DOUG AND OB — ULTIMATE BEARS
Doug Buffone and Ed O’Bradovich were teammates on the field and off. They’re probably best remembered today for their entertaining stint as broadcast partners on the Bears postgame show on The Score, where their rants after particularly frustrating Bears losses almost made it worth suffering through those games.
Both played their entire NFL careers with the Bears. O’Bradovich was the last remaining player from the 1963 championship team when he retired after the 1971 season. Buffone was the last player who played for George Halas when he retired after the 1979 season. Both were fan favorites throughout their careers.
And they share one other notable distinction: They’re two of the best Bears players to never make the Pro Bowl — maybe the two best.
O’Bradovich, a defensive end from 1962 to ’71, rivaled Doug Atkins and Dick Butkus as tough, mean-spirited defenders. He made the key play in the 1963 championship game: With the Giants leading 10-7, he intercepted a Y.A. Tittle pass and returned it to the 10-yard line, setting up Bill Wade for the game-winning touchdown.
Buffone, a linebacker from 1966 to ’79 who played with Atkins in his first season and Dan Hampton in his last, broke Butkus’ team record for linebackers with 24 interceptions (his first two were against Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr). He set franchise marks with 186 games played, 142 consecutive. And like O’Bradovich, he played with a passion for the Bears that endeared him to fans long after his career ended.