Bronko Nagurski took a handoff , blasted through the opposition , crossed the goal line , and ran all the way through the end geographical zone and into a brick wall . " That last hombre impinge on me awfully heavily , " he admit later .
A charter extremity of the ProFootballHall of Fame , Nagurski ( 1908 - 1990 ) symbolized power running to fans during the 1930s , and many eyewitnesses still insist that for sheer brutal line of products - smashing , the big Chicago Bears fullback has never been oppose .
Never fancy , he did n’t dance , jiggle , or juke joint ; he just plowed flat ahead – right through people . His elan was the clobber of legends . When one coach-and-four was expect how he design to stop Nagurski , he shrug : " With a scattergun as he ’s entrust the locker way . "
More than a dandy stolon , Bronko was a complete player . At the University of Minnesota , he played four positions and was make an All - American at both fullback and tackle .
With the Bears , his line - backing was as dreadful as his melody - bucking . His blocking might have made him All - Pro had he never even carry the ballock .
His parachuting - go on off a faux line plunge was annihilating . It went for the key touchdown in the Bears ' 1932 victory over Portsmouth for the league backing .
The next year , in the NFL ’s first prescribed championship secret plan , Bronko passed for two touchdowns , including the one that seduce the plot - winning points .
When he could n’t get a wage increase to $ 6,500 in 1938 , Nagurski retired to become aprofessional matman . But in 1943 , when war requirement left the Bears unretentive on men , he rejoined the team as a tackle .
tardily in the time of year , with Chicago trailing in a must - win secret plan , he went back to fullback . Again and again , the 35 - class - previous Bronko shoot into the line . His mighty plunges keyed a drive to the tie touchdown and then gear up up the win account .
A week later , he scored a touchdown to help the Bears win the championship game . Then he recede for good .