George Halas
Regular Season Playoffs
Year W L T PCT W L
1920* 10 1 2 .769 0 0
1921 9 1 1 .818 0 0
1922 9 3 0 .750 0 0
1923 9 2 2 .692 0 0
1924 6 1 4 .545 0 0
1925 9 5 3 .529 0 0
1926 12 1 3 .750 0 0
1927 9 3 2 .643 0 0
1928 7 5 1 .538 0 0
1929 4 9 2 .267 0 0
Ralph Jones 1930-32
1933 10 2 1 .769 1 0
1934 13 0 0 1.000 0 1
1935 6 4 2 .500 0 0
1936 9 3 0 .750 0 0
1937 9 1 1 .818 0 1
1938 6 5 0 .545 0 0
1939 8 3 0 .727 0 0
1940 8 3 0 .727 1 0
1941 10 1 0 .909 2 0
1942** 5 0 0 1.000 0 1
Luke Johnsos/Hunk Anderson 1942-45
1946 8 2 1 .727 1 0
1947 8 4 0 .667 0 0
1948 10 2 0 .833 0 0
1949 9 3 0 .750 0 0
1950 9 3 0 .750 0 1
1951 7 5 0 .583 0 0
1952 5 7 0 .417 0 0
1953 3 8 1 .250 0 0
1954 8 4 0 .667 0 0
1955 8 4 0 .667 0 0
Paddy Driscoll 1956-57
1958 8 4 0 .667 0 0
1959 8 4 0 .667 0 0
1960 5 6 1 .417 0 0
1961 8 6 0 .571 0 0
1962 9 5 0 .643 0 0
1963 11 1 2 .786 1 0
1964 5 9 0 .357 0 0
1965 9 5 0 .643 0 0
1966 5 7 2 .357 0 0
1967 7 6 1 .500 0 0
Totals 318 148 32 .639 6 4
Career 324 152 32 .683    

Born: February 2, 1895 in Chicago, IL
Died: October 31, 1983 in Chicago, IL

George Halas, Founder, Owner, President, and Head Coach is simply the epitome of the Chicago Bears, professional football, and innovative pioneer of the NFL. Without his leadership, innovations, and business sense, the NFL may have become something completely different. George “Papa Bear” Halas’ drive to build a professional football league that became the National Football League is callously treated and overlooked by historical league annals.

On September 20, 1920, fourteen professional football representatives met at Ralph Hay’s Auto Agency in Canton, OH and formed the American Professional Football Association (APFA—later changed to the National Football League). A young college standout from the University of Illinois represented the Decatur Staleys. George Halas was representing his team, which was form in 1919. The A.E. Staley Company of Decatur, IL formed a professional team for the employee’s morale.

Halas led the Decatur Staleys in the 1920 season. At the conclusion of the season, A.E. Staley could not afford to underwrite the teams expenses. He asked George Halas, the Chicago native, to move the team to Chicago where the team had a better chance at financial survival. In what seems an odd business decision, A.E. Staley gave Halas $5,000 dollars to move the team to Chicago but on condition they keep the name “Staley.” (The odd part to me is that I haven’t found when or how George Halas took over ownership from A.E. Staley. Perhaps they were partners or perhaps Halas bought him out. Or, maybe the $5,000 paid to Halas was simply to oversea the move, provide a year of advertising to Staley in Chicago, and basically a means to get the football team off his books.)

Halas had worked an agreement with Bill Veeck Sr. to have the Chicago Staleys play games in Cubs Park (Wrigley Field). Following the 1921 seasons, Halas changed the name of the team to the Bears. His reasoning was based on where they played their games. If the baseball players were “Cubs”, then bigger, stronger football players must be “Bears.” The Bears colors were based on Halas’ alma mater Illinois: Midnight Blue and Burnt Orange.

During those days, college football was immensely popular and the professional ranks struggled financially. In 1925, George Halas helped lay a strong and enduring foundation for the NFL by signing Harold “Red” Grange. Grange was a college football superstar running back from Illinois. Halas and the “Galloping Ghost” went on a barnstorming tour of the nation. The crowds' turnout helped ensure the viability of professional football.

Because of the growing popularity of professional football, a rule went in place to prevent more college superstars from leaving college early. “The Grange Rule” mandated that an athlete be four years removed from high school before entering the professional ranks. This rule was to provide two purposes 1) preserve the college game and 2) prevent young athletes driven by hopes of glory and quick riches from entering the pros before they were mentally and physically mature enough. (This rule was modified in 1990 to three years removed from HS. Also, Maurice Clarett of Ohio State recently challenged this rule and was defeated.)

George Halas was a key figure in the nurturing of the NFL. He was there from it’s humble beginnings and watched it grow to into an extraordinarily popular league. With eye for talent, Halas sent more players to the Hall of Fame than any other organization. Sometimes at odds with his players, Halas was at his core all about winning. The last coach the Halas hired was Mike Ditka. A former Bears player (TE) who would eventually end up in the Hall of Fame. In 1983, George Halas was on his death bed when he predicted that Ditka would lead the team to a Superbowl Victory. Halas requested that his secretary purchase a bottle of Dom Peringon champagne, which was done. Then Halas inscribed a note that said: Give this to Mike when he wins the Superbowl, Coach Halas.

In 1986, after the Superbowl XX victory over the New England Patriots, Halas’ secretary brought the bottle and note to the locker room and presented it to Mike Ditka. Upon reading the note the Coach Ditka, was brought to tears and he later said that Halas gesture meant much more than anything else.

*Halas is credited with 5 wins during the 1920season, which I can find no record of whom they played. To look at the regular season record for 1920, the Staleys are credited with a 5-2-1 record. But Halas for that year is credited with the record that is posted here. These "extra" five games are part of the Hall of Fame record.

**Luke Johnsos retired after 6 games to join the US Navy.

George Halas was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Pro Football Innovations

George Halas laid a foundation that is still being build on today.

• Introduced the man-in-motion and perfected the classic T-Formation with the help of Ralph Jones
• First to conduct daily practice sessions
• First to utilize game film to study upcoming opponents
• First to schedule a barnstorming tour to promote the league (and make a little cash)
• First team to broadcast games on the radio

Coaching Career

George Halas served as coach for more that 4 decades in four different stints amassing six championships as Head Coach and eight titles in all.

• Coached the Chicago Bears for 40 seasons
• Voted NFL Coach of the Year Twice (1963,65)
• Won 320 Games as an NFL Head Coach
• Coached the Chicago Bears to a 73-0 win over the Washington Redskins in the 1940 NFL Title Game
• Won Six NFL Championships as a Head Coach
• 1958-1967—Chicago Bears
• 1946-55—Chicago Bears
• 1933-42—Chicago Bears
• 1920-1929—Chicago Bears

Playing Career

• Rose Bowl MVP in 1919
• 1922-1929—Chicago Bears Defensive End
• 1921—Chicago Staleys Defensive End
• 1920—Decatur Staleys Defensive End
• 1919—Great Lakes Naval Training Station (U.S. Navy)
• 1915-1918—University of Illinois

NFL Achievements

• Participated in the organization of the American Football Association, which became the NFL
• Founder of the Decatur Staleys in 1920 (Renamed the Chicago Bears in 1922)
• Only person to be associated with the NFL throughout its first 50 years
• Performed as a player, coach, or owner of the Chicago Bears from 1920-83