George Halas
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Personal information | |||||
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Born: | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | February 2, 1895||||
Died: | October 31, 1983 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | (aged 88)||||
Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||
Weight: | 182 lb (83 kg) | ||||
Career information | |||||
High school: | Crane (Chicago, Illinois) | ||||
College: | Illinois (1914–1917) Great Lakes Navy (1918) | ||||
Career history | |||||
As a player: | |||||
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As a coach: | |||||
As an executive: | |||||
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Career highlights and awards | |||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Head coaching record | |||||
Regular season: | 318–148–31 (.671) | ||||
Postseason: | 6–3 (.667) | ||||
Career: | 324–151–31 (.671) | ||||
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||
Coaching stats at PFR | |||||
George Halas | |
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Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Navy |
Years of service | 1918, 1942–1946 |
Rank | Captain |
Unit | Seventh Fleet |
Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
Awards | Bronze Star |
George Stanley Halas Sr. (February 2, 1895 – October 31, 1983), nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was an
Halas was one of the co-founders of the American Professional Football Association (now the NFL) in 1920, and in 1963 became one of the first 17 inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Halas was the oldest person in NFL history to serve as a head coach, aged 72 years and 318 days when he coached the final game of his career in December 1967, a record that stood for over 50 years until Romeo Crennel became the interim head coach of the Houston Texans in October 2020, aged 73 years and 115 days.
Early life and sports career
Halas was born in
Serving as an
Afterward, Halas played
On February 18, 1922,[12] Halas married Wilhelmina "Minnie" Bushing,[13] to whom he remained married until her death in 1966.[14]
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.[15] 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.[16] After the Staleys' season ended, Halas and teammates George Trafton, Hub Shoemake, and Hugh Blacklock joined the Chicago Stayms for a December 19 match against the Chicago Cardinals, marking the only time Halas would be an NFL team's opponent for another team besides the Staleys/Bears.[17] The game ended in a 14–14 tie.[18]
Despite a 10–1–2 record, the Staleys ended the season awash in red ink. The Staleys' financial troubles didn't dissuade Halas from significantly upgrading the roster, to the point that it was a
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
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
Halas entered the
After a brief break in 1956–57, he returned as head coach for a final decade from 1958 to 1967. Despite winning his sixth and last league title in 1963, he did not enjoy the same success as he had before the war, and officially retired on May 27, 1968.[27] 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 and later, New England's Bill Belichick.[28] In 40 years as a coach, he endured only six losing seasons, three of which came during his final stint.
Head coaching record
Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
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Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
DEC | 1920
|
10 | 1 | 2 | .909 | 2nd in APFA | – | – | – | Lost challenge to Akron Pros |
CHI | 1921
|
9 | 1 | 1 | .900 | 1st in APFA | – | – | – | NFL Champions on tiebreaker over Buffalo All-Americans.[29]
|
CHI | 1922 | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 2nd in NFL | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1923 | 9 | 2 | 1 | .818 | 2nd in NFL | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1924 | 6 | 1 | 4 | .857 | 2nd in NFL | – | – | – | Purported championship win over Cleveland Bulldogs overruled |
CHI | 1925 | 9 | 5 | 3 | .643 | 7th in NFL | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1926 | 12 | 1 | 3 | .923 | 2nd in NFL | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1927 | 9 | 3 | 2 | .750 | 3rd in NFL | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1928 | 7 | 5 | 1 | .583 | 5th in NFL | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1929 | 4 | 9 | 2 | .308 | 9th in NFL | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1933 | 10 | 2 | 1 | .833 | 1st in NFL West | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | Defeated the 1933 NFL Championship .
|
CHI | 1934 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1st in NFL West | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to the 1934 NFL Championship .
|
CHI | 1935 | 6 | 4 | 2 | .600 | 3rd in NFL West | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1936 | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 2nd in NFL West | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1937 | 9 | 1 | 1 | .900 | 1st in NFL West | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to the 1937 NFL Championship .
|
CHI | 1938 | 6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | 3rd in NFL West | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1939 | 8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | 2nd in NFL West | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1940 | 8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | 1st in NFL West | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | Defeated the 1940 NFL Championship .
|
CHI | 1941 | 10 | 1 | 0 | .909 | 1st in NFL West | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | Defeated the 1941 NFL Championship .
|
CHI | 1942 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1st in NFL West | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to the 1942 NFL Championship .
|
CHI | 1946 | 8 | 2 | 1 | .800 | 1st in NFL West | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | Defeated the 1946 NFL Championship .
|
CHI | 1947 | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 2nd in NFL West | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1948 | 10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | 2nd in NFL West | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1949 | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 2nd in NFL West | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1950 | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 1st in NFL National | 0 | 1 | .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 | 3 | 8 | 1 | .273 | 4th in NFL West | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1954 | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 2nd in NFL West | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1955 | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 2nd in NFL West | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1958 | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 2nd in NFL West | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1959 | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 2nd in NFL West | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1960 | 5 | 6 | 1 | .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 | 1 | 2 | .917 | 1st in NFL West | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | Defeated the 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 | 2 | .417 | 5th in NFL West | – | – | – | – |
CHI | 1967 | 7 | 6 | 1 | .536 | 2nd in NFL Central | – | – | – | – |
Total | 318 | 148 | 31 | .671 | 6 | 4 | .600 |
Coaching tree
Assistants under George Halas who became college or professional head coaches:
- (1990)
- Hunk Anderson: Chicago Bears as a co-head coach (1942–1945)
- Jim Dooley: Chicago Bears (1968–1971)
- Paddy Driscoll: Chicago Bears (1956–1957)
- Abe Gibron: Chicago Bears (1972–1974), Chicago Winds (1975)
- Phil Handler*
- Luke Johnsos: Chicago Bears as a co-head coach (1942–1945)
- Gene Ronzani: Green Bay Packers (1950–1953)
- Joe Stydahar*
- Bulldog Turner: New York Titans (1962)
- George Wilson: Detroit Lions (1957–1964), Miami Dolphins (1966–1969)
Impact on football
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.[30] 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 as a head coach stood as an NFL record for nearly three decades until 1993 when Don Shula broke the record with his 325th win. Halas's 324 wins are still far and away the most in Bears history; they are three times that of runner-up Mike Ditka.[30] He was a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.
Other pro sports ventures
Chicago Bruins
In 1925, Halas tipped his hand in pro basketball when he helped to create the first professional basketball league in the United States – the American Basketball League – as the owner of the Chicago Bruins. The team played six seasons before folding following the 1930–31 season because of the Great Depression.[31]
The Bruins struggled during their existence, failing to reach the playoffs in every season, but featured several notable names, including two Hall of Famers in player-coach Honey Russell and Nat Holman who played for half a season in 1926. Other notable players included Bears quarterback Laurie Walquist, Robert J. Dunne, Slim Shoun and Chicago Cardinals back Ike Mahoney.[31]
Halas revived the team for four more seasons, 1939 to 1942, and played in the National Basketball League (NBL) and in the World Professional Basketball Tournament. This time around the Bruins were more successful, reaching the World Professional Basketball Tournament finals in 1940, losing to the Harlem Globetrotters 31–29. Notable players were Wibs Kautz, Bill Hapac and Ralph Vaughn. In their second incarnation, the team played in the Chicago Coliseum.
Newark Bears/Bombers
In 1939, Halas followed
Akron Bears
In 1946, after he returned from service in WWII, Halas also launched the
The team was coached again by Ronzani and had notable players like quarterback George Gulyanics, Ed Ecker, Lloyd Reese, Raymond Schumacher and Jack Karwales. The Bears were successful on the field—including reaching the league final before losing 14–13 to the Jersey City Giants—but lost at the box office a sum of $52,000, partly because they had large traveling expenses as most of the league team were located on the East Coast. The team did not return for a second season.
Honors
In both 1963 and 1965, Halas was selected by
There are two extant awards named for Halas: the
The Chicago Bears retired number 7 in his honor, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame is located on George Halas Drive.
The
Later life
After the 1967 season, Halas—then the oldest coach in league history—retired as coach. He continued as the team's principal owner for the rest of his life. Although he nominally ceded the general manager's post in 1963, he continued to make the franchise's football decisions until hiring
In the 1971 made-for-television film
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,
See also
- List of National Football League head coaches with 50 wins
- List of National Football League head coaches with 200 wins
References
- ^ Davis, Jeff, Papa Bear, (McGraw-Hill Co., 2005), 32.
- ^ Encyclopedia of ethnicity and sports in the United States, Ed. George B. Kirsch, Othello Harris and Claire Elaine Nolte, (Greenwood Publishing, 2000), 164.
- ^ Elliott J. Gorn, Sports in Chicago, (University of Illinois Press, 2008), 7.
- ISBN 0-07-065640-1.
- ^ Gloria Cooksey, George Halas: An entry from Gale's Notable Sports Figures 2004.
- ^ "Halas, George Stanley". www.encyclopedia.com.
- ^ "ITB: Halas escapes Eastland Disaster". Chicago Bears. October 29, 2013. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
- ^ ISBN 0-939995-00-X.
- ^ "George Halas, Randall McDaniel, Pop Warner and Vince Young to be Inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame Class of 2018". Tournament of Roses – Rose Bowl Game. September 10, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ^ "George Halas". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ U.S. House III, 1957, p. 2714.
- ^ "George Halas". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ "The Story of "Papa Bear" George Halas". Illinois Fighting Illini. February 2, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Evolution of the Bears Colors". National Football League. September 13, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- ^ Marines Are Swamped By Great Stars :Minneapolis Team Swept Off Their Feet by Crack Hammond Eleven. (October 27, 1919). Minneapolis Morning Tribune (1909–1922),10. Retrieved September 2, 2010, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers Minneapolis Tribune (1867–1922). (Document ID: 1513834502).
- ^ "George Stanley Halas (Papa Bear)". Staley Museum. December 10, 2015.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Halas, George S. (August 9, 2015). "From Decatur to NFL, with Potholes Along Way". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ George Halas at The Staley Museum
- ^ a b Chicago Bears Media Guide, 2020
- ^ Exoo, Thales (January 31, 2007). "Ask Chicagoist: Why Are They Called the Bears?". Chicagoist. Gothamist. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
- ^ Rosenthal, Gregg (June 6, 2013). "Pro Football Hall of Famers who fought on D-Day". National Football League. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
- ^ a b c U.S. House III, 1957, p. 2713.
- ^ "George Halas Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ U.S. House III, 1957, p. 2720.
- ^ "Happy Birthday George Halas". Chicago Bears. January 31, 2014. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
- ^ "Lords of the Rings: The NFL's 10 greatest coaches". Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ISBN 0809295970.
- ^ a b "Bears coaching history". Chicago Bears. January 14, 2013. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
- ^ a b Mayer, Larry (February 19, 2020). "Halas was a pro basketball pioneer as well". Chicago Bears. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
- ^ "Football.History". www.njsportsheroes.com.
- ^ "Nothing minor about it" (PDF).
- ^ "Papa Bear's Nightmare" (PDF).
- ^ "2016 Hall of Fame – Illinois Engineering". engineering.illinois.edu.
- ^ "Six HOFers to toss coin at Super Bowl". Pro Football Hall of Fame. January 26, 2004. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
Further reading
- Davis, Jeff (2006). Papa Bear: The Life and Legacy of George Halas. McGraw Hill Professional. 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
- George Halas at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Coaching record at Pro-Football-Reference.com
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- George Halas at the SABR Baseball Biography Project
- George Halas Bio (Staley Museum)