Devin Hester and the 9 Most Exciting Players in Chicago Bears History

The bears are one of only two founding franchises left in the NFL, so their talent pool from which to pull Bears players from for this story is deep, indeed.

A plethora of exciting and talented players have brought fans to their feet over and over again across the Chicago franchise's 91-year history.

Maybe chief among them has been Devin Hester. In his short career, he has provided us with more exciting highlights than can be counted. Even when scrambling backwards for a loss on a punt return, Devin has got us out of our seats.

But Devin isn't the only shining star to draw crowds in Chicago; and he may not even be the brightest.

Follow me as we take a walk down memory lane and look at some of the most jaw-dropping and electrifying players to grace the gridiron in the Windy City.

Doug Atkins

Doug Atkins was a physical marvel of his time.

Put together very similarly to Julius Peppers, Atkins was a masterful pass-rusher who lived in opponents backfields' and scared the living daylights out of offensive linemen and quarterbacks everywhere.

Doug was known for his bullish strength, but in an era where modern technique wasn't taught, Atkins was making history.

While he generally bulled his way through, he was known to use finesse moves as well, surprising linemen who expected to be powered back; he was even known to have hurdled linemen on occasion.

When Atkins was on the field, you never knew how he was going to get there, but you always knew what the end result was going to be.

Jim McMahon

The punky QB was always front-and-center and in your face.  

Whether he was helicoptering his way into the end zone, mooning a media chopper or walking on the field injured to throw three touchdowns in his first seven passing attempts and save the day, Jim McMahon was going to do something that would surely have you talking on Monday. 

Mike Brown

As the Bears all-time leader in defensive touchdowns, Mike Brown had Bears fans on the edge of their seats.

The emotional leader of the Bears until injuries shortened his career, Brown was always hyped up. And big hits were sure to follow.

But hitting wasn't his only trick. Brown scored seven regular season defensive touchdowns—three off fumble recoveries and four on interception returns.  

That includes two consecutive game-winners in overtime in 2001.

Dick Butkus

Butkus might have been the greatest football player of all time (it is, of course, debatable). What isn't up for debate is the fear he instilled in offensive players.

Butkus was the most brutal player to ever hit the gridiron. As Deacon Jones said, Butkus tried to put players in the cemetery, not the hospital. And Ernie Accorsi, former GM of the New York Giants, once said, "When he hit you, you stayed hit."

His viciousness on the field led to some of the most exciting defensive plays in the history of the game.

4-6 Defense

Yeah, it might be cheating. Instead of a single player, I included a whole defense. But what was I to do?

If you include Singletary, what of Dent, Marshall, Wilson, Hampton, Perry, Duerson, Fencik, Richardson, Frazier and McMichael? Who do leave off?  

If you watched this defense play in '85 and '86, you know that every player on the defense was a star. Offenses just couldn't deal with all the talent on this defense. It was that simple; and it made for some of the most exciting football ever watched.  

Who says defense is boring?

Walter Payton

Walter Payton. Just saying the name brings shivers down the spines of defenders who had to try and stop him in the '70s and '80s.

With good speed and unmatched agility, Walter could have been content just playing the "elusive" game. But that wasn't his style. Walter was going to run around you, run past you, jump over you or run through you.  

With his aggressive rushing style and a mentality that led to a belief in hitting the defender before he was hit, Sweetness fought for every inch and never surrendered.

You just knew that when Walter touched the ball, something special was going to happen.

Devin Hester

Hester proved from the moment that he entered the league that you had better not take your eyes off of him.

In his first game in the NFL, he took a punt to the house against the Packers. Since then he has become the league's greatest kick returner in history.

Blink, and you'll miss him. Blessed with incredible speed and agility along with elite vision and an incredible patience in waiting for his blocks to develop, Hester is the single most exciting kick returner in the game's history.

Red Grange

It is easy to overlook the past in the presence of modern greatness—what have you done for me lately?

But the Galloping Ghost was among the most exciting players to ever grace the field; so much so that George Halas was willing to pay Grange $100 thousand for just 19 games in a time when football players were averaging around $100 a game.

And Halas' expensive gamble paid off. Grange was so exciting that he drew tens of thousands of fans to games. Halas himself credited Grange with both adding legitimacy to the league and saving it with his attendance draws.

Grange's exciting brand of play didn't just save the Bears or the league, but it was also credited with drawing over 60,000 fans to New York for a game against the Bears, which saved the then-fragile Giants franchise.

Gale Sayers

I thought it would be hard to pick the top slide for this list. But when all was said and done, it was actually rather easy.

Gale Sayers was called the Kansas Comet, but his NFL nickname should have been the Chicago Meteor. His star burned brightly, but he ultimately burned out far too soon for Bears fans.

Oh but what a ride it was. Sayers was the most exciting player of his time, and arguably of any other time. He could do it all and he did.  

He scored 22 touchdowns in his rookie year in just 14 games, and he scored six touchdowns alone against the 49ers in a 61-20 shellacking of that team.  

The Bears past is so often forgotten to our younger fans, but Sayers will live on forever. Just watch this video to see some of the most exciting ability in NFL history.

He was a dangerous threat every time he touched the ball and in every situation. Had he not ruined both of his knees in a time before modern medicine could have fixed them, there might not be any discussion today over who the greatest back in the history of the league really was.

And now it's your turn, ladies and gentlemen. Step up on the soapbox below—known as the comment thread—and tell us your thoughts. Did we forget someone? Disagree with the order? Love the list as is? Sound off below and let your voice be heard!