George Halas - wikipedia George Halas For the president of the Chicago Bears, see George Halas, Jr. George Halas Halas in 1952 No. 7 Position : End Date of birth : ( 1895 - 02 - 02 ) February 2, 1895 Place of birth : Chicago, Illinois Date of death : October 31, 1983 ( 1983 - 10 - 31 ) ( aged 88 ) Place of death : Chicago, Illinois Height : 6 ft 0 in ( 1.83 m ) Weight : 182 lb ( 83 kg ) Career information High school : Chicago ( IL ) Crane College : Illinois Career history As player : Hammond All - Stars ( 1919 ) Decatur Staleys / Chicago Staleys / Chicago Bears ( 1920 -- 1929 ) As coach : Decatur Staleys / Chicago Staleys / Chicago Bears ( 1920 -- 1929 ) Chicago Bears ( 1933 -- 1942 ) Chicago Bears ( 1946 -- 1955 ) Chicago Bears ( 1958 -- 1967 ) As executive : Decatur Staleys / Chicago Staleys / Chicago Bears ( 1920 -- 1983 ) ( Owner ) Career highlights and awards 6 × NFL champion ( 1921, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1946, 1963 ) 2 × AP NFL Coach of the Year ( 1963, 1965 ) NFL 1920s All - Decade Team Chicago Bears No. 7 retired Career NFL statistics Games played : 104 Touchdowns : 10 Player stats at NFL.com Head coaching record Regular season : 318 -- 148 -- 31 (. 671 ) Postseason : 6 -- 3 (. 667 ) Career : 324 -- 151 -- 31 (. 671 ) Player stats at PFR Coaching stats at PFR Pro Football Hall of Fame George Halas Allegiance United States Service / branch U.S. Navy Years of service 1918, 1942 -- 1946 Rank Captain Unit Seventh Fleet Battles / wars World War I, World War II Awards Bronze Star George Halas Outfielder Born : ( 1895 - 02 - 02 ) February 2, 1895 Chicago, Illinois Died : October 31, 1983 ( 1983 - 10 - 31 ) ( aged 88 ) Chicago, Illinois Batted : Both Threw : Right MLB debut May 6, 1919, for the New York Yankees Last MLB appearance July 5, 1919, for the New York Yankees MLB statistics Batting average. 091 Hits Home runs 0 Runs batted in 0 Teams New York Yankees ( 1919 ) George Stanley Halas Sr. ( / ˈhæləs / ; February 2, 1895 -- October 31, 1983 ), nicknamed `` Papa Bear '' and `` Mr. Everything '', was a player, coach, and owner involved with professional American football. He was the founder and owner of the National Football League 's Chicago Bears. He was also lesser known as an inventor, jurist, radio producer, philanthropist, philatelist, and Major League Baseball player. He was one of the co-founders of the National Football League ( NFL ) in 1920, and in 1963 became one of the first 17 inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Contents 1 Early life and sports career 2 Professional football career 3 Head coaching record 4 Later life 5 Death 6 Impact on football 7 Honors 8 See also 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External links Early Life and sports career Halas was born in Chicago, Illinois, into a family of Czech - Bohemian immigrants. His parents were migrants from Pilsen, Austria - Hungary. George had a varied career in sports. In 1915, Halas worked temporarily for Western Electric, and was planning on being on the SS Eastland. He was running late, however, as he was attempting to gain weight to play Big Ten football and missed the capsizing, which killed 844 passengers. After graduating from Crane High School in Chicago, he attended the University of Illinois, playing football for coach Bob Zuppke, as well as baseball and basketball, and earning a degree in civil engineering. He also became a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He helped Illinois win the 1918 Big Ten Conference football title. Serving as an ensign in the Navy during World War I, he played for a team at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, and was named the MVP of the 1919 Rose Bowl. On a team which included Paddy Driscoll and Jimmy Conzelman, Halas scored a receiving touchdown and returned an intercepted pass 77 yards in a 17 -- 0 win over the Mare Island Marines of California ; the team was also rewarded with their military discharges. Afterward, Halas played minor league baseball, eventually earning a promotion to the New York Yankees, where he played 12 games as an outfielder in 1919. However, a hip injury effectively ended his baseball career. The popular myth was that Halas was succeeded as the Yankees ' right fielder by Babe Ruth, but in reality, it was Sammy Vick. Later that year, Halas played for the Hammond Pros and received about $75 per game. Professional Football career After one year with the Pros ( also known as the All - Stars ), Halas moved to Decatur, Illinois to take a position with the A.E. Staley Company, a starch manufacturer. He served as a company sales representative, an outfielder on the company - sponsored baseball team, and the player - coach of the company - sponsored football team the Decatur Staleys. Halas selected his alma mater 's colors -- orange and navy blue -- for the team 's uniforms. In 1920, Halas represented the Staleys at the meeting which formed the American Professional Football Association ( which became the NFL in 1922 ) in Canton, Ohio. After suffering financial losses despite a 10 -- 1 -- 2 record, company founder and namesake Augustus E. Staley turned control of the team to Halas in 1921. Halas moved the team to Chicago and took on teammate Dutch Sternaman as a partner. Halas was given a $5,000 bonus for the move to Chicago provided that he keep the Staleys franchise name for the 1921 season. The newly minted `` Chicago Staleys '' maneuvered their schedule to win the NFL championship that year. ( See the 1921 Staley Swindle. ) They took the name Bears in 1922 as a tribute to baseball 's Chicago Cubs, which permitted the Bears to play their games at Wrigley Field. Halas was not only the team 's coach, but also played end ( wide receiver on offense, defensive end on defense ) and handled ticket sales and the business of running the club. Named to the NFL 's all - pro team in the 1920s, his playing highlight occurred in a 1923 game when he stripped Jim Thorpe of the ball, recovered the fumble, and returned it 98 yards -- a league record which would stand until 1972. In 1925, Halas persuaded Illinois star player Red Grange to join the Bears ; it was a significant step in establishing both the respectability and popularity of the league, which had previously been viewed as a refuge for less admirable players. After ten seasons, Halas stepped back from the game in 1930, retiring as a player and handing coaching duties to Lake Forest Academy coach Ralph Jones ; but he remained the team 's owner, becoming sole owner in 1932. However, severe financial difficulties brought on by the Great Depression put the Bears in dire financial straits even though Jones led them to the NFL title in 1932. Halas returned as coach in 1933 to eliminate the additional cost of paying a head coach 's salary. He coached the Bears for another ten seasons. His 1934 team was undefeated until a loss in the championship game to the New York Giants. In the late 1930s, Halas -- with University of Chicago coach Clark Shaughnessy -- perfected the T - formation system to create a revolutionary and overwhelming style of play which drove the Bears to an astonishing 73 -- 0 victory over the Washington Redskins in the 1940 NFL Championship Game -- still the most lopsided margin of victory in NFL history. Every other team in the league immediately began trying to imitate the format. The Bears repeated as NFL champions in 1941, and the 1940s would be remembered as the era of the `` Monsters of the Midway ''. Halas and Shaughnessy had created a revolutionary concept with the T - formation offense. The complex spins, turns, fakes, and all around athletic versatility required to execute the scheme limited the possible players available. Halas believed he 'd found the perfect quarterback for his new offense in Sid Luckman, a passing star at Columbia University. Luckman was a single wing tailback ; the tailback is the primary runner and passer in that scheme. Halas felt he was the perfect quarterback for this offense. Luckman launched his Hall of Fame career, playing the position from 1939 to 1950. Halas was not satisfied with other players who succeeded Luckman under center. During this coaching stint, he had on the Bears roster two future Hall of Fame players, Bobby Layne in 1948 and George Blanda from 1949 to 1958. Other notable players included Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Lujack from 1948 to 1951 and Zeke Bratkowski from 1954 to 1960. Blanda played in the NFL until 1975 ; Bratkowski moved on to Vince Lombardi 's Green Bay Packers from 1960 to 1971 ; and Bobby Layne quarterbacked the Detroit Lions to three NFL championship games between 1952 -- 54, winning two. Halas entered the Navy again after the advent of World War II in 1942, with the rank of lieutenant commander. He served overseas for 20 months under the command of Admiral Chester Nimitz. His duties were supporting the welfare and recreational activities of the Seventh Fleet. He was awarded the Bronze Star during his recall and released from duty in 1946 with the rank of captain. While in the Navy, the Bears won another title in 1943 under Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos. Returning to the field in 1946, he coached the club for a third decade, again winning a title in his first year back as coach. That same year, Halas met with the Army Chief of Staff, General Dwight Eisenhower, the Navy Chief of Staff, Admiral Chester Nimitz, and the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Carl Spaatz, and offered to set up an annual charity football game, with the Bears as hosts, whose proceeds would go to the relief agencies of the armed forces. By mid-1957, proceeds from this game were $438,350.76 and proceeds from all games the Bears participated in between 1946 and 1957 were over two million dollars. After a brief break in 1956 -- 57, he resumed the controls of the club for a final decade from 1958 to 1967, winning his last championship in 1963. He did not, however, enjoy the same success as he had before the war, and officially retired on May 27, 1968. He did win his 200th game in 1950 and his 300th game in 1965, becoming the first coach to reach both milestones. His six NFL Championships as a head coach is tied for the most all time with Green Bay 's Curly Lambeau. In 40 years as a coach he endured only six losing seasons. Head coaching record Team Year Regular season Postseason Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result DEC 1920 10. 909 2nd in APFA -- -- -- Lost challenge to Akron Pros CHS 1921 9. 900 1st in APFA -- -- -- NFL Champions on tiebreaker over Buffalo All - Americans. CHI 1922 9 0. 750 2nd in NFL -- -- -- -- CHI 1923 9. 818 2nd in NFL -- -- -- -- CHI 1924 6. 857 2nd in NFL -- -- -- Purported championship win over Cleveland Bulldogs overruled CHI 1925 9 5. 643 7th in NFL -- -- -- -- CHI 1926 12. 923 2nd in NFL -- -- -- -- CHI 1927 9. 750 3rd in NFL -- -- -- -- CHI 1928 7 5. 583 5th in NFL -- -- -- -- CHI 1929 9. 308 9th in NFL -- -- -- -- CHI 1933 10. 833 1st in NFL West 0 1.000 Defeated the New York Giants in 1933 NFL Championship. CHI 1934 13 0 0 1.000 1st in NFL West 0. 000 Lost to the New York Giants in 1934 NFL Championship. CHI 1935 6. 600 3rd in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1936 9 0. 750 2nd in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1937 9. 900 1st in NFL West 0. 000 Lost to the Washington Redskins in 1937 NFL Championship. CHI 1938 6 5 0. 545 3rd in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1939 8 0. 727 2nd in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1940 8 0. 727 1st in NFL West 0 1.000 Defeated the Washington Redskins in 1940 NFL Championship. CHI 1941 10 0. 909 1st in NFL West 0 1.000 Defeated the New York Giants in 1941 NFL Championship. CHI 1942 11 0 0 1.000 1st in NFL West 0. 000 Lost to the Washington Redskins in 1942 NFL Championship. CHI 1946 8. 800 1st in NFL West 0 1.000 Defeated the New York Giants in 1946 NFL Championship. CHI 1947 8 0. 667 2nd in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1948 10 0. 833 2nd in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1949 9 0. 750 2nd in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1950 9 0. 750 1st in NFL National 0. 000 Lost to the Los Angeles Rams in conference playoff game. CHI 1951 7 5 0. 583 4th in NFL National -- -- -- -- CHI 1952 5 7 0. 417 5th in NFL National -- -- -- -- CHI 1953 8. 273 4th in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1954 8 0. 667 2nd in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1955 8 0. 667 2nd in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1958 8 0. 667 2nd in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1959 8 0. 667 2nd in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1960 5 6. 455 5th in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1961 8 6 0. 571 3rd in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1962 9 5 0. 643 3rd in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1963 11. 917 1st in NFL West 0 1.000 Defeated the New York Giants in 1963 NFL Championship. CHI 1964 5 9 0. 357 6th in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1965 9 5 0. 643 3rd in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1966 5 7. 417 5th in NFL West -- -- -- -- CHI 1967 7 6. 538 2nd in NFL Central -- -- -- -- Total 318 148 31. 682 6. 667 Later Life Halas ( right ) with Pete Rozelle in the early 1980s After the 1967 season, Halas -- then the oldest coach in league history -- retired as coach. He continued as the team 's principal owner, and took an active role in team operations until his death. He was honored in 1970 and 1980 as the only person involved in the league throughout its first 50 and 60 years of existence. His son George, Jr. served as president of the Bears from 1963 until his sudden death at age 54 in 1979. One of Halas 's final significant ownership acts was to hire Mike Ditka as head coach in 1982 ( Ditka had been a Halas player in the 1960s ). In the 1971 made - for - television film Brian 's Song, about the friendship between Chicago Bears players Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers, Halas was portrayed by Jack Warden, who won an Emmy Award for his performance. Death Halas died of pancreatic cancer in Chicago on October 31, 1983, at age 88, and is entombed in St. Adalbert Catholic Cemetery in Niles, Illinois. At the time of his death, he was the last surviving participant of the meeting that formed the NFL in 1920. His eldest daughter, Virginia Halas McCaskey, succeeded him as majority owner, and her son Michael McCaskey served as team president from 1983 -- 1999 at which time the elder McCaskey was forced to fire her own son. In the 1985 season when the Bears won their only Super Bowl, they recorded a song called `` Super Bowl Shuffle. '' In the song, backup quarterback Steve Fuller rhymes `` Bring on Atlanta, Bring on Dallas / This is for Mike ( then - current coach Mike Ditka ) and Papa Bear Halas. '' Super Bowl XVIII was dedicated to Halas. The pregame ceremonies featured a moment of silence and the ceremonial coin toss by former Chicago Bear Bronko Nagurski. The missing - man formation over Tampa Stadium at the conclusion of Barry Manilow 's performance of the National Anthem, as performed by airplanes from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, was also presented in tribute to Halas. Impact on Football Antonio Pierce of the New York Giants holding up the Halas trophy A pioneer both on and off the field, Halas made the Bears the first team to hold daily practice sessions, to analyze film of opponents to find weaknesses and means of attack, place assistant coaches in the press box during games, place tarp on the field, publish a club newspaper, and to broadcast games by radio. He also offered to share the team 's substantial television income with teams in smaller cities, firmly believing that what was good for the league would ultimately benefit his own team. A firm disciplinarian, Halas maintained complete control of his team and did not tolerate disobedience and insubordination by players. He also insisted on absolute integrity and honesty in management, believing that a handshake was sufficient to finalize a deal ; few, if any, intermediaries were necessary. Halas 's career ledger reads as follows : 63 years as an owner, 40 as a coach, 324 wins, and 8 NFL titles as a coach or owner. His 324 victories stood as an NFL record for nearly three decades, and are still far and away the most in Bears history ; they are three times that of runner - up Ditka. He was a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963. Honors In both 1963 and 1965, Halas was selected by The Sporting News, the AP and the UPI as the NFL Coach of the Year. In 1997, he was featured on a U.S. postage stamp as one of the legendary coaches of football. He has been recognized by ESPN as one of the ten most influential people in sports in the 20th century, and as one of the greatest coaches. In 1993, Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula finally surpassed Halas ' victory total. To this day, the jerseys of the Chicago Bears bear the initials `` GSH '' on their upper left sleeves in commemoration of Halas. In 1956, Halas was awarded the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, which is the Navy 's highest civilian award. There are two extant awards named for Halas : the George Halas Trophy ( awarded by the NFL to the National Football Conference champion ) and the George S. Halas Courage Award ( Pro Football Writers Association ). From 1966 to 1996, the George S. Halas Trophy was awarded to the NFL defensive player of the year by the Newspaper Enterprise Association. The Chicago Bears retired number 7 in his honor, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame is located on George Halas Drive. The University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign inducted Halas into the Engineering Hall of Fame in 2016. See also List of National Football League head coaches with 50 wins List of professional gridiron football coaches with 200 wins References Jump up ^ Davis, Jeff, Papa Bear, ( McGraw - Hill Co., 2005 ), 32. Jump up ^ Encyclopedia of ethnicity and sports in the United States, Ed. George B. Kirsch, Othello Harris and Claire Elaine Nolte, ( Greenwood Publishing, 2000 ), 164. Jump up ^ Elliott J. Gorn, Sports in Chicago, ( University of Illinois Press, 2008 ), 7. Jump up ^ Twombly, Wells ( 1976 ). 200 Years of Sport in America. New York : McGraw - Hill. p. 186. ISBN 0 - 07 - 065640 - 1. Jump up ^ Gloria Cooksey, George Halas : An entry from Gale 's Notable Sports Figures 2004. Jump up ^ `` ITB : Halas escapes Eastland Disaster ''. Chicago Bears. 2013 - 10 - 29. Retrieved 2013 - 11 - 05. ^ Jump up to : Names, Larry D ( 1987 ). `` The Myth ''. In Scott, Greg. The History of the Green Bay Packers : The Lambeau Years. 1. Angel Press of WI. p. 31. ISBN 0 - 939995 - 00 - X. Jump up ^ U.S. House III, 1957, p. 2714. Jump up ^ `` Evolution of the Bears Colors ''. National Football League. 2012 - 09 - 13. Retrieved 2012 - 12 - 21. Jump up ^ Marines Are Swamped By Great Stars : Minneapolis Team Swept Off Their Feet by Crack Hammond Eleven. ( 1919, October 27 ). Minneapolis Morning Tribune ( 1909 -- 1922 ), 10. Retrieved September 2, 2010, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers Minneapolis Tribune ( 1867 -- 1922 ). ( Document ID : 1513834502 ). Jump up ^ Halas, George S. ( 9 August 2015 ). `` From Decatur to NFL, with Potholes Along Way ''. Chicago Tribune. Jump up ^ Rosenthal, Gregg ( 2013 - 06 - 06 ). `` Pro Football Hall of Famers who fought on D - Day ''. National Football League. Retrieved 2013 - 06 - 06. ^ Jump up to : U.S. House III, 1957, p. 2713. Jump up ^ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/HalaGe0.htm Jump up ^ U.S. House III, 1957, p. 2720. Jump up ^ `` Happy Birthday George Halas ''. Chicago Bears. 2014 - 01 - 31. Retrieved 2014 - 02 - 02. Jump up ^ http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/content/lords-the-rings-the-nfls-10-greatest-coaches/7391/ Jump up ^ The following source differs from Pro-Football-Reference.com and states that the record was 10 -- 1 -- 1 for 1921 : Vass, George ( 1971 ). `` The Bears Find a Den ''. George Halas and the Chicago Bears. Henry Regnery Company. p. 44. ISBN 0809295970. Jump up ^ George Halas Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks -- Pro-Football-Reference.com ^ Jump up to : `` Bears coaching history ''. Chicago Bears. 2013 - 01 - 14. Retrieved 2013 - 01 - 16. Jump up ^ http://engineering.illinois.edu/engage/distinguished-alumni-and-friends/hall-of-fame/2016/ Further reading Davis, Jeff ( 2006 ). Papa Bear : The Life and Legacy of George Halas. ISBN 0 - 07 - 147741 - 1. Hibner, John Charles ( 1993 ). `` University of Oregon and University of Pennsylvania ( 1917 ) '', in The Rose Bowl, 1902 -- 1929 : A Game - by - Game History of Football 's Foremost Event, from its Advent through its Golden Era. Jefferson, NC : McFarland & Company, Inc. Publishers. Organized Professional Team Sports : Part 3. ( password protected except at participating U.S. library ) by United States House Committee on the Judiciary III, Subcommittee on Antitrust ( 1957 ). pp. 2713 -- 2716 External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : George Halas Wikimedia Commons has media related to George Halas. George Halas at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Coaching record at Pro-Football-Reference.com Career statistics and player information from Baseball - Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball - Reference ( Minors ) George Halas at Find a Grave National Football League founders Group who founded the National Football League in Canton, Ohio on September 17, 1920 at Ralph Hay 's Hupmobile dealership Akron Pros Frank Nied Art Ranney Canton Bulldogs Ralph Hay Jim Thorpe Cleveland Indians Stan Cofall Jimmy O'Donnell Dayton Triangles Carl Storck Decatur Staleys George Halas Morgan O'Brien Hammond Pros Doc Young Massillon Tigers Ralph Hay Muncie Flyers Earl Ball Cooney Checkaye Racine ( Chicago ) Cardinals Chris O'Brien Rochester Jeffersons Leo Lyons Rock Island Independents Walter Flanigan George Halas -- awards, championships, and honors Decatur Staleys / Chicago Bears head coaches George Halas ( 1920 -- 1929 ) Ralph Jones ( 1930 -- 1932 ) George Halas ( 1933 -- 1942 ) Heartley Anderson & Luke Johnsos ( 1942 -- 1945 ) George Halas ( 1946 -- 1955 ) Paddy Driscoll ( 1956 -- 1957 ) George Halas ( 1958 -- 1967 ) Jim Dooley ( 1968 -- 1971 ) Abe Gibron ( 1972 -- 1974 ) Jack Pardee ( 1975 -- 1977 ) Neill Armstrong ( 1978 -- 1981 ) Mike Ditka ( 1982 -- 1992 ) Dave Wannstedt ( 1993 -- 1998 ) Dick Jauron ( 1999 -- 2003 ) Lovie Smith ( 2004 -- 2012 ) Marc Trestman ( 2013 -- 2014 ) John Fox ( 2015 -- ) Decatur Staleys / Chicago Bears general managers George Halas Ralph Brizzolara George Halas George Halas, Jr. ( 1963 -- 74 ) Jim Finks ( 1974 -- 83 ) Jerry Vainisi ( 1983 -- 86 ) Jerry Angelo ( 2001 -- 11 ) Phil Emery ( 2012 -- 14 ) Ryan Pace ( 2015 -- ) Chicago Bears presidents George Halas ( ? -- 1963 ) George Halas, Jr. ( 1963 -- 1979 ) George Halas ( 1979 -- 1983 ) Michael McCaskey ( 1983 -- 1999 ) Ted Phillips ( 1999 -- ) Decatur Staleys / Chicago Bears principal owners A.E. Staley ( 1919 -- 1921 ) George Halas ( 1920 -- 1983 ) Virginia Halas McCaskey ( 1983 -- ) Decatur Staleys 1920 inaugural season roster Roy Adkins Hugh Blacklock Guy Chamberlin Jimmy Conzelman Chuck Dressen Paddy Driscoll Andy Feichtinger Sid Gepford George Halas Lenny High Burt Ingwersen Jerry Jones Bob Koehler Jake Lanum Kyle MacWherter Walt May Jake Mintun Pard Pearce Ross Petty Henry Shank Hub Shoemake Dutch Sternaman George Trafton Walt Veach Randy Young Head Coach : George Halas Chicago Staleys 1921 APFA champions Dick Barker Hugh Blacklock George Bolan Guy Chamberlin Harry Englund George Halas Chic Harley Ken Huffine Jerry Jones Jake Lanum Jake Mintun Pard Pearce Ralph Scott Russ Smith Dutch Sternaman Pete Stinchcomb Tarzan Taylor George Trafton Lou Usher Head coach : George Halas Chicago Bears 1933 NFL champions Gil Bergerson Carl Brumbaugh Bill Buckler Zuck Carlson George Corbett John Doehring Paul Franklin Red Grange Bill Hewitt Luke Johnsos Bill Karr Joe Kopcha Link Lyman Jack Manders Ookie Miller Keith Molesworth George Musso Bronko Nagurski Dick Nesbitt Bert Pearson Ray Richards Gene Ronzani Johnny Sisk Dick Smith Dick Stahlman Cookie Tackwell Joe Zeller Head Coach : George Halas Chicago Bears 1940 NFL champions Lee Artoe Al Baisi Frank Bausch Ray Bray Chet Chesney Harry Clarke Gary Famiglietti Aldo Forte Danny Fortmann Ken Kavanaugh Ed Kolman Sid Luckman Jack Manders Joe Maniaci Eggs Manske Phil Martinovich Bernie Masterson George McAfee Ray McLean Joe Mihal George Musso Ray Nolting Bob Nowaskey Bill Osmanski Dick Plasman Hamp Pool Solly Sherman John Siegal Bob Snyder Joe Stydahar Bob Swisher Jack Torrance Bulldog Turner George Wilson Head Coach : George Halas Chicago Bears 1941 NFL champions Lee Artoe Al Baisi Ray Bray Young Bussey Harry Clarke Gary Famiglietti John Federovitch Aldo Forte Danny Fortmann Hugh Gallarneau Bill Hughes Ken Kavanaugh Ed Kolman Hal Lahar Sid Luckman Joe Maniaci Al Matuza George McAfee Ray McLean Joe Mihal George Musso Ray Nolting Bob Nowaskey Bill Osmanski Dick Plasman Hamp Pool John Siegal Bob Snyder Norm Standlee Joe Stydahar Bob Swisher Bulldog Turner George Wilson Head Coach : George Halas Chicago Bears 1946 NFL champions Al Baisi Connie Mack Berry Ray Bray Stu Clarkson Fred Davis Chuck Drulis Tom Farris John Federovitch Aldo Forte Hugh Gallarneau Bill Geyer Mike Jarmoluk Ken Kavanaugh Jim Keane Ed Kolman Walt Lamb Sid Luckman Dante Magnani Bob Margarita Frank Maznicki George McAfee Ray McLean Rudy Mucha Noah Mullins Bill Osmanski Joe Osmanski Don Perkins Pat Preston Lloyd Reese John Schiechl Dick Schweidler Ed Sprinkle Walt Stickel Joe Stydahar Bulldog Turner George Wilson Head Coach : George Halas Chicago Bears 1963 NFL champions 9 Bill Wade 10 Rudy Bukich 17 Richie Petitbon 22 Billy Martin 23 Dave Whitsell 24 Rosey Taylor 25 J.C. Caroline 26 Bennie McRae 28 Willie Galimore 29 Ronnie Bull 31 Joe Fortunato 33 Larry Morris 34 Joe Marconi 35 Rick Casares 43 Larry Glueck 46 Angelo Coia 47 Johnny Morris 49 Charlie Bivins 50 Mike Pyle 60 Roger Davis 61 Bill George 63 Bob Wetoska 65 Tom Bettis 67 Ted Karras 70 Herman Lee 71 Earl Leggett 72 Jim Cadile 73 Steve Barnett 74 Bob Kilcullen 75 Fred Williams 76 John Johnson 78 Stan Jones 80 Bob Jencks 81 Doug Atkins 83 Roger LeClerc 84 Bo Farrington 87 Ed O'Bradovich 88 Bobby Joe Green 89 Mike Ditka Head coach : George Halas Assistant coaches : George Allen Jim Dooley Phil Handler Luke Johnsos Sid Luckman Chuck Mather Joe Stydahar Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year Award winners 1957 : Wilson 1958 : Ewbank 1959 : Lombardi 1960 : Shaw 1961 : Sherman 1962 : Sherman 1963 : Halas 1964 : Shula 1965 : Halas 1966 : Landry 1967 : Allen & Shula 1968 : Shula 1969 : Grant 1970 : Nolan 1971 : Allen 1972 : Shula 1973 : Knox 1974 : Coryell 1975 : Marchibroda 1976 : Gregg 1977 : Miller 1978 : Patera 1979 : Pardee 1980 : Knox 1981 : Walsh 1982 : Gibbs 1983 : Gibbs 1984 : Knox 1985 : Ditka 1986 : Parcells 1987 : Mora 1988 : Ditka 1989 : Infante 1990 : Johnson 1991 : Fontes 1992 : Cowher 1993 : Reeves 1994 : Parcells 1995 : Rhodes 1996 : Capers 1997 : Fassel 1998 : Reeves 1999 : Vermeil 2000 : Haslett 2001 : Jauron 2002 : Reid 2003 : Belichick 2004 : Schottenheimer 2005 : L. Smith 2006 : Payton 2007 : Belichick 2008 : M. Smith 2009 : Lewis 2010 : Belichick 2011 : Harbaugh 2012 : Arians 2013 : Rivera 2014 : Arians 2015 : Rivera 2016 : Garrett NFL 's 1920s All - Decade Team Jimmy Conzelman Paddy Driscoll Red Grange Joe Guyon Curly Lambeau Jim Thorpe Ernie Nevers Guy Chamberlin LaVern Dilweg George Halas Ed Healey Pete Henry Cal Hubbard Steve Owen Hunk Anderson Walt Kiesling Mike Michalske George Trafton Chicago Bears retired numbers 3 Bronko Nagurski 5 George McAfee 7 George Halas 28 Willie Galimore 34 Walter Payton 40 Gale Sayers 41 Brian Piccolo 42 Sid Luckman 51 Dick Butkus 56 Bill Hewitt 61 Bill George 66 Bulldog Turner 77 Red Grange 89 Mike Ditka Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1963 Sammy Baugh Bert Bell Joseph Carr Dutch Clark Red Grange George Halas Mel Hein Pete Henry Cal Hubbard Don Hutson Curly Lambeau Tim Mara George Preston Marshall John McNally Bronko Nagurski Ernie Nevers Jim Thorpe Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterbacks Pre-modern era Baugh Clark Conzelman Driscoll Friedman Herber Luckman A. Parker Modern era Aikman Blanda Bradshaw L. Dawson Elway Favre Fouts Graham Griese Jurgensen J. Kelly Layne Marino Montana Moon Namath Stabler Starr Staubach Tarkenton Tittle Unitas Van Brocklin Warner Waterfield Young Running backs Pre-modern era Battles Canadeo Dudley Grange Guyon Hinkle Lambeau Leemans McAfee McNally Nagurski Nevers Pollard Strong Thorpe Van Buren Modern era M. Allen Bettis J. Brown Campbell Csonka T. Davis Dickerson Dorsett Faulk Gifford Harris Hornung J.H. Johnson L. Kelly F. Little Martin Matson McElhenny Moore Motley Payton Perry Riggins B. Sanders Sayers Simpson E. Smith Jim Taylor T. Thomas Tomlinson Trippi Walker Wide receivers / ends Pre-modern era Badgro Chamberlin Flaherty Halas Hewitt Hutson Millner Modern era Alworth Berry Biletnikoff T. Brown Carter Fears Harrison Hayes Hirsch Irvin Joiner Largent Lavelli Lofton Maynard McDonald Mitchell Monk Pihos Reed Rice Stallworth Swann C. Taylor Warfield Tight ends Casper Ditka Mackey Newsome C. Sanders Sharpe J. Smith Winslow Offensive linemen L. Allen B. Brown R. Brown Creekmur D. Dawson DeLamielleure Dierdorf Gatski Gregg Grimm Hannah Hickerson S. Jones W. Jones Langer L. Little Mack Matthews McCormack McDaniel Mix Munchak Muñoz Ogden Otto Pace J. Parker Ringo Roaf Shaw Shell Shields Slater St. Clair Stanfel Stephenson Tingelhoff Upshaw Webster Wright Yary Zimmerman Pre-modern era two - way players Edwards Fortmann Healey Hein Henry Hubbard Kiesling Kinard Lyman Michalske Musso Owen Stydahar Trafton Turner Wojciechowicz Defensive linemen Atkins Bethea Buchanan Culp W. Davis Dean Dent Doleman Donovan Eller Ford J. Greene Haley Hampton Humphrey D. Jones Jordan Kennedy Lilly Long Marchetti Nomellini Olsen Page Randle Robustelli Sapp Selmon B. Smith Stautner Strahan Ja. Taylor Weinmeister Ra. White Re. White Willis Youngblood Linebackers Bednarik Bo. Bell Brooks Buoniconti Butkus Carson Connor George K. Greene Ham Hanburger Hendricks Huff Jackson Lambert Lanier Nitschke Richter Robinson Schmidt Seau Singletary L. Taylor D. Thomas Tippett Wilcox Defensive backs Adderley Barney Blount W. Brown Butler Christiansen Easley Green Haynes Houston J. Johnson Krause Lane Lary LeBeau Lott Renfro D. Sanders E. Thomas Tunnell Wehrli Williams L. Wilson Wood Woodson Placekickers & punters Andersen Groza Guy Stenerud Coaches G. Allen P. Brown Chamberlin Conzelman Dungy Ewbank Flaherty Gibbs Gillman Grant Halas Lambeau Landry Levy Lombardi Madden Neale Noll Owen Parcells Shula Stram Walsh Contributors Be. Bell Bidwill Carr A. Davis DeBartolo Finks Halas Hunt J. Jones Lambeau T. Mara W. Mara Marshall Polian Ray Reeves A. Rooney D. Rooney Rozelle Sabol Schramm R. Wilson Wolf VIAF : 45576906 LCCN : n79061196 IATH : w6f77c9h Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_Halas&oldid=805797214 '' Categories : 1895 births 1983 deaths Sportspeople from Chicago Players of American football from Illinois Baseball players from Illinois Halas family American football ends Major League Baseball right fielders Player - coaches Chicago Bears owners Chicago Bears executives Chicago Bears head coaches Chicago Bears players Chicago Staleys players Decatur Staleys players Hammond Pros players Illinois Fighting Illini baseball players Illinois Fighting Illini football players Illinois Fighting Illini men 's basketball players Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets football players New York Yankees players St. Paul Saints ( AA ) players National Football League founders National Football League general managers National Football League team presidents National Football League players with retired numbers Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees United States Navy officers Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award American military personnel of World War I American military personnel of World War II American people of Czech descent American people of Bohemian descent Deaths from cancer in Illinois Deaths from pancreatic cancer Hidden categories : NFL player with coaching information NFL player missing current team parameter Infobox NFL biography articles missing alt text Find a Grave template with ID same as Wikidata Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with SNAC - ID identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Français Italiano Malagasy 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Türkçe Edit links This page was last edited on 17 October 2017, at 18 : 09. 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Question: what does the gsh stand for on bears jersey
Answer: George Stanley Halas