Bears to Unveil Statues of George Halas and Walter Payton Outside Soldier Field
By Scott Rogust
The NFL is celebrating 100 years of football in the United States this fall. The Chicago Bears, one of the enduring and iconic franchises in the sport's history, will honor their centennial season in a special way.
On Sept. 3, two days prior to their regular season opener against the rival Green Bay Packers, the Bears will be unveiling statues of legendary running back Walter Payton and franchise founder George Halas outside of Soldier Field.
Connie Payton: "What a proud moment for all of us and the city of Chicago. We’re not just Chicago Bears fans, we’re family."
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 7, 2019
Statues of Walter Payton and George Halas to be unveiled @SoldierField on 9/3.
?: https://t.co/F6QJglw7Bm pic.twitter.com/gbViMPEFAX
"It is only appropriate that the father of professional football and the greatest player in the history of the game are being honored in this way, and perhaps no better time for the unveiling than as we kick off our centennial season," said Bears chairman George H. McCaskey. "Thank you to the Chicago Park District, Soldier Field and SMG for their support throughout the process, and to sculptor Chad Fisher for his artistry in bringing his subjects to life."
Halas founded the team back in 1919 as the Decatur Staleys. He moved them to Chicago in 1921, and they adopted the Bears nickname the following year. The football pioneer coached the team for 40 years, where he accumulated a then-record 324 victories, as well as six NFL championships.
Payton was selected fourth overall by Chicago in the 1975 NFL Draft. The man called "Sweetness" spent his entire 13-year career with the Bears, and rushed for a total of 16,726 yards and 110 touchdowns while also catching 492 passes for 4,538 yards and 15 scores. He'll always be remembered as a member of the 1985 team that won the Super Bowl, one of the most memorable squads in NFL history.
Bears founder George Halas and running back Walter Payton will be the first former players commemorated with a statue at Soldier Field. https://t.co/yZIMn4Y7Ax
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) August 7, 2019
Those statistics from Payton also led to nine Pro Bowls, five All-Pro nods, an NFL MVP award, and a Pro Football Hall of Fame induction in his first year of eligibility.
Chicago will be the place to be, as the football world celebrates it's 100th year of existence by honoring two legends in the game with 12-foot bronze statues that drive a sincere point home: they truly were larger than life.