Talking Football Rivalry: George Trafton, Chicago Bears-- Part 1

From the August 9, 2019, Chicago Tribune  "Ranking the Best Bears Players Ever:  #28 George Trafton"  by Will Larkin.

George Trafton (1896-1971)

I have been enjoying following this series.  Most of the names are familiar, but the really old ones are not.  I didn't really start liking pro football until 1975.  I had never heard of Mr. Trafton.

He played for the Chicago Bears at their beginning, when they were the Decatur Staleys and was with them for 12 seasons 1920-21, 1923-1932.  During this time Da Bears were 99-38-26.  He was signed out of Notre Dame where he played just one year and was on the famed Knute Rockne's 1919 team which went 9-0 and outscore opponents  229-47.

There was an interesting story in the article about him.

He ranks, according to the series, #28.  In the first year of the National Football League, then known as the American Professional Football Association, George Trafton set a standard for performance in a rivalry game that has yet to be matched 99 years later.

Who Was Mr. Chicken?  (Find Out Next Post.)  --Cooter