When I was a kid growing up in the 1980’s, Bears trading cards and posters were a big deal among the circle of friends I ran with. Sounds like the beginning of a Goldberg’s episode. 1985 was the year the Chicago Bears were legendary. The Super Bowl shuffle swept the nation. In one of our grammar school classes we did a version of that shuffle and called it the rainbow shuffle. I went to Catholic school on the South side of Chicago so it had to do something with religion I imagine. The Poster above well, I liked the Black- n-Blues brothers which was the 1985 offensive line for DA Bears wearing the Blue Brothers hats. They had one for defense called the Junk Yard dogs. To get these posters back then you had to go to a certain car dealership. Who knows because I came from a family with no cable. Those cable subscribers probably had the intel on the posters before the parents test drove a Buick. I Don’t remember no internet, no emails, no cell phones etc etc back then. It was the 80’s and sports is what I cared about. With the news of Jim Covert getting enshrined in Canton, Ohio it made me think of that cool poster that hung on my wall. Number 74 is on the right side of it. Well deserved and you could say about time as well as maybe Canton finally has the cable technology presently to come up with a choice like this decades later.

Jim Covert, nicknamed “Jimbo,” is the fifth Bears player to get in the Hall of Fame from that great 1985 Bears team. If you count the Da Coach from that team it’s six. Mike Ditka got in the hall for his play at the tight end. Walter Payton is the greatest running back of all-time still to this day in my opinion. Following him are Dan Hampton, Richard Dent and Mike Singletary from one of greatest defenses of all-time. Jim Covert will be the second player from the ’85 Bears offense to make it to the NFL Football Hall of Fame.

Jim Covert was born in Pennsylvania. In high school Jim Covert played football and wrestled.

His wrestling dream came true going into the ring for Wrestlemania Two. Covert after High School went and played football for the University of Pittsburgh. Covert has the full Pennsylvania pedigree of football in his blood or steelworker. One or the other for males back then. Then the Bears drafted him in 1983 in the first round as he was sixth pick overall in that draft that had many great quarterbacks.

Jim Covert became the enforcer for Jim McMahon protecting his quarterback’s blind side at the left tackle position. He immediately made an impact his first year in the game as he made the rookie NFL All-Pro team. He helped open holes for guys like Matt Suhey and help blaze trails for the greatest back of all-time, Walter Payton. Covert was one of the anchors in the trenches of that Bears Superbowl XX championship team. He played 8 seasons 111 regular season games in a violent sport scrapping with guys his size and bigger and mean as hell. He played in 11 playoff games. He made two pro bowls. Bears led the league in rushing with his play from 1983-86. He helped the Bears win the NFC Central six times. Back issues caused him to leave the game earlier than he liked.

Jim Covert is one out of two seniors that will be finally enshrined in Canton later in the year. He is the final member of the all 1980’s decade team to be selected to Canton. The story I loved about Jim Covert was they came to him to tell him he won offensive player of the week with his play in the game. Bears exploded for over 200 yards that game. He turned it down and wanted it to be the whole offensive line to receive the award instead of just him alone. He was a team guy and knew success should be awarded for the results of the team. Perhaps if he took the merit like that he may have been enshrined earlier. Jim Covert is what you want from a left tackle in the game of football with the quarterback being the most important position on the field. A fierce competitor that would protect the quarterback like how a secret service agent would protect the President of the United States is the definition of a Jimbo Covert. With Jim Covert and Ed Sprinkle going into Canton, Ohio this year, the Bears now have 30 players in the Hall of Fame. That is the most by any team. Welcome to Canton “Jimbo” we are all glad you finally made it.