Mike Singletary will be the 24th former Bears player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 1 in Canton, Ohio.
A father of seven, Singletary will be presented by his wife, Kim, at the induction ceremonies. It will mark the first time an NFL player has chosen his wife as his presenter.
“I gave a lot of thought to it,” Singletary said Wednesday. “When I retired (in 1992), I thought about it. I thought of the coaches and the people and the players that really meant so much to me through the years. Then I thought about the two people who know me the best. It was always my mom and my wife. They prayed for me and stayed by my side. At first, I wanted both of them to do it. But (the Hall of Fame) said: `No, it can only be one.’
“I thought my mom would get up there and start crying and never finish,” Singletary said. “And I thought my wife would do a good job. I know she will do a great job.”
Three’s company: Singletary, who will join former Bears linebackers Dick Butkus and Bill George in the Hall of Fame, says his enshrinement will be a time for personal reflection.
“I will think about the opposition I met throughout my career in terms of people saying: `You can’t do it. You’re too small, you’re too short.’ Just realizing what one person can do when he allows God to answer all of the calls instead of themselves.”
The 5-foot-11-inch, 230-pound Singletary entered the NFL in 1981 as a second-round choice out of Baylor. That draft included defensive standouts Lawrence Taylor, Ronnie Lott, Howie Long, E.J. Junior, Dennis Smith and Hugh Green.
Singletary missed only two games in 12 years, started more games (172) than any Bear except Walter Payton and averaged more than eight tackles a game.
The Bears will honor Singletary Sept. 6, when they play host to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Soldier Field.
Word on the street: Two-time heavyweight boxing champion Larry Holmes and legendary fight trainer Angelo Dundee will host a Punch Cigar “Night With Champions” Thursday evening at the downtown Marriott. Holmes is training for a bout with George Foreman this fall and Dundee is training Foreman. . . . A year-long celebration of the 30th anniversary of Special Olympics will be launched July 20. The first Special Olympics World Games were held at Soldier Field in 1968. . . . The Christopher Zorich Foundation 5K Run, Walk, Kids’ Dash & Wheelchair Race” will be Sunday in front of the Dearborn Station on West Polk. Call 773-868-3010. . . . A basketball signed by the Bulls was auctioned for $1,600 at a recent fundraiser for Stedman Graham’s charity–Athletes Against Drugs. . . . DePaul recruits Bobby Simmons and Quentin Richardson have led the USA Junior World Championship team to the semifinals of the Junior World Championship qualification tournament in Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic.
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Send e-mail to Fred Mitchell at kick3485@aol.com
