There is always a great debate for who should be considered the greatest Chicago Bears player of all-time. Pick an era and a great contender will emerge. Bronko Nagurski in the earliest days. Sid Luckman during the glory years. Doug Atkins and Dick Butkus of the 1960s. Walter Payton in the revival years and of course Brian Urlacher in the past decade. All have at least some claim to that title given what they accomplished on the field. However, what happens when the “player” in that sentence is replaced with greatest Bears athlete?
Bleacher Report inadvertently answered that question when they unveiled their rankings of the greatest athletes in NFL history. As it turns out for ex-Bears ended up making the list. Considering it was out of 20 total spots, that’s pretty damn impressive. Nagurski and Payton made the cut, to the surprise of nobody. As did former pass rusher Julius Peppers.
Amazingly none of those men, for all their Hall of Fame brilliance weren’t considered the greatest pure athletes. That honor was reserved for another, surprising name.
Willie Gault is the greatest Bears athlete of all-time
“Willie Gault ran the 100-meter dash in 11.3 seconds and the 200 meters in 23.24 seconds at a meet in Los Angeles last year.
That’s really fast. But it’s not, you know, Olympian fast.
But read that first sentence again. Gault posted that time last year. He retired from the NFL in 1993. He was 55 years old when he appeared in that meet. Those results were both over-55 records, according to USA Track & Field.
Gault (shown winning a race in 2010) may no longer be one of the fastest humans on earth, but he is clearly the fastest man who qualifies for the AARP.
Gault, as you might expect, was even faster back in the early 1980s. An NCAA superstar sprinter and hurdler, Gault qualified for the 1980 Olympics in both the 100-meter dash and the 4×100 relay. He was part of a relay team anchored by Carl Lewis. But the United States boycotted the Moscow Olympics that year. Gault, Lewis and Co. did set a world record in the relay at the 1983 World Championships.
By 1983, Gault was also part of another legendary team: He was the top wide receiver and deep threat for the Bears that took the NFL and nation by storm in 1985. That team was known for its defense, but Gault averaged 19.8 yards per reception over five seasons for the Bears, often delivered the long-bomb knockout punch to battered opponents.”
Gault was really good
A lot of people will be inclined to argue this point. How in the world can Gault be considered the greatest Bears athlete ever? That makes zero sense. Well actually it does. As has been shown throughout the years, there is a significant difference between what makes a great athlete and what makes a great football player. One of these things is not like the other.
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Sure, athleticism plays an important role in how great a player can be but it’s not the end-all-be-all of this sport. Look at some of the greatest of all-time and one is certain to find a handful who weren’t exactly the strong, quickest or fastest on their team. Let alone in the league at the time.
Gault averaged a whopping 19.9 yards per catch for his NFL career. This included an 87-yard bomb for a touchdown as a rookie in 1983. There’s no telling how good he might’ve been had he been in the hands of progressive coaches like Bill Walsh or Don Coryell during those times instead of the throwback Mike Ditka.
