1943 Chicago Bears season

NFL team season November 2013 March 2026 Chicago Bears 1943 8–1–1 1st NFL Western George S. Halas Ralph Brizzolara (Business Manager) Hunk AndersonLuke Johnsos Wrigley Field Won NFL Championship(vs. Redskins) 41–21 Bears seasons The 1943 season was the Chicago Bears' 24th in the National Football League. The team failed to match on their 11–0 record from 1942 and finished at 8–1–1, under temporary co-coaches Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos. On the way to winning the Western Division, the Bears were, yet again, denied a chance at an undefeated season by the defending champion Redskins in Washington. The Bears had their revenge in the NFL title game and defeated the Redskins at Wrigley Field to claim their sixth league title. It was their third championship in four years, establishing themselves as the pro football dynasty of the early 1940s. Offseason Attempted merger with the Cardinals When the United States entered World War II, over 1,000 NFL personnel joined the military, including 350 players and 45 active Bears,http://www.profootballhof.com/connect/ww-ii-honor-roll/ WW II HONOR ROLL Pro Football Hall of Fame January 7, 2018Boden Chris http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/chicago-bears/history-bears-who-served-during-world-war-ii A history of the Bears who served during World War II Comcast SportsNet Chicago May 29, 2017 January 7, 2018 the latter featuring over half of the 1942 team. Chicago also lost head coach George Halas to the United States Navy during the 1942 season, which forced assistant coaches Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos to take over as co-head coaches. Minority owner Ralph Brizzolara, a friend of Halas', became the interim president and general manager.http://www.chicagobears.com/multimedia/videos/ITB-Halas-right-hand-man/7f84197b-901c-42e7-bcfc-3396c59293b1 ITB: Halas' right-hand man Chicago Bears January 7, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180108120348/http://www.chicagobears.com/multimedia/videos/ITB-Halas-right-hand-man/7f84197b-901c-42e7-bcfc-3396c59293b1 January 8, 2018 dead A shortage of players occurred as teams attempted to salvage their rosters; the Cleveland Rams were eventually forced to shut down for the 1943 season as both of their owners were serving. NFL owners considered going on hiatus for 1943, but elected to reduce roster sizes to 25 from 33, along with allowing free substitution throughout games.http://goldenrankings.com/nflchampionshipgame1943.html 1943: Washington Redskins @ Chicago Bears Golden Football Magazine January 7, 2018 Halas returned to Chicago for the annual owners' meeting on June 19, where the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers requested to merge operations for the upcoming season. Halas and Chicago Cardinals owner Charley Bidwill also did the same; the two owners were close friends, with Bidwill owning a share in the Bears and serving as team secretary before purchasing the Cardinals.Matthew Algeo, Last Team Standing: How the Steelers and the Eagles—"The Steagles"—Saved Pro Football During World War II. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2013; p. 47. A group of four owners, led by George Preston Marshall of the Washington Redskins, opposed the two mergers, which they felt gave the merging teams "an easy out" compared to assembling their rosters on their own like the other teams. The four lobbied for a rule in which one merging team must disperse its players to the other teams in the league, which would have rendered the mergers pointless, though it was passed 5–2 (Philadelphia's Harry Thayer and Pittsburgh's Art Rooney voted against, while Halas and Bidwill abstained). Thayer and Rooney pleaded for the Chicago owners to withdraw their merger proposal, hoping it would increase the chances of the Pennsylvania teams' request succeeding. Halas and Bidwill agreed, while the Eagles/Steelers merger was approved and became the Steagles.Algeo, Last Team Standing, pp. 48–49. Now on their own, the Bears rebuilt their roster by acquiring players from the shuttered Rams, including running back Dante Magnani and end Jim Benton. After his signing, Magnani commented, "I now get to play with the Bears instead of against them. I don't get beat up anymore."Jim Dent, Monster of the Midway: Bronko Nagurski, the 1943 Chicago Bears, and the Greatest Comeback Ever. New York: St. Martin's, 2003; p. 248. War Manpower Commission investigation In September, the Bears wrote a press statement about five players — Magnani, ends Hampton Pool and Al Hoptowit, center Bulldog Turner, and running back Harry Clark – who left their offseason jobs at war plants to join the team for the upcoming season. The release drew the suspicion of the War Manpower Commission (WMC), which launched an investigation into the Bears, who, the commission felt, were a secondary employer to the military. WMC regional director William H. Spencer ordered the players to provide certificates of availability; should they fail to give such documents, they would either have to return to the factories or be automatically placed into the Selective Service System (military draft; 1–A).Walsh Davis J. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27708666/wmc_plans_to_investigate_chicago_bears/ WMC Plans to Investigate Chicago Bears The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus International News Service Newspapers.com September 23, 1943 January 27, 2019Associated Press https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27710639/wmc_probes_grid_league/ WMC Probes Grid League. The News Leader Newspapers.com September 24, 1943 January 27, 2019 Brizzolara defended the team, while NFL Commissioner Elmer Layden cooperated with the WMC and proclaimed the war comes first".Algeo, Last Team Standing, p. 129. While some teams like the Steagles required all players to maintain wartime jobs in addition to playing, a ruling against the Bears would have affected professional sports as a whole. New York Herald Tribune writer Arthur E. Patterson warned a similar situation in Major League Baseball would have ended the league for the 1944 season if players were "frozen to their war jobs". On September 23, three days before the season opener, Brizzolara met with Spencer, who also visited Layden a day later. Spencer eventually agreed the five players would be allowed to play for the Bears, who also announced four other players – running backs Bill Geyer and Bill Osmanski, tackle Bill Steinkemper, and defensive end John Siegal – would be enlisting in the Navy.Algeo, Last Team Standing, p. 130. Return of Bronko Nagurski After losing to the Redskins in the 1942 NFL Championship Game, Halas sought revenge against Marshall for the game. While stationed on a ship in Milne Bay near New Guinea,Dent, Monster of the Midway, p. 4. Halas considering bringing fullback Bronko Nagurski, who retired after the 1937 season to enter professional wrestling after Halas refused to increase his pay, out of retirement. Three months before the start of the 1943, he submitted a telegram to Anderson: "SIGN NAGURSKI AND PAY FIVE GRAND. STOP.", which was retrieved by Naval decoders who assumed Nagurski was a Japanese spy before forwarding it to Anderson. Nagurski was contacted by Anderson and was offered the money suggested by Halas. He was initially reluctant due to injuries sustained over his career, but the Great Depression resulted in poor prize money and corruption plaguing the wrestling world, while returning to the Bears would him with an opportunity to support his family. Anderson proposed if Nagurski was unable to consistently run, he could play offensive tackle (a position he played at Minnesota in college);Dent, Monster of the Midway, p. 6. additionally, the new free substitution rules implemented for the 1943 season would allow Nagurski to play until he could stop.Dent, Monster of the Midway, p. 248. During Training Camp, Nagurski injured many of his teammates with his physical style of play. In one incident, friend and offensive lineman George Musso refused to block Nagurski, prompting Anderson to do so in his place; although he was 45 years old, Anderson hoped to prove he was still tough to his players. Instead, Nagurski collided with Anderson's breastbone and knocked him out, forcing trainer Andy Lotshaw to assist the coach with smelling salts. Upon recovering, Anderson yelled, "Tell that son of a bitch that I can still whip his ass. But not today."Dent, Monster of the Midway, p. 247. Sid Luckman Bears quarterback Sid Luckman had one of the greatest seasons for a quarterback in NFL history, and certainly the greatest passing season in the history of the early NFL. "Luckman was essentially the player who first fulfilled the position of quarterback as we know it today: the player expected to handle every snap and attempt almost every pass," says Cold Hard Football Facts. "He was also the first to put up modern-looking numbers. When you consider Luckman's numbers in 1943, consider that the league-wide passer rating that year was a meager 48.5. Hell, his 28 TDs, 12 INTs and 107.5 passer rating would be downright impressive in today's game, let alone back in the virtual Stone Age of the NFL. His 10.9 yards-per-attempt, meanwhile, is simply mind blowing in any era. The Bears scored 30.3 points-per-game in 1943. Again, great in any era."http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/Articles/Archive_3224_The_Dandy_Dozen:_12_best_passing_seasons_in_history.html Cold Hard Football Facts: The Dandy Dozen: 12 best passing seasons in history May 17, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120729042325/http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/Articles/Archive_3224_The_Dandy_Dozen:_12_best_passing_seasons_in_history.html July 29, 2012 dead mdy-all NFL draft 1943 NFL draft 1943 Chicago Bears 1 9 Bob Steuber Halfback DePauw yes 3 24 Fred Evans Halfback Notre Dame 5 39 Ed Stamm Tackle Stanford 6 49 Derrell Palmer Defensive tackle TCU 7 59 Milt Vucinich Center Stanford 8 69 Alyn Beals End Santa Clara 9 79 Jim Jurkovich Back California 10 89 Walt Lamb End Oklahoma 11 99 Ray (Duke) Hammett Back Stanford 12 109 Al Zikmund Back Nebraska 13 119 Clark Wood Tackle Kentucky 14 129 Loyd Arms Guard Oklahoma A&M 15 139 Lyle Sturdy Back Wichita 16 149 Buddy Tomlinson Tackle Hardin–Simmons 17 159 Pat Preston Guard Duke 18 169 Hank Norberg End Stanford 19 179 Pat Lyons End Wisconsin 20 189 Marion Butler Back Clemson 21 199 Al Santucci Center Santa Clara 22 209 Bill Johnson Guard SMU 23 219 Wally Boudreau Back Boston College 24 229 Bob Baumann Tackle Wisconsin 25 239 Elwood Holtscher Center Shurtleff 26 249 Ben Keller Guard Duquesne 27 259 Charley Block End Shurtleff 28 269 Ted Brannon Tackle Rice 29 279 Lou Wayne End Texas 30 289 Dick Creevy Back Notre Dame 31 294 Bill Buffington Back Purdue 32 299 Woody Peterson Back Utah no nohttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/1941_draft.htm 1941 Chicago Bears Draftees Pro Football Reference June 27, 2024 Schedule Game Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap Sources 1 September 26 at Green Bay Packers T 21–21 0–0–1 City Stadium 23,675 Recap 2 October 3 at Detroit Lions W 27–21 1–0–1 Briggs Stadium 48,118 Recap 3 October 10 Chicago Cardinals W 20–0 2–0–1 Wrigley Field 24,658 Recap 4 October 17 Steagles W 48–21 3–0–1 Wrigley Field 21,744 Recap 5 October 24 Brooklyn Dodgers W 33–21 4–0–1 Wrigley Field 9,600 Recap 6 October 31 Detroit Lions W 35–14 5–0–1 Wrigley Field 25,187 Recap 7 November 7 Green Bay Packers W 21–7 6–0–1 Wrigley Field 43,425 Recap 8 November 14 at New York Giants W 56–7 7–0–1 Polo Grounds 56,681 Recap 9 November 21 at Washington Redskins L 7–21 7–1–1 Griffith Stadium 35,672 Recap 10 November 28 at Chicago Cardinals W 35–24 8–1–1 Comiskey Park 17,219 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Standings Playoffs Round Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap Sources Championship December 26 Washington Redskins W 41–21 1–0 Wrigley Field 34,320 Recap Roster thumb|left|700px|Official team photo of the 1943 Chicago Bears. Top Row: Goldie, Barbartsky, Nagurski, Musso, Snyder, Poole, Famiglietti, Benton, Berry, Ippolito, Halas. Middle Row: Driscoll, Anderson, Magnani, Luckman, McEnulty, Hoptowit, Turner, Fortmann, Matuza, Clark, Johnsos, Brizzolara. Front Row: Sigillo, Vodicka, McLean, Wilson, Nolting, Steinkemper, Mundee, Logan, Masterson. 1943 Chicago Bears final rosterQuarterbacks 42 Sid Luckman S/P 13 Bob Snyder S/K/P Backs  4 Harry Clarke RB/CB  2 Gary Famiglietti FB/LB  8 Dante Magnani RB/CB 57 Ray McLean RB/CB 29 Doug McEnulty FB/LB  3 Bronko Nagurski FB/LB 25 Ray Nolting RB/CB 48 Joe Vodicka RB/CB Linemen/Linebackers 46 Al Babartsky T/DT 37 Bernie Digris T/DT/G/DG 21 Dan Fortmann G/DG 17 Pete Gudauskas G/DG 26 Al Hoptowit T/DT 82 Tony Ippolito G/DG 20 Jim Logan G/DG 15 Al Matuza C/LB 36 Fred Mundee C/LB 16 George Musso G/T/DG 19 Dom Sigillo T/DT 35 Bill Steinkemper T/DT 66 Bulldog Turner C/LB Ends/Receivers 12 Jim Benton 23 Connie Mack Berry 76 Hamp Pool 30 George Wilson Reserve  7 Bill Geyer RB/CB (Military)  9 Bill Osmanski FB/LB (Military)  -Bill Rogers T/DT (inactive)  6 John Siegal E (Military) Rookies in italics See also 1943 NFL Championship Game References 35em Further reading Matthew Algeo, Last Team Standing: How the Steelers and the Eagles—"The Steagles"—Saved Pro Football During World War II. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2013. Jim Dent, Monster of the Midway: Bronko Nagurski, the 1943 Chicago Bears, and the Greatest Comeback Ever. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2003. Chicago Bears Category:Chicago Bears seasons Category:NFL championship seasons Chicago Bears Category:1943 in Chicago