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1981 Chicago Bears-End of the Armstrong Era
By Roy Taylor, www.BearsHistory.com
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The 1981 Bears team photo. For some reason they took the
wide receivers out of numerical order and put them in the front row.
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It was hard to take many positives for the Chicago Bears from
the 1981 season, aside from the fact that a new coach with a fiery attitude
would roll into town the following January. Players began to comment by
season's end about the lack of discipline among some players. During the
October 19th loss to Detroit at the Silverdome, it has recently been made
public that a starting wide receiver entered the locker room early to make some
personal telephone calls. Bears Coach Neill Armstrong failed to discipline the
player, which led to widespread dissention.
The team's record for the first half of the season was 2-6,
their worst start to a season since 1975. In many of these performances, the
Bears were humiliated. On October 19th, new Detroit quarterback Eric Hipple put
on the best opening performance on Monday Night Football in history. Many
thought he would choke in his national television debut, but he was on fire as
the Lions defeated Chicago 48-17.
However, there was one positive realized during the 8th game
of the season. San Diego, with its high-powered offense led by Dan Fouts, John
Jefferson, Chuck Muncie, and Kellen Winslow, came into town as heavy favorites.
Noone expected them to be shut down by the Chicago defense that featured such
unknown rookies as Mike Singletary. However, defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan
was experimenting with a new defense he called the "46", named after
hard-hitting safety Doug Plank. To counter San Diego's potent passing attack,
Ryan installed an experimental lineup that featured 5 linemen, 1 linebacker,
and 5 defensive backs (dubbed his 5-1-5). Ryan's gamble paid off, as San Diego
was unable to get their passing game untracked, and the Bears won in overtime,
20-17.
After another loss at Tampa, Chicago traveled to Kansas City
to face another powerful AFC West team. The Bears battled them fiercely, and
the game ended up deadlocked at 13-13 at the end of regulation. The Bear
defense was on fire, harassing Kansas City's offense the whole game. In almost
a repeat of the previous year, rookie wide receiver Ken Margerum returned the
opening kickoff over 50 yards, which resulted in Chicago's game-winning field
goal by new kicker John Roveto.
After the win at Kansas City, the Bears lost three straight,
dropping their season record to 3-10. The final game of this three-game losing
streak was a 10-9 loss at Dallas on Thanksgiving Day. Chicago held their own,
and Walter Payton put on a show with a 38 carry, 183 yard performance. Perhaps
the best television shot of the day was that of a screaming Dallas tight ends
coach named Mike Ditka, whom the Bears organization would become re-acquainted
with soon.
Ditka's arrival was almost delayed, however, as the team put
on a late-season 3 game win streak. Coach Neill Armstrong would point to this
as the sign that things were turning around before the decision was made to
release him. Included in the 3 game streak to end the season were victories at
Oakland, and at home over Denver. This completed the sweep of the powerful AFC
West teams. Most importantly, these four victories signaled the emergence of a
soon-to-be dominant defense, which played a large role in all the victories.
Neill Armstrong was indeed dismissed by George Halas on
January 5, 1982, and a new head coach, Michael Keller Ditka, was introduced to
Chicago on January 20th.
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Quote of the Year: "The inmates were running the asylum."
-Defensive lineman Dan Hampton, on the '81 Bears discipline problems
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1981 Records:Preseason 2-2, Regular Season 6-10
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1981 NFL Rankings: Offense 26th overall,
11th rush, 27th pass; Defense 19th overall, 20th
rush, 14th pass
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1981 Coaches: Neill Armstrong, Head Coach; Buddy Ryan,
Defensive Coordinator; Ted Marchibroda, Offensive Coordinator
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DATE
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TEAM
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RESULT
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NOTES
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8/8
| Giants
| 7-23
| Preseason
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8/15
| Chiefs
| 0-13
| Preseason
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8/22
| Bengals
| 24-21
| Preseason
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8/29
| Cardinals
| 31-27
| Preseason
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9/6
| Packers
| 9-16
| Opening day loss
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9/13
| 49ers
| 17-20
| Loss to Champs
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9/20
| Bucs
| 28-17
| Can still beat Tampa...
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9/28
| Rams
| 7-24
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But not the Rams.
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10/4
| Vikings
| 21-24
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Bears' house of horrors
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10/11
| Redskins
| 7-24
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Gibbs' first win.
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10/19
| Lions
| 17-48
| Another MNF stinker
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10/25
| Chargers
| 20-7
| Huge upset
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11/1
| Bucs
| 10-20
| Now can't beat Tampa
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11/8
| Chiefs
| 16-13
| OT win.
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11/15
| Packers
| 17-21
| Loss to rivals.
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11/22
| Lions
| 7-23
| Bell's int rtn only score
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11/26
| Cowboys
| 9-10
| Next coach at game.
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12/6
| Vikings
| 10-9
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Bears tough at home.
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12/13
| Oakland
| 23-6
| Wiping out AFC West..
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12/20
| Broncos
| 35-24
| Sweep AFC in 81.
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Passing: Vince Evans- Evans started all 16
games, one of only three Bears quarterbacks to do so over the last 28
years. He passed for over 2300 yards, but also threw 20 interceptions,
resulting in a 51.0 passer rating.
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Rushing: Walter Payton-Payton slowed again, probably most
due to a transitioning offensive line. He gained 1,222 yards but his
average per carry dropped a full yard to 3.6.
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Receiving Yards: Ken Margerum-The 1981 rookie
from Stanford caught 39 passes for 584 yards. Payton again led the team
with 41 receptions.
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Scoring: John Roveto- Roveto was signed off the
street where he was working for a tire dealer. He was the third kicker to
play for the Bears in 1981 and led the team with 49 points scored.
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Sacks: Alan Page- Page led the Bears with 9
sacks, and added a fumble recovery and four passes defended. He
would retire following the '81 season.
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Interceptions: Gary Fencik-Led the team with six
interceptions, and knocked down an additional 17.
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1981 Chicago Bears Normal Starters
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8 QB
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34 RB
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26 RB
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89 WR
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84 WR
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64 LT
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65 LG
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52 C
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79 RG
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78 RT
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81 TE
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9 K
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90 DE
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82 DT
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68 DT
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99 DE
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59 LB
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50 MLB
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55 LB
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20 CB
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45 SS
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46 FS
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44 CB
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86 P
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Vince Evans started all 16 games at quarterback, and Matt Suhey supplanted
Roland Harper at running back opposite Payton. Ken Margerum, Brian
Baschnagel and Rickey Watts alternated at wide receiver. Al Harris moved
into Mike Hartinstine's right defensive end spot, Mike Singletary and Otis
Wilson became starters at linebacker, and rookie Reuben Henderson started
at cornerback. From left to right: Offense Vince
Evans, Walter Payton, Matt Suhey, Ken Margerum, Brian Baschnagel, Ted Albrecht,
Noah Jackson, Dan Neal, Emanuel Zanders, Keith Van Horne, Robin Earl, John
Roveto. Defense Al Harris, Alan Page, Jim Osborne, Dan
Hampton, Gary Campbell, Mike Singletary, Otis Wilson, Reuben
Henderson, Gary Fencik, Doug Plank, Terry Schmidt, Bob Parsons.
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7
| QB
| Bob Avellini
| Maryland
| 7
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8
| QB
| Vince Evans
| USC
| 5
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9
| K
| John Roveto
| SW Louisana
| 1
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20
| CB
| Reuben Henderson
| San Diego State
| R
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21
| CB
| Leslie Frazier
| Alcorn State
| R
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22
| RB
| David Williams
| Colorado
| 5
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23
| S
| Lenny Walterscheid
| S. Utah State
| 5
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24
| DB
| Jeff Fisher
| USC
| R
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25
| S
| Todd Bell
| Ohio State
| R
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26
| RB
| Matt Suhey
| Penn State
| 2
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30
| RB
| John Skibinski
| Purdue
| 3
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34
| RB
| Walter Payton
| Jackson State
| 7
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35
| RB
| Roland Harper
| La. Tech
| 6
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37
| RB
| Willie McClendon
| Georgia
| 3
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43
| WR
| Emery Moorehead
| Colorado
| 5
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44
| DB
| Terry Schmidt
| Ball State
| 8
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45
| S
| Gary Fencik
| Yale
| 6
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46
| S
| Doug Plank
| Ohio State
| 7
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50
| LB
| Mike Singletary
| Baylor
| R
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51
| LB
| Bruce Herron
| New Mexico
| 4
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52
| C
| Dan Neal
| Kentucky
| 9
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54
| LB
| Brian Cabral
| Colorado
| 3
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55
| LB
| Otis Wilson
| Louisville
| 2
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57
| LB
| Lee Kunz
| Nebraska
| 3
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59
| LB
| Gary Campbell
| Colorado
| 5
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62
| OL
| Dan Jiggetts
| Harvard
| 6
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64
| T
| Ted Albrecht
| California
| 5
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65
| G
| Noah Jackson
| Tampa
| 7
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68
| DT
| Jim Osborne
| Southern
| 10
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69
| OL
| Revie Sorey
| Illinois
| 7
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73
| DL
| Mike Hartenstine
| Penn State
| 7
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76
| DT
| Steve McMichael
| Texas
| 2
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78
| T
| Keith Van Horne
| USC
| R
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79
| T
| Emanuel Zanders
| Jackson State
| 8
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80
| WR
| Rickey Watts
| Tulsa
| 3
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81
| TE
| Robin Earl
| Washington
| 5
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82
| DT
| Alan Page
| Notre Dame
| 15
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83
| TE
| Brooks Williams
| N Carolina
| 4
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84
| WR
| Brian Baschnagel
| Ohio State
| 6
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86
| P
| Bob Parsons
| Penn State
| 10
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87
| TE
| Mike Cobb
| Mich. St.
| 4
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88
| WR
| Marcus Anderson
| Tulane
| 1
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89
| WR
| Ken Margerum
| Stanford
| R
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90
| DE-LB
| Al Harris
| Arizona St
| 3
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99
| DL
| Dan Hampton
| Arkansas
| 3
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Impending Doom for Neill Armstrong
The writing was on the wall for Bears' head coach Neill
Armstrong during the 1981 season. And the writing wasn't good.
Armstrong had been hired by Jim Finks to replace the departed
Jack Pardee in 1978, and had Minnesota Viking roots as did Finks and defensive
coordinator Buddy Ryan. Finks liked him--but 86-year-old founder and
owner George S. Halas was back sniffing around practices and meetings, and had
been heard saying the team "had better make the playoffs this year."
Armstrong hired a new offensive coordinator in '81, Ted
Marchibroda who was former (and future) head coach of the Baltimore
Colts. Marchibroda was known to be a quarterback and passing game guru,
but his presence didn't seem to help. Late in the season, Halas himself
hired former Bears coach Jim Dooley and inserted him into Armstrong's staff as
an offensive assistant. Many believed it was to serve as a mole for Halas
himself.
The Bears were losing more regularly than winning in '81, and
the team seemed to be falling apart discipline-wise. Wide receiver Rickey
Watts left the field early to make a phone call during the embarrasing loss to
Detroit on Monday Night Football, and later in the season was drinking in the
locker room. Watts was not punished.
"We used to call him 'Nice Neill'," said linebacker Doug
Buffone.
Some in the media, as well as Finks, called for moderation in
handling Armstong, pointing to a three-game win streak to end the season.
But Halas had made up his mind, and fired Armstong in January.
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The Bears started the season 1-6. One
interesting happening early in the season occured with Chicago's kicking
game. Dependable veteran Bob Thomas injured a hamstring, and had to be
replaced with Michigan State's Hans Neilsen. The kicker missed his
first two tries and was replaced by tire dealer John Roveto. Roveto
finished the season as kicker and led the Bears in scoring. Though the
Bears finished with their worst record since 1975, they swept tough AFC
West opponents each time they faced them. The addition of
young players Keith Van Horne, Steve McMichael, Mike Singletary, Leslie
Frazier, and Jay Hilgenberg was the first sign of a great team in the
making. Wide Receiver James Scott left the Bears to sign
with a team in the CFL. Punter Bob Parsons set a record no punter
would particularly want to set. In 1981, he set the NFL record for
most punts in a season with 114.
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The Bears make up
for not drafting Joe Montana by stealing Mike Singletary from the 49ers.
Chicago trades its fifth-round pick to San Francisco to move up two spots and
select Singletary in the second round. 49er coach Bill Walsh later regretted
the move. The Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers storm the league,
finishing 12-4 and 13-3 to win their respective conferences. Tampa Bay wins its
second NFC Central crown in three years, but the Bucs are slaughtered 38-0 at
Dallas in the divisional round. Each conference championship game is memorable.
In the AFC, Cincinnati defeats San Diego in frigid temperatures, while the
49ers beat Dallas on "The Catch" in San Francisco. Montana leads the 49ers to
the first of their Super Bowl victories over the Bengals, 26-21 in Detroit.
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1981 Bears Draft
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Rd
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Pos
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Name
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School
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1
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T
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Keith Van Horne
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USC
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2
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LB
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Mike Singletary
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Baylor`
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3
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WR
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Ken Margerum
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Stanford
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4
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S
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Todd Bell
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Ohio State
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5-Traded to San Francisco
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6
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DB
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Reuben Henderson
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SD St.
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7
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CB
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Jeff Fisher
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USC
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8
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DT
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Scott Zetteck
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Notre Dame
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9
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G
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Frank Ditta
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Baylor
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10
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QB
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Tim Clifford
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Indiana
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11
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RB
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Lonnie Johnson
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Indiana
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12
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LB
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Bob Shupryt
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New Mexico
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1981 Bears Trades
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Traded fifth-round pick to San Francisco to select Singletary.
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1981 Bears Free Agent Signings
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Jay Hilgenberg, C
Leslie Frazier, CB
Brooks Williams, TE
Emery Moorehead, WR/TE
Steve McMichael, DT
Brian Cabral, LB
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1981 Bears Retirements
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None
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1981 Chicago Bears Awards
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Gary Fencik, S, Pro Bowl
Dan Hampton, DL, Pro Bowl
Walter Payton, RB, Pro Bowl
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