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1982 Chicago Bears-Cleaning House
By Roy Taylor, www.BearsHistory.com
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Mike Ditka and George Halas sit in Halas' golf cart at
practice in 1982, the year Halas brought back his hand-picked coach.
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The 1982 season began on January 20th, as curly-haired new
coach Mike Ditka met the media with President George S. Halas at a round table
at the Bears' Chicago business office. Chicago was Mike Ditka's destiny, he
told the media. Ditka and the new regime's first move was to end the team's
quarterback carousel by drafting BYU quarterback Jim McMahon with their 5th
pick in the first round. Bear officials were thrilled that he was still on the
board after Baltimore drafted Art Schlister with their 3rd pick. It was a sign
that things were going to be different, very different indeed, when McMahon
showed up at Halas Hall with a beer in his hand.
Ditka held a minicamp for the team in May in Phoenix, Arizona.
During this camp, he made a statement by bringing back an old-fashioned hitting
drill called the "nutcracker". This drill pitted an offensive lineman versus a
defensive linemen, and a running back whose object was to get around the
defensive player. As can be imagined, this led to some ferocious hitting,
sorely needed by a team that many said lacked discipline after the 1981
campaign. Aside from the extra hitting and the overall sense of discipline
players felt, Ditka also made a promise to players at this minicamp. He stated
that he was going to take this Bears team to the super bowl, period. Some
players that stood before him would be there with him, but many would not, he
said. Those that did not want to be there had better pack their bags. The
future would hold both of these statements to be true.
The '82 season began with much turmoil. Players had been
threatening a walkout all summer if their labor demands were not met by the
third game of the season. Each team's starters staged impromptu midfield
handshakes before each game's coin-flip as a sign of solidarity. The first two
games did not bode well for the team, as they lost the opener 17-10 at Detroit,
and the home opener the following week to New Orleans, 10-0. After these two
games, the players walked out on strike, and 7 games of the season had to be
cancelled.
For much of the 1982 season the team looked comical. One
portion of the Dallas Cowboys' offense Ditka brought along with him was the
gimmick in which the offensive line would stand up in unison before "setting"
in a three-point stance. Looking like they were more worried about figuring out
the complicated play they were trying to run, most of the time half of the line
stood, and the other half forgot about the gimmick. None-the-less, the
offensive system was much more imaginative than the previous regime's. It
featured the "shotgun" formation for the first time, and was destined to
revolve around the great running back Walter Payton along with rookie
quarterback Jim McMahon.
The season resumed with a rematch against the Detroit Lions on
November 21st, and the Bears pulled out the first win of the Mike Ditka era,
20-17. The rest of the season featured wins over Los Angeles and New England,
but the team also suffered 5 more losses to finish 3-6. Chicago was actually in
the running for a playoff spot if they could win the season finale at Tampa
Bay, but a missed field goal sent the game into overtime, and the Bears lost
26-23.
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Quote of the Year: "The good news is, our goal is to win
the division, conference and super bowl. The bad news is, as I look out
at you all, many of you won't be here to see it." -Mike Ditka's
first address to the team at minicamp.
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1982 Records:Preseason 1-3, Regular Season 3-6
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1982 NFL Rankings: Offense 26th overall,
18th rush, 23rd pass; Defense 16th overall, 5th
rush, 21st pass
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1982 Coaches: Mike Ditka, Head Coach; Buddy Ryan,
Defensive Coordinator; Ed Hughes, 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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8/16
| Chargers
| 27-28
| Preseason
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8/21
| Bills
| 21-14
| Preseason
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8/28
| Cardinals
| 3-10
| Preseason
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9/4
| Colts
| 17-26
| Preseason
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9/12
| Lions
| 10-17
| Ditka's first loss
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9/19
| Saints
| 0-10
| Ready to strike...
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9/26
| 49ers
| *
| Cancelled, strike.
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10/3
| Vikings
| *
| Cancelled, strike.
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10/10
| Packers
| *
| Cancelled, strike.
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10/17
| Cardinals
| *
| Cancelled, strike.
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10/24
| Bucs
| *
| Cancelled, strike.
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10/31
| Packers
| *
| Cancelled, strike.
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11/7
| Falcons
| *
| Cancelled, strike.
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11/21
| Lions
| 20-17
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...come back energized.
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11/28
| Vikings
| 7-35
| ...But not enough.
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12/5
| Patriots
| 26-13
| Mac's 3rd start
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12/12
| Seahawks
| 14-20
| Mac still learning.
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12/19
| Cardinals
| 7-10
| Close loss.
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12/26
| Rams
| 34-26
| Huge day for Payton
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1/2
| Bucs
| 23-26
| Barely miss playoffs.
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Passing: Jim McMahon- McMahon was named Rookie
of the Year, passing for 1501 yards with a 80.1 rating. He became the
team's starter as a rookie for the first game back after the strike.
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Rushing: Walter Payton-Due to the strike, Payton only
rushed for 596 yards, but his average was back up to 4.0 yards per carry.
He missed the Pro Bowl for the first time since 1975.
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Receiving Yards: Emery Moorehead- Moorehead
gained 363 yards on 30 receptions. Matt Suhey led the team in receptions
with 36.
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Scoring: Emery Moorehead- Moorehead also led the
team in scoring with five touchdown receptions.
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Sacks: Dan Hampton- In nine games, Hampton
registered seven quarterback sacks and was voted PFW NFL Most Valuable
Defensive Player.
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Interceptions: Terry Schmidt- Led the team with
four interceptions.
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1982 Chicago Bears Normal Starters
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9 QB
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34 RB
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26 RB
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82 WR
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84 WR
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67 LT
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65 LG
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52 C
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74 RG
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78 RT
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87 TE
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9 K
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90 DE
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99 DT
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68 DT
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73 DE
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59 LB
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50 MLB
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55 LB
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21 CB
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45 SS
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23 FS
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44 CB
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86 P
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Rookie Jim McMahon became the team's starter when the strike was over.
Bob Avellini started the first two games. Normal left tackle Ted Albrecht
missed the season with a back injury. Guard Revie Sorey also missed
the season after being kicked in the throat in the preseason. Kicker
John Roveto beat out incumbent Bob Thomas for the job in training
camp, but Thomas was re-signed in December. Len Walterscheid replaced the
injured Doug Plank at free safety. From left to right: Offense Jim
McMahon, Walter Payton, Matt Suhey, Ken Margerum, Brian Baschnagel, Phil
McKinnely, Noah Jackson, Dan Neal, Jeff Williams, Keith Van Horne, Emery
Moorehead, John Roveto. Defense Al Harris, Dan Hampton,
Jim Osborne, Mike Hartenstine, Gary Campbell, Mike Singletary, Otis
Wilson, Leslie Frazier, Gary Fencik, Len Walterscheid, Terry Schmidt,
Bob Parsons.
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4
| K
| John Roveto
| SW Louisana
| 2
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7
| QB
| Bob Avellini
| Maryland
| 8
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8
| QB
| Vince Evans
| USC
| 6
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9
| QB
| Jim McMahon
| BYU
| R
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16
| K
| Bob Thomas
| Notre Dame
| 8
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20
| CB
| Reuben Henderson
| SD State
| 2
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21
| CB
| Leslie Frazier
| Alcorn State
| 2
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23
| DB
| Lenny Walterscheid
| S. Utah St.
| 6
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24
| DB
| Jeff Fisher
| USC
| 2
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25
| S
| Todd Bell
| Ohio State
| 2
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26
| RB
| Matt Suhey
| Penn State
| 3
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29
| RB
| Dennis Gentry
| Baylor
| R
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33
| RB
| Calvin Thomas
| Illinois
| R
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34
| RB
| Walter Payton
| Jackson State
| 8
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35
| RB
| Roland Harper
| Louisana Tech
| 7
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37
| RB
| Willie McClendon
| Georgia
| 4
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44
| DB
| Terry Schmidt
| Ball State
| 9
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45
| S
| Gary Fencik
| Yale
| 7
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46
| S
| Doug Plank
| Ohio State
| 8
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50
| LB
| Mike Singletary
| Baylor
| 2
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51
| LB
| Bruce Herron
| New Mexico
| 5
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52
| C
| Dan Neal
| Kentucky
| 10
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54
| LB
| Brian Cabral
| Colorado
| 4
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55
| LB
| Otis Wilson
| Louisville
| 3
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57
| LB
| Bruce Huther
| New Hamp.
| 6
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58
| LB
| Jerry Muckensturm
| Ark. State
| 6
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59
| LB
| Gary Campbell
| Colorado
| 6
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62
| OL
| Dan Jiggetts
| Harvard
| 7
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63
| C
| Jay Hilgenberg
| Iowa
| 2
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65
| G
| Noah Jackson
| Tampa
| 8
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67
| T
| Phil McKinnely
| UCLA
| 6
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68
| DT
| Jim Osborne
| Southern
| 11
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69
| G
| Revie Sorey
| Illinois
| 8
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71
| G
| Perry Hartnett
| SMU
| R
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72
| T
| Jerry Doerger
| Wisconsin
| R
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73
| DL
| Mike Hartenstine
| Penn State
| 8
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74
| OL
| Jeff Williams
| R. Island
| 5
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75
| DL
| Henry Waechter
| Nebraska
| R
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76
| DT
| Steve McMichael
| Texas
| 3
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78
| T
| Keith Van Horne
| USC
| 2
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79
| G
| Kurt Becker
| Michigan
| R
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80
| WR
| Rickey Watts
| Tulsa
| 4
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81
| TE
| Robin Earl
| Washington
| 6
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82
| WR
| Ken Margerum
| Stanford
| 2
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84
| WR
| Brian Baschnagel
| Ohio State
| 7
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86
| P
| Bob Parsons
| Penn State
| 11
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87
| TE
| Emery Moorehead
| Colorado
| 6
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89
| WR
| James Scott
| Henderson JC
| 6
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90
| LB-DE
| Al Harris
| Arizona St.
| 4
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99
| DE
| Dan Hampton
| Arkansas
| 4
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Ditka on his dream
The following is quoted from an interview Mike Ditka did with
WTTW's Bob Sirott in 2004:
"When I was coaching in Dallas, I wrote a letter to George
Halas, telling him that at some point I wanted to be a head coach (it wasn't
then), and that I would love for him to consider me to be coach of the Bears."
"Halas had me up for the interview at his kitchen table, and
asked me to tell him my philosophy on football. I said my philosophy was
the same as him, to win. He said, OK, we're going to pay you X amount of
dollars, and I said I'm sure happy to have the job. This was a lifelong
dream to me."
Ditka Quotes from the first minicamp
"We don't wear hats in meetings. I've got a couple of
things I stand on, and one of them is wearing hats in meetings. Hats are
for outdoors."
"You did everything we asked of you this weekend, and we asked
a lot. Don't forget it, this is the way training camp will be. It's
the way it has to be. I'll tell you this, this is a good football team
standing here, and we're gonna get better."
"I played here when people really took pride in pulling on the
Bears jersey. I want that to happen again."
Players on their new coach
"That's something I never heard in the six years I've been
here. We're always talking about being competitive. I'm glad
someone's got a different frame of mind. I'm tired of being
"competitive". Obviously, that attitude hasn't pushed us to our limits."
-Gary Fencik on Ditka's statement that his team would go to the Super Bowl.
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Ditka was an offensive assistant with the Dallas Cowboys
before being hired in 1982 as the Bears' tenth head coach. The Cowboys,
offensive powerhouses, used to stand at attention before "ready" was called at
the line of scrimmage, then stand up and set. Ditka, along with fellow
Dallas assistant Ed Hughes (who became his offensive coordinator in Chicago),
tried to install this wrinkle in the Bears' offense in 1982.
Unfortunately, the pre-strike demoralized players couldn't even do this in
rhythm and it looked awful. In a show of union solidarity,
players from both teams ran to midfield and shook hands before the first two
games. These events were met by a round of boos throughout
stadiums. The Bears lost their first two games prior to
the strike, then finished the season 3-4. They actually would have made
the playoffs with the strange post-strike format, but barely missed when they
lost to Tampa in the season finale. WR James Scott returned to the
Bears in '82 after he played for the CFL's Montreal Alouettes in
1981. Punter Bob Parsons nailed an 81-yard punt vs. New
England.
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The NFL endures its
first work stoppage as seven games are cancelled league-wide by a player's
strike. The league decides to forego their traditional divisional rankings, and
instead the top eight teams in each division make the playoffs. The world
champion 49ers miss the playoffs with a 3-6 record, same as the Bears. Two 4-5
teams (Detroit and Cleveland) make the postseason, but are quickly eliminated.
Dallas loses in the NFC Championship game for the second year in a row, to
Washington. The Redskins beat Miami 27-17 in Super Bowl 17.
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1982 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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QB
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Jim McMahon
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BYU
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2-Traded to Tampa
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3
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TE
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Tim Wrighman
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UCLA
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4
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RB
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Dennis Gentry
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Baylor
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5a
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G
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Perry Hartnett
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SMU
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5b
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DB
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Dennis Tabron
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Duke
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6
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G
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Kurt Becker
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Michigan
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7
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DT
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Henry Waechter
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Nebraska
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8
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t
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Jerry Doerger
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Wisconsin
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9
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DB
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Mike Hatchett
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Texas
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10
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DB
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Joe Turner
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USC
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11
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LB
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Gary Boliaux
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Wisconsin
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12
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LB
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Ricky Young
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OK State
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1982 Bears Trades
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Traded second-round pick to Tampa for 1983 first-round pick
Traded CB Reuben Henderson to San Diego for fifth-round pick
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1982 Bears Free Agent Signings
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WR James Scott
T Phil McKinnely
LB Dan Rains
RB Calvin Thomas
CB Walt Williams
K Bob Thomas
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1982 Bears Retirements
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DT Alan Page
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1982 Chicago Bears Awards
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Jim McMahon, Rookie of the Year
Dan Hampton, PFW Defensive Most Valuable Player
Gary Fencik, S, Pro Bowl
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