There are many things that define great athletes over the course of their careers. How they play on the field/court is the most obvious. How they behave in front of the cameras too. Perhaps one of the most favored pastimes involving them is the origins of a great nickname. Being an all-time player is fine. Being an all-time player with an all-time nickname? That is how you become a legend in sports history. The Chicago Bears are among many organizations with a rich history in this venture.
One can easily start with the franchise itself. Everybody knows who the “Monsters of the Midway” are. This begs the question. Who had the greatest nicknames in NFL history? Thomas Neumann of The Touchdown Wire endeavored to find out, listing 101 who deserved placement on the list. There were some obvious inclusions like “Broadway” Joe Namath, Dave “The Ghost” Casper, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, Tyrann “The Honeybadger” Mathieu, and “Mean” Joe Greene among many others.
So were the Bears well-represented on these rankings?
Yes, they were. All told there were eight former Bears who cracked the list. There were others who played or coached briefly with the team but wouldn’t be considered Bears based on their histories. However, two names, in particular, stood above the rest. One on offense and one on defense. Both are former teammates too. It seems rather fitting they share another piece of NFL history.
“6. William Perry – The Refrigerator
It was during freshman year at Clemson University that defensive tackle William Perry first became known as the Refrigerator. Tigers teammate Ray Brown came up with the nickname, which eventually would become synonymous with Perry. “We were standing in the elevator in the dorm and he nearly took up the whole elevator,” Brown later said. “That’s when I gave him the nickname.”
1. Walter Payton – Sweetness
It’s not entirely clear how the great Walter Payton came by his famous nickname, although it’s believed to date to his college days at Jackson State. But then, what’s a legendary nickname without a little mystery?”
Actually, there is a story to Payton’s timeless nickname. It originated during practice with a college all-star team. While making a tackler miss in the open field, the running back yelled “Your sweetness is your weakness” at him. That moment would end up following him for the rest of his life and even after his death. Everybody knows who Sweetness was. The same goes for the Refridgerator.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Chicago Bears are hoping to find their next great nickname
Thus far their current generation of players hasn’t really been able to discover one. Fans are certainly hoping they get a chance to popularize one for their new quarterback. Justin “Soldier” Fields. Get it? Too easy. If Fields ends up a success, they’re going to put that on so many T-shirts and hoodies. He’ll have to earn it first though. As for the others who joined Payton and Perry among the top 100?
Career Bears:
- “Iron” Mike Ditka (#89)
- “The Kansas Comet” Gale Sayers (#40)
- Steve “Mongo” McMichael (#38)
- Charles “Peanut” Tillman (#33)
- George “Papa Bear” Halas (#31)
- “The Galloping Ghost” Red Grange (#23)
Cup of coffee Bears:
- “The Red Rifle” Andy Dalton (#73)
- “Riverboat” Ron Rivera (#47)
- Marion “The Barbarian” Barber (#41)
- Craig “Ironhead” Heyward (#20)
No doubt many fans will disagree with the placement of some of these Chicago Bears icons on the list. Charles Tillman likely being one of them considering how many people call him Peanut instead of Charles. Critiques aside, the organization has a strong footing in NFL history in many ways. That includes great nicknames. It will be fun to see who the next great Bear is that breaks through with something memorable.