has perpetually been subpar to say the least🤷🏽♂️
It is unreal that they have never had a great QB. Jim was very good but injuries got him. Cutler had all the tools but could not get over himself!
@@kevinhuber8723 great points..i mean ya Sid Luckman about 80 yrs ago was pretty good I hear and Jim was good for a few years but thats about it🤷🏽♂️
Bobby Layne of the Detroit lions was a bear and they traded him away
We gave up some great draft picks so that we could move up and nab the great Mitchell Trubisky, instead of settling for that bum Patrick Mahomes.
The #1 passer in Bears history is universally hated by fans to this day, #2 played wearing a leather helmet, and #3 will be coaching for the NCAA championship tomorrow night.
The chemistry between Concannon and Gordon was undeniable. When Concannon went down the next season, Gordon's production dropped, manily because Nix or Douglass could not consistently get the ball to him...
Bobby Douglass was the original Tim Tebow. 2 left handed TE's playing QB. Did you catch Dick Jauron on the pick 6 return for the Lions. He would go on to coach the Bears. It was also great to see crabby old Abe Gibron stalking the sidelines. Cool music too.
Abe looks like he didn't miss too many meals and that he got his monies worth at the all-you-can-eat buffets. Every time I see footage of him I think of those song lyrics "Jeremiah was a bullfrog"
@@markgardner9460 Remember the World Football League? Abe Gibron coached the (very) short-lived Chicago Winds WFL franchise that played in Soldier Field in 1975. After losing out on signing Joe Namath (after having promised he'd be in a Winds uniform), the team lost all credibility. As a result, all the promotional material for their one home game in 1975 could trumpet was, "The Return of Abe!". Needless to say, it didn't excite Chicagoans and only about 1000 showed up. Even as a 13-year old kid with very little faculty for discernment, I could tell that they were pathetically grasping at straws. They went out of business forever shortly thereafter (having lastly only 5 games), as did the rest of the WFL not long after that.
I was at the game where Butkus caught that pass. I could see that his knees were going, but the man was a gamer, one of the greats!
Watching Butkus get up and walk around was painful to watch - you could tell that he was really hurting.
@@markgardner9460 He was the ultimate gamer!
Never even played in the playoffs@@stevenzimmerman4057
Gawd awful times to be a Bear's fan back then (and now). Great Video!!!!!
Thank you very much - I appreciate it. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Some GREAT footage! Unfortunately, it didn't get much better with Bob Avellini and the Bears were so desperate that they actually traded a 1st round pick to Cleveland for Mike Phipps that the Browns turned into HOF'er Ozzie Newsome.
Yeah, I can't wait to dig into the '75-'79 version of this video.
That makes up for the Browns giving up Paul Warfield for the pick to draft Mike Phipps. Miami got the better of that deal.
I remember watching Vince Evans, Without looking it up I can't really remember if he was good bad Or just average but always seem like a real nice guy
@@cokesquirrel He had his moments, but was pretty inconsistent and other than Payton, he didn't have a lot of weapons to work with.
@@cokesquirrel Vince Evans = Justin Fields 1.0 + Caleb Williams = 1.0
I was amazed to learn that Dick Butkus achieved a pair of touchdown passes each on botched snaps! I forget if they took place in the same or separate seasons though. It definitely appears that Bears fans didn’t have a whole lot to cheer about from 1970-1974. I think that may have changed in 1975 with the arrival of a certain rookie running back from Jackson St?
Butkus got one touchdown and one extra point (the extra point came in the game against the Eagles in '72 Week 13). Payton put the Bears back on the map, for sure.
@@markgardner9460 though they continued to lose for years.
But you know that better than I.
Well,as of Dec. 27 2023 they still SUCK !!
Ya Baby! Sweetness was so Fine! Almost pulled a "Cam Newton" at SB 20? But He remember in time 🏈 is a Team Sport!
@@brianthomas2434 Well, they did have winning seasons in 1977 and 1979 and made the playoffs on both occasions, though they were immediately eliminated both times.
The last time the Bears had a franchise quarterback was in the 1940's when Sid Luckman was the man.
Fast forward to this last 2023 season it's a similarity to this highlight package. Too much of this kind of QB play in Bears history.
bobby douglass held the quarterback rushing record (968 yards) for 34 years, found out he tried pitching in the white sox organization, he pitched for the triple a iowa oaks who would have a lot of great players pass thru, douglass pitched in 4 games, 7 innings, walked 13 and didn't get a strike out.
I thought that the Iowa Oaks were one of the Cubs farm teams.
I think they were in the White Sox chain
@@billbeliakoff5589 they are now.
Supposedly George Farmer, Bears WR, had fights with Douglass for throwing short passes too hard and smashing his fingers badly. Huff sucked and threw short yardage sideline passes a lot. Great job, super footage and stats to remind us Bears fans who lived in that era how bad they were.
Douglass was an awful passer, should've played TE, FB or something
The only real consolation was that the Packers sucked almost as much as the Bears did.
Gary "hospital ball" Huff. Douglass was as tough as woodpecker lips. Douglass led the league in getting his head gear torn off. Brutal. Douglass a 1970's Tim Tebow.. Thanks brother appreciated.
Yes! Love the Tim Tebow reference - spot on!
And both lefties!
8:10: It is so funny today watching those games back then when a receiver goes across the baseball dirt infield to catch a touchdown pass and celebrates in the third base baseball coaching box.
No doubt! Good attention to detail.
1:20 actually it's pronounced Dyke. Love the video, hard to believe 50 + years later the Bears q.b. issue still isn't solved.
That's what I thought. The narrator had me thinking I had been pronouncing it wrong all these years.
And now their stadium issue is once again up in the air, just as it was back then.
A great video thank you I love the old days and miss it alot
Thank you - I'm glad that you liked it!
Never a Bears fan but loved Bobby Douglass
As a 60 plus years Packer fan, I can relate. Between Bart Starr and Brett Favre we had a list of Doggos that can rival anyone Jerry Tagge, Carlos Brown, David Whitehurst...on and on it goes.
I'll add Scott Hunter and Don Horn, too. I had totally forgotten about Carlos Brown!
Carlos Brown later changed his name to Alan Autry and became known as Bubba Skinner on the TV show " In the Heat of the Night".
Now you're both bringing up so many best-forgotten memories of the quarterbacks my Raiders have had since their last Super Bowl victory (1983). Except for David Carr, Rich Gannon, and (at times) Jeff Hostetler, try spending your Sundays stuck with the likes of Marc Wilson, Jay Schroeder, Vince Evans, Rusty Hilger, Jeff George, David Klingler, Aaron Brooks, Dante Culpepper, Marquis Tuiasosopo, Rick Mirer, and JaMarcus Russell.
Given the physical abilities of Bobby Douglass, it makes you wonder how good he could have been had he worked with a really good QB coach, and played with a better group of receivers. Maybe he still wouldn't have been that good, but the potential was certainly there.
Nice interception at at 18:18 by newly hall of famed Ken Riley. It looks like he caught the ball one handed, but it's hard to tell for sure.
He was a great runner.
6:30-Wow what a missile! And 12:40! -As a fan I never saw that before nor knew of it. Awesome. Holy cow, 18:25, again? Wow and Butkus just passed away so it means more to me now seeing this. Good old 51.
4:40, gale sayers chasing alan page into the end zone. gale was done by 1970, after the injury, he only played in 2 games in 1970 after making a great comeback in 1969.
1:42 This is one of the most unique sights I've ever seen in football history...thanks NFL. Also, I had no idea that the Bears had such a confounding situation with their home stadium choices prior to entering Soldier Field.
Why the NFL didn't make 'em take down those college goal posts is beyond me!
I forgot about those stadium troubles. While watching I thought about how nice it would have been had they stayed in Dyche Stadium, but naturally, Evanston residents would have none it.
BTW you have on tape two of my favorite Bobby Douglas hilites - the point after the touchdown the Dick butt is caught in the end zone very athletic, and the 65 yard frozen rope to Jim Seymour in the back of the end zone against the bills it’s probably in my top five most incredible throws and reveals Douglas Arm Strength
Yes, another viewer commented on that bullet to Seymour, too - just incredible arm strength. He had tools that very few had.
Great upload and analysis. Always liked Douglas,.The stats /numbers cited may not be the best , but the video shows what a great athlete and open field runner he was. Here, once he gets past the Raiders D-line, he easily outmaneuvers all 3 LB's which then leaves George Atkinson the job of tackling him . Given his options are neither after the whistle nor from behind, he clearly is not up to the task. 14:58
Thank you very much. You make good points. It should also be noted that the Bears running game was woeful, so they had a lot of 3rd and longs. Defenses pinned their ears back and put big pressure on the Bears QB's, so it's understandable that their completion percentages would be less than the league average.
I find Douglass' 1972 numbers interesting and worth looking into.
Atkinson wanted no part of Douglass.. usually with the Raiders . it's the other way around!
Who was Huff throwing to at 21:30? 3 Lions around the receiver and Mike Lucci (a excellent linebacker!)picked it off.
@@scoop1127 Seems like the fans (and Certainly Walter Payton) deserved better. Still chaotic situation with city "leadership" and the Stadium issues.....
You could make this a 12 part series and extend it from 1970-2023. Apologies to McMahon (when healthy), Kramer in 95', and Trubisky in 2018'.
You're right! I know for sure that I want to do another series from '75-'79.
@@markgardner9460 BOB AVELLINI❗My buddy!!!
When that's the top of the list you probably don't need to apologize.
I remember having a Bobby Douglass football card as a little kid. It seemed like he should have been better than he actually was. He had a lot of tools.
It's too bad that they didn't surround him with more talent at the skill positions
Bobby Douglass was a quarterBACK. fun to watch.
They don't call it the Windy City because of the weather. Anyway, I always liked Douglass. Even though he was a crappy passer, he was gutsy af. How many times did he lose his helmet on a play? It must be his own unique stat.
I've read that it's in reference to a tornado that blew through the city, as well as local city officials who were windy or full of hot air, as well as high winds that blew through the downtown skyscrapers.
nice work, I have all the season highlights of these bad bears teams
Sweet!
21:00 Dick Jauron….future Bear head coach
Great catch!
2:05 Wow - The placement of the end zone at Wrigley Field is ridiculous. And the back corner of it being occupied by spectators is equally ridiculous....
Anything went back then!
Douglass lost his helmet more that anyone I ever saw. He threw the ball with zero touch. One play I remember the Bears had the ball on the other teams 3 yard line. Douglass rolled to his left with an open receiver 5 yards deep in the end zone. He threw the ball so hard, it hit the receiver in the face so hard it knocked him down, and the ball went flying about 15 feet in the air and out of bounds. God, he was terrible.
I'm surprised that they didn't convert him to a running back.
But the man was tough as a big truck. Always too bad their offense so primitive. Elsewhere he might've been better. Easy to see in these before my time highlights... Still interesting to see that athlete who was the only offense. Bears were a mess yet fielded a team...😉
Lol, I noticed that too...he needed a tighter fitting helmet or better chin strap!
I think that the main problem was that he didn't wear a chin strap.
@markgardner9460 Wow, I didn't notice that!
As a kid I remember watching Douglas (when the games weren’t blacked out). For some reason I chose to be a Bears fan. Why did I do that to myself? The long list of horrible QBs started with Concannon.
Douglass broke his wrist in that Bills game in 1970, but somehow finished the game. That's why he didn't play again that year. Too bad: We would've learned how bad he was a little faster than we did.
Man, finishing a game with a broken wrist - very tough.
Great video! Where'd you get the music for this?
Thank you - I got it from the editing software that I utilize
I started watching Bears in 1970 at 8yrs old. I remember watching Bobby's passes bouncing off receivers and those brutal but effective runs. Not sure but I think Bears wanted to switch him to RB but he refused. Abe Gibron was from my old home town Michigan City IN. Dad layed carpet at his house. Thanks for posting.
Abe was a jolly gent. Thanks for watching and commenting!
And they traded a Hall of Fame tight end Mike Ditka for Jack Concannon just another faded Bears QB since Sid Luckman, except for Rudy Bukich in 1965
Billy Wade was a Pro Bowler for them in '63 when they won it all.
They probably should've switched Bobby Douglas to tailback after Gale Sayers retired
He was fullback-sized and ran like a half-back
They've all been brutal. They only differ in the degree of brutalness.
I remember that there was always talk the bears were going to convert Bobby Douglas to a tight end. So after this group of QBs the bears got Mike Phipps, Bob Avellini and Vince Evan’s . Waiting for your video on those 3. Story of the franchise really, no QBs.
I'm looking forward to creating the '75-'79 version!
Sid Luckman was the last great QB for the Bears. Defense won the 85 championship. Jim McMahon was only an average quarterback. Same for Jay Cutler. Let’s see if Justin Fields can be a franchise quarterback
...and Luckman played in the '40's. Amazing!
It was mentioned that in 1970, after the 4TD game against Buffalo, the Bears went back to Concannon. Reason: Douglass suffered a broken wrist in that game. If that didn't happen, Douglass probably starts the rest of the year. The head coach, Jim Dooley was enamored with Douglass. Dooley was also not a man of his word. In 1969, Virgil Carter started a game vs. Green Bay in Week 13. Carter completed only 2 of 10 passes. At halftime, he asked Dooley not to pull him from the game. Dooley said he wouldn't, then promptly said Douglass would start the 2nd half. Carter was enraged, called the Bears a "chicken s**t organization (or something of the sort). Whatever was said, George Halas didn't like it, and Carterdidn't play anymore that season. He would go on to Cincinnati, where he was coached by Bill Walsh. Carter didn't have much of an arm, but was an accurate short to meduim passer. This was the beginning of the West coast offense
I'm a huge Detroit Lions fans , so I loved the Bill Munson Greg Landry era but even being a Detroit Lions fan I always liked Bobby Douglass
Douglass was tough!
Gary Danialson? Eric Hipple?.....Hey if you don't remember....NO shame!!
@@kendallevans4079 I remember everything
Same here, from Detroit, I remember the field mics would pick up Bobby Douglass, he had such a gruff voice, I guess...Huuuutt. Huuuutt Hike. Great, great video footage!!!
Douglass was the Anti-Mahomes!
Hi Mark - wearing my 72 Namath white jersey for this one - do you think Josh Allen is turning into Bobby Douglas? Nice Butkus jersey
I am not sure that the Bills coaches want Allen running like a man possessed much like Douglass did - like when he lost his helmet and stuck his head into the Packers' Fred Carr's chest in order to fight for a first down.
I want to say that after that one great game that Douglass had, it was discovered that he had broken his wrist during the game. They had to shut him down.
Thank you very much for that information!
They said his passes were easier to catch because he couldn't throw as hard!
Another turnstyle situation at QB like the mix 70s Rams. Another good one Mark
Thank you, sir! You know that the '75-'79 version of this video needs to be published, right?
Absolutely! Right on. Avellini, Gary Huff.....A goldmine!
In that same time frame, the QBs who won Super Bowls were: Len Dawson (Chiefs), Johnny Unitas/Earl Morrall (Colts), Roger Staubach (Cowboys), Bob Griese (Dolphins).
...and Dawson and Unitas were castoffs, while Morrall was a journeyman and Staubach a 27 year old rookie in 1969 (29 years old during the Super Bowl game)
Dick Gordon All-Time Bears Great. Lucky those who collected paycheck without playing on concrete covered by kitchen carpeting.
It's too bad that the Bears couldn't have extended Gordon's fine play for a longer period of time. Halas and money issues entered into the equation, as it did with a lot of players throughout the years.
Buffalo and San Diego old AFL now AFC teams made their first and last trip to Wrigley Field in 1970
Got Bobby Douglass, and Abe Gibrons autographs down at St. Joe College in Rensselaer, In.
Tim Tebow always reminded me of Bobby Douglas.
Indeed. That's a great comparison.
Douglas ran for 968 yards when it was a big deal. You are right, he ran like a half back in a full backs body
...and he had the guts of a cat burgler.
If there were a stat for losing the helmet, Douglass would’ve led that for sure.
I don't think he started wearing a chinstrap until '75.
I remember watching the Bears at the time! Their passing attack was pretty woeful!
Double goalposts! Holy cow!
I've heard that Douglas threw the 4 touchdowns against the Bills with a fractured wrist!
Bobby Douglas was almost more of a sideshow than a NFL quarterback!
Great video 🎉
Thank you! I really enjoyed making it.
Where was the game played between the bears and saints with Concannon? It appeared like both end zones were painted one for the saints and the other was painted for the bears, like a neutral field game.
Tulane Stadium
6:34 - that pass was thrown 65 yards on a line, an absolute bullet. too bad he never developed any touch.
My recollection is Douglass threw that TD with a broken wrist!
I was told. But cannot confirm that one of the end zones at Wrigley field was built over one of dugouts. Using heavy plywood and putting dirt on it. Padding on cenent bricks.
That would have been the dugout on the first base side which was in the upper left hand corner of the end zone. Great stuff!
The reason Douglass didn’t start after the Buffalo game was because he fractured a bone in the wrist of his throwing hand.
Thank you - I appreciate that!
I remember those days. Douglass played helmet optional and Dick Gordon would have had a great career if he played for someone else.
Gordon was phenomenal, but would have even been better if on a decent team with a solid QB, like you alluded to.
As if Bears quarterbacks from 1975-79 were a big improvement.
(Edit) How good would Bobby Douglass have been if the Bears had a QB who could throw? Having him be the Christian McCaffrey guy in their offense...holy crap!
He was a great runner.
As a Vikings fan, I really appreciated the Bears during that time.
Pretty much an easy win with a couple of exceptions
Lions too!
U had me a lil confused on that td well int😅 this was a fun 1
Wow! In 1974 my team, the Washington Redskins, had Kilmer as the starting QB, Sonny Jurgenson was the back up QB and Joe Theisman was the 3rd string. You guys in Chicago had it Huff, I mean rough, lol.
I wonder if there has ever been a team with 3 better QB's on the roster at one time than that Redskins club.
I don't think you're pronouncing 'Huarte' correctly. I've always heard it as "Hew-art".
I heard it was pronounced as I spoke it, but I googled it and it came up"Wahr-tay", so there ya go.
i wonder who they drafted with the draft pick in the concnnon deal
That's a tough one - it may have been Tackle Wayne Mass, but I'm not certain. Can anyone else offer assistance?
@@markgardner9460 I think it was Alan Bush a guard from Ole Miss.
Yeah, he would have been my other guess. I don't think Bush made it in the NFL.
@@markgardner9460 I think you’re right.
They lost a coin flip with the Steelers in 1970 to see who would draft the consensus Number 1 Quarterback Terry Bradshaw. The rest as they say is history!
It would have been interesting to see how Bradshaw's career would have transpired if he ended up with a different team.
Douglass was always my favorite from those years because he could run and wasn't afraid to get hit. A pretty good arm too. If he was playing today, I think he'd be a pretty big star.
Bobby Douglass was a great, gutsy runner, but in seven years on the Bears, his pass completion percentage was an abysmal 42%. In 1972 he started 14 games and completed 37.9%. A QB passing for under 50% wouldn't get a sniff today.
@@69FOSTER You’re right but in those days they threw the ball downfield practically every play. Yards per completion was 13-14 yards. Nowadays the passes are a lot shorter and less yards per completion.
@@Rusty571000 Agree, plus passing offenses have evolved by leaps and bounds. In1972, Norm Snead completed 60% of his passes, but that was a result of many of his throws being all "dink and dunk" passes. Len Dawson had the second best percentage among full time starting QB's at 57.4%. That year, Joe Namath and Billy Kilmer threw the most touchdown passes with 19 each.
@@69FOSTER I wouldn’t bet any money on it and am too lazy to look it up but I wouldn’t doubt if every modern NFL QB has a higher completion percentage than Dawson. Do you think it’s because they’re playing more zone today? I’m probably full of it as I just pulled that out of my @$$. 😂
32; qualified passers over 60 percent.
Love the music with videos too
Thanks - I'm glad you liked it!
It's only 1970-1974, but lather, rinse, repeat up to today (2024), except for maybe McMahon & Cutler, but the team couldn't keep them healthy. Too much pressure on Williams to change all this.
"lather, rinse, repeat": LOL. It's amazing that they haven't been able to produce a quality QB for so long.
I love the old film, the understated uniforms, Rams, Bengals Eagles 🦅 love it all
Thanks for commenting about the understated uniforms. I really like the green Eagles and red Cardinals jerseys from this era.
I don't see any footage at all of Douglas actually ever catching any passes. He probably could have been the first multi offensive position player
How ironic it is that George Halas pioneered the T formation with Sid Luckman at the helm, but haven’t had a franchise QB since
It's more than incredible when considering that it's been 70+ years!
I remember watching Bobby Douglass play. It was always exciting mainly because you never knew exactly what was coming next. If he could of been "refined"...who knows?
He reminds me of Tim Tebow in that regard.
This was before Walter Payton was drafted in the 1975 NFL Draft.
During his time, the Bears offense became Payton and 10 other guys (without looking it up, do you know who the Bears QBs were during Payton’s time, besides Jim McMahon, Steve Fuller, or Doug Flutie)?
I do, but I'm going to save the names from '75-'79 until I publish that version of this video. I'll probably address the other QB's at some time, too. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Bob Avellini was one.
Vince Evans?
@@tomv4408 Evans had a looooooong career. I remember when the Bears drafted him in '77, 6th Round (USC), the talk was of converting him to Safety. ~~He left the Bears in '84, went to the U.S.F.L.'s Chicago Blitz. Blitz were coached by some guy named _Marv Levy,_ who succeeded some other guy named _George Allen._ 😉
Of course at the end of Walter's career, there was _Mike Tomczyk,_ from Calumet City IL. and Ohio State U. He played for the Bears, Packers, Browns, and your _Pittsburgh Steelers._ There was another Mike, last name I couldn't remember, had to peek: _Mike Phipps._ The Bears gave the Browns a First Rnd. Pick to get him. That pick became *_Ozzie Newsome._*
I have an autographed picture of Jack Concannon. Plus he was in the football scenes in the original MASH movie.
I didn't know that sbout the movie - thanks for the info!
@markgardner9460 yeah man!!
I was thinking that Walter Payton should’ve been the Bears QB. Sounds crazy but I think in today’s game he would be a QB. He had the strongest, most accurate arm of any Bears player on the roster. You could’ve given him the option to either run or pass with his insane athletic ability. Jimmy McMahon is still to me the best Bears QB of the last 70 years in a Bears uniform. Who was the Bears first 4k yard passer? Erik Kramer back in 1995. He was really good for a couple years in Chicago. Btw: Love your videos, I’m an old school NFL history freak. Whatever happened to Dick Gordon? Seemed like he was the only guy making big plays back then. I wish the Bears somehow could’ve gotten Joe Ferguson in the mid 70s to go along with what Jim Finks was building in Chicago. Finks was really one quarterback away from having a solid contender
I read where Dick Gordon wanted a big pay increase after his fantastic 1970 season, but tight-fisted George Halas would not give in. That lead to a lot of acrimony and Gordon played out his option after the 1971 season. He was signed by the Rams as a free agent and the Bears received the Rams first round draft choice in 1974 as compensation (turned out to be defensive lineman Dave Gallagher out of Michigan). Gordon only caught 3 passes for the Rams in 1972. He was released by the Rams after week 5 of the 1973 season. The Packers signed him as a free agent in 1973, but he didn't catch any passes for either team in 1973. In January 1974, the Packers traded him to the Patriots for Tight End John Mosier, but Gordon never suited up for the Patriots.
This all happened before my time. Wow...that really was BRUTAL! I heard about Douglas and though he was an absolutely terrible passer, you can't deny he played the game with great heart. A lot of those misses were on his receivers being unable to haul it in. Whether that was due to his throwing velocity or their incompetence is a debate for the afterlife. And none of it matters anyway..those teams were utterly forgettable.
Well said! The best that the Bears could hope for back then was an opponent with a lot of injuries and then for that team to have an off day.
Believe it or not, for that one start against the Bills in 70 Douglass was AP Player of the week. His stats? 8-20, 196 yds, 4 TD, 1 int, 7 sacks(!), 12 yds rushing
To me, the most amazing stat is the only 12 yards rushing. Thanks for providing!
Concannon is my earliest recollection of a Bears QB. They were terrible. They finished 1-13. I can still remember a play I saw on TV where Concannon stepped away from center to call timeout and the center essentially snapped the ball to a St. Louis Cardinals player for a Cardinals TD. I don't think it was this 1970 season, though. Must've been a season or two before. Any further back and I wouldn't remember as I was too young to care.
"How Bad Were The 1969 Chicago Bears, Really" is one of my videos in my playlist and I think that play is featured in it.
I saw Bobby Douglas make that TD run as a seven year old kid at Cleveland Stadium in 1972. I was with my father and former Chicago Bear Gunner Johnson.
Cook story! I hadn't heard of that Bears player - he must have gone back aways.
@@markgardner9460 His name was Fordham "Gunner" Johnson. He played for the University of Wisconsin and later was a Lt. in the US Marine Corps during WW2. He was drafted by George Halas and played end for maybe two seasons with the Bears in the late 1940's. He then became an international sales executive with BF Goodrich and traveled the world. He worked with my Dad. He took his old contract, copied it and erased his name. He then signed me to play for the Bears for $15.00 a game. My number was 00. 😂 I was thrilled. I have been a Bears fan ever since. 😄
I meant to type "good story" before - sorry about that. Thanks for following up and providing the detailed information - GREAT stuff!!
Think about those Kansas teams with both Bobby Douglas and John Riggins in the same backfield. I remember those years. I’m an old guy.😂 Lost to Penn State in the Orange Bowl.
Penn State scored a td late in the game and won it with a 2 point conversion, as I recall. Exciting game.
Kansas was co big 8 champion in 1968 with Oklahoma
Douglass frequently lost his helmet
Did Bobby Douglass lead the league in helmets lost during play?
No doubt. It was like he was one of those "Rock 'em, Sock 'em Robot" toys from the '70's
Note that Wrigley field had 8 yard end zones
I had not heard that - very interesting.
I loved Bobby Douglas..first QB to be used as a weapon (Running)..he has a big arm..however, he was always running for his life..
Greg Landry was a good runner, but not nearly to the extent of Douglass - Bobby ran all of the time.....whether it was designed or not.
19:50 Bears punter, and occasional tight end, Bob Parsons running a pattern.
#86. I wonder if anyone that has punted in the NFL had a higher number?
Believe it or not there are worse QBs than these.At least Douglas could run,keep plays alive.I saw some worse modern day QBs.
That Douglas run against the Browns was so cool!!!
I agree- there are worse QB's than these, but I think the Bears take the cake over the long haul. Thank you for watching and commenting!
It's kind of amazing that they could throw for so few yards, and score so few touchdowns. Imagine betting on a QB to throw for less than 50 yards, and winning.
Can you imagine watching a Sunday morning football show with people arguing their points as to whether or not Bobby Douglass would throw for 50 yards against The Purple People Eaters? Great thought.
@@markgardner9460 Thanks!
He averaged 89 passing yards per game in 1972, and he played every game that year.
It's amazing! The next year he started 12 games and averaged only 81.3 yards per game!
@@markgardner9460 And the Bears averaged 162 rushing yards per game in 1972.
That was back before people realized that throwing the ball gained more yards than running the ball, I guess.
Douglass ran for an average of 69 yards each games, so their RB's almost got 100 each game. Now the game is tilted heavily the other way - passing
Best quote from some sports writer about Bobby Douglas: "He was so strong, he could throw the ball through a barn door! If he could hit a barn door!"
CLASSIC!!!
I give it to you, you actually found enough Bears qb footage to put this together, my wife is a Bears fan. I I made her watch historical footage of the Bears. If you're a fan of a team you better know the history...me I'm a Raiders fan.
Did you have her watch this video, I presume?
Raider fan also, since 1974. I pride myself on knowing very obscure Raider players.
That's a gift, you got me by a few years, (1980) however I read a lot of old Raiders stuff from the AFL on.@@kendallevans4079
No I haven't, I don't know if I want to depress her. @@markgardner9460
Yeah, that's good thinking!
That quarterback must not have had a chin strap. He sure had some beautiful blond hair that we got to see on numerous occasions!
A most entertaining video. Why can't Douglass keep helmet on?
He didn't wear a chin strap and opposing players wanted to pull it off, so they could get a good shot to his mug.
Brutal Quarterback play 1950-2023 basically anyone after Sid Luckman
That's amazing to think - but it's accurate
75 to 81 was absolutely terrible. Watching Avellini, Phipps, and Evans constantly be pulled and put back in, just to be pulled again because of terrible throws and picks was miserable.
Then they totally cratered in 81, with collective 45% completion rate, 14 TD passes v. 23 interceptions, and a 56 passer rating. Miserable
56 passer rating would have been reason for a team party if that happened to any of the '70's Bears teams
They finished 6-10 in '81 with those lousy passing numbers.
In '77 they threw 11 touchdowns and 18 interceptions (all by Avellini). They went 9-5 despite that and made the playoffs as a wild card team.
Let me digress a moment. An interesting tidbit was that they were tied with Minnesota at the end of the season but lost the division because of net point differential in head to head games against Minnesota (Vikes were plus 3). The Vikes won the first game 22-16 and the Bears won the rematch 10-7, but late in that game the Bears were inside the Vikings 10 yard line and could have kicked a chip shot field goal. A 13-7 win would have meant the next tiebreaker which I believe was net points in division games, which would have ended up in the Bears favor and they would have won the division. Instead of kicking the field goal the Bears gave it to Payton, which was his 40th carry and gave him 275 yards, setting a NFL record but ironically costing the Bears the division (There was always a fear that the Vikings could block the kick and run it back for a TD, which also likely played a role in the decision).
In '78 they had 7 touchdowns and 28 interceptions and still somehow went 7-9. in '79 it was a more respectable 16-16 ratio and they went 10-6( tied with Tampa Bay atop the division but being the wild card based on division record). In '80 it was back to 13 touchdown passes and 25 interceptions and a 7-9 mark.
If they had average quarterback play they likely win the division in '77, 78 (Minnesota won at 8-7-1) and 1980 (Minnesota won at 9-7) and probably in '81 as well (Tampa Bay won the division at 9-7).
Jim Finks receives many plaudits, and rightfully so, but his blindness to the QB position cost the Bears dearly in the late '70's and early 80's. I always wonder what would have happened if Halas and Ditka had not taken control in '82. Would Finks have taken McMahon? I don't think Finks ever drafted a QB in the first round. He did trade a number one for Tarkenton in Minnesota and a number one for Phipps in "77 (WTF).
WOW!...ole Bob Douglass had great moves when he tucked it to run....still...i think that cheerleader won in the AGILITY category...HANDS DOWN....😁