Mike Singletary, was a second-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears in the 1981 NFL Draft and the 38th player selected overall. The only college junior to be selected to the All-SWC Team of the 1970s, Singletary earned All-America honors in both his junior and senior years at Baylor, where he averaged 15 tackles per game and established a team record with 232 tackles in 1978.

Singletary became a starter in the Bears lineup in the seventh game of his rookie season. In a game against the Kansas City Chiefs, his third as a starter, Singletary put on a remarkable defensive performance recording 10 tackles and forcing a fumble. A nearly unanimous all-rookie selection, Singletary went on to start 172 games for the Bears during his 12-year career, which is the second most in club history.

An intense player, Mike finished as the Bears’ first or second leading tackler each of his last 11 seasons. He amassed an impressive 1,488 career tackles, 885 of which were solo efforts. A constant force on defense, he missed playing just two games, both in 1986.

In a game against the Denver Broncos in 1990 he had a personal-best performance when he recorded 10 solo tackles and 10 assists. Selected to play in a team record 10 Pro Bowls, Singletary was All-Pro eight times, and All-NFC every year from 1983 until 1991.

The NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1985 and 1988, Mike was the cornerstone of the Bears’ innovative 46-defense. In 1985, he led a Bears’ defense that allowed fewer than 11 points per game, as the team posted an impressive 15-1 record. He had 13 tackles and a sack in the playoffs leading up to the Bears’ 46-10 defeat of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. The Bears’ league-leading defense held the Patriots to a record low seven yards rushing, while the hard-charging Singletary contributed with two fumble recoveries.