Tom Thayer

Tom Thayer: Blitz, Wranglers, Outlaws

In a strange twist of fate, Tom Thayer was driving his former Notre Dame roommate, Larry Moriarity, to the Chicago Blitz facility to meet the team’s legendary head coach George Allen. Moriarity didn’t sign with the club, but Thayer did as the territorial pick of the Chicago Blitz. "The next thing I knew, they made a guaranteed offer before the Bears did," Thayer says. "As a young offensive lineman, who was unsure of my future in the NFL, this might be a great opportunity right in front of my face."

To Read more Click on Image Above

Despite allowing a then-low record 187 points in a season, the Bears showed chinks in the armor in their 14-2 season. The Bears lost QB McMahon for the season in Week 12 and looked to Doug Flutie for the playoffs. In a move that disturbed many Bears players, Ditka chose Flutie over the enigmatic Mike Tomczak and Steve Fuller. "It was unfortunate, we were a tight-knit group and we probably didn’t embraced Doug like we should’ve," says Thayer. "My Ditka was feeding him to us, rather than allowing us to accept him. He was put in games before he was mentally ready to play."