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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, On January 26, 1986, the Chicago Bears won the
3 National Football League's Championship Game: Super Bowl XX,
4 against the New England Patriots, by a score of 46-10; during
5 that 1985 season, the Chicago Bears, also known as the
6 "Monsters of the Midway" for their ferocious "46 defense", had
7 a regular season record of 15-1; during that regular season,
8 the Chicago Bears defense only allowed 198 points to be scored
9 against them, including the two shut-outs, while the Chicago
10 offense scored over three times that, with 456 total points
11 scored during the regular season; the 1985 playoffs and Super
12 Bowl XX were no different, in which the Chicago Bears won by
13 the scores of 21-0 against the New York Giants, 24-0 against
14 the Los Angeles Rams, and the 46-10 against the New England
15 Patriots in the Super Bowl win; and
 
16     WHEREAS, The 1985 Chicago Bears dominated the National
17 Football League, their persona and swagger also dominated both
18 the City of Chicago and the nation as a whole; the leaders of
19 the 1985 Chicago Bears became household names in every home in
20 the nation; leaders such as coaches Mike Ditka and Buddy Ryan,
21 players Jim McMahon, Mike Singletary, Richard Dent, Dan
22 Hampton, Kevin Butler, William "the Fridge" Perry, Willie
23 Gault, Dave Duerson, Shaun Gayle, Gary Fencik, Steve Fuller,
24 Wilber Marshall, Dennis McKinnon, Ron Rivera, Matt Suhey, Otis
25 Wilson, and the team's greatest player and leader, the immortal
26 "Sweetness", Walter Payton; and
 
27     WHEREAS, Just before their Super Bowl win, the 1985 Chicago
28 Bears became forever engrained in the hearts and minds of every
29 Chicagoan, Illinoisan, and Chicago Bears fan nationwide with
30 the creation and release of the Super Bowl Shuffle; with
31 players now identified with the nicknames of "Samurai Mike",
32 "Punky QB", "Mama's Boy Otis", "Sackman", and, of course,
33 "Sweetness", not only was the song well received by fans

 

 

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1 everywhere, the song hit #41 on the Billboard charts, and sold
2 over 2 million copies; and
 
3     WHEREAS, 2005 is the 20th anniversary of what ESPN, on May
4 15, 2005, has determined was the greatest football team ever in
5 the history of the National Football League by Eddie Epstein in
6 his ESPN article "Papa Bear Would've Been Proud of the '85
7 Team"; the 1985 Chicago Bears have once again come together to
8 not only to celebrate the most prolific season in Chicago Bears
9 history, but to also help raise funds for various local
10 charities, including the Walter & Connie Payton Foundation, the
11 After School Matters foundation, and the Misericordia
12 foundation; throughout the entire 2005 season, former players
13 from the 1985 Chicago Bears will be making various appearances
14 around the City of Chicago, and its metropolitan areas, in a
15 joint effort to commemorate their championship season with
16 their fans, as well as to help those who need help the most;
17 many of their events can be viewed on their website
18 www.85worldchamps.com; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Each and every individual player and coach of the
20 1985 Chicago Bears are to be recognized, in alphabetical order,
21 for their achievements, both on and off the field; the State of
22 Illinois recognizes the 1985 Chicago Bears players: Brad
23 Anderson (wide receiver-#86), Tom Andrews (center-#60), Brian
24 Baschnagel (wide receiver-#84), Kurt Becker (guard-#79), Mark
25 Bortz (guard-#62), Maury Buford (punter-#8), Kevin Butler
26 (place kicker-#6), Brian Cabral (linebacker-#54), Jim Covert
27 (offensive tackle-#74), Richard Dent (defensive end-#95), Dave
28 Duerson (safety-#22), Pat Dunsmore (tight end-#88), Gary
29 Fencik (safety-#45), Jeff Fisher (defensive back-#24), Leslie
30 Frazier (cornerback-#21), Andy Frederick (tackle-#71), Steve
31 Fuller (quarterback-#4), Willie Gault (wide receiver-#83),
32 Shaun Gayle (defensive back-#23), Dan Hampton (defensive
33 end-#99), Mike Hartentine (defensive end-#73), Jay Hilgenberg
34 (center-#63), Stefan Humphries (guard-#75), Tyrone Keys

 

 

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1 (defensive end-#98), Mitch Krenk (tight end-#89), James Maness
2 (wide receiver-#91), Ken Margerum (wide receiver-#82), Wilber
3 Marshall (linebacker-#58), Dennis McKinnon (wide
4 receiver-#85), Jim McMahon (quarterback-#9), Steve McMichael
5 (defensive tackle-#76), Emery Moorehead (tight end-#87), Jim
6 Morrissey (linebacker-#51), Keith Ortego (wide receiver-#96),
7 Walter Payton (running back-#34), William Perry (defensive
8 tackle-#72), Reggie Phillips (cornerback-#48), Dan Rains
9 (linebacker-#53), Mike Richardson (cornerback-#27), Ron Rivera
10 (linebacker-#59), Thomas Sanders (running back-#20), Mike
11 Singletary (linebacker-#50), Matt Suhey (fullback-#26), Ken
12 Taylor (defensive back-#31), Tom Thayer (guard-#57), Calvin
13 Thomas (running back-#33), Cliff Thrift (linebacker-#52), Mike
14 Tomczak (quarterback-#18), Keith Van Horne (offensive
15 tackle-#78), Henry Waechter (defensive tackle-#70), Otis
16 Wilson (linebacker-#55), and Tim Wrightman (tight end-#80);
17 furthermore, the State of Illinois recognizes the coaches of
18 the 1985 Chicago Bears: Head Coach Mike Ditka, Jim Dooley
19 (Research and Quality control), Strength Coach Clyde Emrich,
20 Defensive Line Coach Dale Haupt, Offensive Coordinator Ed
21 Hughes, Special Teams/Tight Ends Coach Steve Kazor, Defensive
22 Secondary Coach Jim LaRue, Receivers Coach Ted Plumb, Running
23 Backs Coach Johnny Roland, Defensive Coordinator Buddy Ryan,
24 and Offensive Line Coach Dick Stanfel; therefore, be it
 
25     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
26 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
27 the 1985 Chicago Bears be recognized as the greatest football
28 team of all time, with the realization that the entire 1985
29 season and Super Bowl XX victory was a complete team effort to
30 which all persons and athletes should aspire to become; and be
31 it further
 
32     RESOLVED, That during the twentieth anniversary of their
33 Super Bowl XX victory, the 1985 Chicago Bears, in honor of
34 their accomplishments on the field and their selflessness in

 

 

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1 giving back to the community off the field, the State of
2 Illinois shall designate the month of November 2005 as 1985
3 Chicago Bears Championship Month; and be it further
 
4     RESOLVED, That the 1985 National Football League
5 Champions, the Chicago Bears, shall be saluted and commemorated
6 by the 94th Illinois General Assembly by the singing of the
7 official tribute to the Chicago Bears, "Bear Down, Chicago
8 Bears", in which the lyrics are as follows:
 
9         Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
10         Make every play clear the way to victory!
11         Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
12         Put up a fight with a might so fearlessly!
 
13         We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation,
14         With your T formation.
 
15         Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
16         And let them know why you're wearing the crown.
 
17         You're the pride and joy,
18         Of all Illinois.
 
19         Chicago Bears, Bear Down!; and be it further
 
20     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be given
21 to each individual player of the 1985 Chicago Bears football
22 team, each individual coach of the 1985 Chicago Bears football
23 team, and to the McCaskey family and any other representatives
24 of the Chicago Bears organization.