A Run-In with Danimal

A Run-In with Danimal
I was with my family on a cold Saturday afternoon in the winter of 2002. We were running a few errands before my brothers' basketball game they had later that day. My dad decided to make a stop at Lowe's, but I chose to wait in the car with my mom and one of my brothers while my dad and other brother went inside.

Not long after they went into the store, my mom's cell phone rang and my dad told my mom to have me to run inside the store right away. He said Dan Hampton was coming to do a free autograph signing (as part of his Hall Of Fame induction appearances) at this Lowe's in just a little while. Well I needed no further persuasion to get in the store as fast as I could.

When I got inside the store I saw this big long line of people waiting in front of an empty table. So I jumped in line with my mom while my brothers and my dad ran to another store to go buy some Bears hats for Danimal to sign for us.

We waited for about 45 minutes, and then in walked Dan Hampton. Instantly all of us fans who had faithfully been waiting for the Hall Of Fame inductee began to cheer and applaud.

Well my brothers and dad showed up with the Bears hats, and we waited for another half hour when I got my chance to meet the Bears great Defensive Lineman. It was a really cool feeling to get to talk to him. He signed my hat for me, talked to me for a little bit, shook my hand and took a picture with me. It was an incredible moment for a 13 year-old Bears fanatic to experience. My brothers and dad all received autographs as well, but me being the most avid Bears fan in the family, it was just that much more special to me.

My run-in with Danimal is a moment I will never forget.

Remember Ironhead?

Chances are if you're a long time Bears fan or just a long time football fan in general, you probably smiled when you saw the name 'Ironhead' in the title for this article.

I remember when I first found out who Ironhead was. I was an avid football card collector throughout much of my childhoood and through collecting football cards I came across a Craig Heyward, or as my dad quickly pointed out to me, 'Ironhead' card. While I read the bio on the back of the card I noticed that he was listed as a 290 pound running back. This instantly got my attention so I asked my dad who this guy was and that is when I found out who Ironhead was.

Well, years went by and the next news of Ironhead I heard was in 2006. Ironhead had passed away from a brain tumor he had been battling for some time. It was sad and shocking news hearing that the 39 year old grid iron legend had passed away, but once again Ironhead slipped out of mind for several more years until this January.

In January I was visiting my girlfriend's family and of course I ended up talking about football. My girlfriend's dad, Jim, and I get along really well. We both love football and have a lot of fun talking football. During one of our conversations Jim asked me if I had ever heard of Craig Heyward. Of course I said I had, and he then told me one of the coolest football stories I have ever heard.

Jim went to high school in New Jersey and played football for the Bergenfield High School Bears and Ironhead went to Passaic High School where he played for the Indians (also the high school of the great Jack Tatum). During Jim's senior year (Ironhead's freshman year) of high school he played Passaic in a preseason game. Jim was playing Defensive End, and of course Ironhead was playing running back.

Jim says he remembers Passaic having around 100 players on their team and all of them were chanting "Iron-head! Iron-head!" while Ironhead carried the ball. Then came what Jim calls his claim to fame.

As I mentioned earlier, Jim was playing Defensive End in this game. I myself played Defensive End for several years and know how frequently you come head to head with running backs. This is exactly what happened to Jim. Jim said he hit him straight in the thighs and the 260 pound Ironhead bulled right through but he didn't get too far because Jim was able to trip him up in the process and made the tackle!

I've tackled some stud running backs back in my playing days, but I never tackled anyone anywhere close to the caliber of Ironhead.

Ironhead went on to play 11 seasons in the NFL. During this span he played for the Saints, Bears, Falcons, Rams and Colts. Although Ironhead has passed away, his football talent has carried over to his son Cam Heyward, who played 4 years as a Defensive End for Ohio State. Cam is now hoping to be drafted in the 2011 NFL draft. If Ironhead was still alive he would be hoping so too.

So here's one more cheer for Ironhead. Iron-head! Iron-head!

Church VS. Football

I am an avid Chicago Bears fan, as is apparent by my blog, but more importantly I am a born again Christian. Having the Salvation Christ Jesus has given me through His death on the cross motivates me to dedicate myself to building a strong and active relationship with Him. Much of this relationship building comes from consistently attending church every Sunday. This is where conflict arises for many Christians who are NFL fans, because most games are played during church time.

I personally have to make this decision nearly every Sunday. I always choose church over football, but that is my conviction.

I interviewed my church's Youth Pastor, Pastor Jake Rosekopf, to see what his thoughts were on the issue. I hope you find the interview as helpful and interesting as I have.

Go Bears!

1. How long have you been a pastor?
Almost 5 years.

2. How long have you been a Bears fan?
Almost 5 years (When we moved here I really started liking them a lot).

3. Do you think it is ever okay to miss church to watch a Bears game?
No, unless they are in the Super Bowl, but then I would have the youth group over and give a devotional at halftime. (That's what we have done in the past).

4. What are your convictions on missing church to watch the Super Bowl?
Haha...oh....I should have read the next question before I wrote that for #3. Same answer. I wouldn't miss church to just watch the game. There would have to be a purpose. The purpose being for the teens to bring unsaved friends to hear the gospel and to develop better relationships among the other teens.

5. How do you feel about churches scheduling services, or canceling services so the church members can watch the Super Bowl?
I'm fifty fifty on this one. I can understand both sides of the argument, but I would lean towards NOT missing church, unless there is a spiritual emphasis involved.

6. Do you think it would be acceptable for a Christian to buy Bears season tickets knowing they will miss numerous Sunday services?
I wouldn't buy Bears tickets if I knew I would be missing church a lot. It's a matter of priority. What's more important to you? God deserves our best. He deserves our time and our worship and our praise. God has called us to assemble together as believers. That was His plan for us...that's why we are called "the church."

7. Do you think there is a large temptation for Christians to place a higher priority on football than they place on God, making it an idol?
There is a HUGE temptation to place football above God. We make plans around watching "the game." Even as we sit in church we are sometimes thinking about what time the game will be on. Football in and of itself isn't wrong, but when we place it above our relationship with Christ, or anything for that matter, then yes, it is wrong.

8. What is the most important part about being a Christian?
The most important part about being a Christian is glorifying God with our lives through our testimony, our witness, our speech, our actions, and our priorities.

9. What is your prediction for the 2011 Bears season?
I think they will do well. Jay Cutler should be fired up about what happened in their last game last season. I think he has something to prove. If everyone can stay healthy I think they might just make it back to the Super Bowl. Then we'll have to have a Super Bowl party! (with a spiritual emphasis of course).

What's New?

This week I decided to do a video post on some recent Bears news . I had previously promised to keep you, the viewer, up to date on the latest Bears news, and that is the purpose of this post.

This video covers the latest on Jay Cutler, an unusual feel-good story dealing with William Perry, and my take on the 2011 NFL draft.

I hope you enjoy the video.

Go Bears!

Everybody Loves Da Bears

 I recently interviewed a friend of mine named John Hines who within the past two years has become a die hard Bears fan. It's hard to think back to when I became an avid Bears fan because I was so young. I thought it would be interesting to see the point of view of a new Bears fan so we can reminisce what it was like when we first began loving Da Bears.

What was the main attraction that pulled you in to being a fan of the Chicago Bears?

They are the team I first started watching when I began watching professional football.

Who is your favorite player, and why?

Brian Urlacher because he kills people. And because he’s a really smart player.

What’s the best part of being a Bears fan?

No matter what the rest of the team does, you can always count on the defense. And on a more trivial note whenever you tell someone you like the Bears they always say “Da Bears”

What’s your favorite Bears moment so far?

Whenever Devin Hester runs back a punt or kickoff for a touchdown.

Are you happy with the contract extension for Lovie Smith?

Yeah. I think he’s doing fine.

What do you think the Bears need to improve most this off season?

Offensive Line. It’s their only weakness.

What is your prediction for the 2011 season?

Just as good as the 2010 season or better.

Who is your favorite player from the ’85 Bears?

Payton. Payton was such a monster.

Let's get this show on the road

Welcome-

I am the creator of Halas' Heroes. I am here to deliver the information we want to hear about our favorite team, the Chicago Bears.

I promise to cover recent Bears news, as well as little known facts and stories and my own personal speculations on any issue related to this great franchise.