Once upon a time there lived a Bear.
A Chicago Bear.
This Bear ran for a 68-yard touchdown to start a ferocious attack (73-0) against the Washington Redskins in December of 1940.
After his playing years with the Chicago Bears, he was a dentist and raised his family in Wilmette.
While a football coach at Faith, Hope and Charity parish in Winnetka in 1966, he treated me to a Bears-Cleveland Brown game at Wrigley Field.
Upper deck, 45-yard line.
What a great place to sit for a football game.
The biggest thrill of the day was after the game.
Walking across Waveland Avenue, with traffic at a standstill, sitting behind the wheel of his big black Lincoln, was Papa Bear George Halas.
“Coach!”
“Bill!”
The two Bears hollered out as they “tackled” each other through the car window.
They wished each other good luck and I witnessed an all-time great Bear hug.
My last encounter with this great Bear was in May 1970.
He happened to be at Grant Hospital in Chicago the day my wife gave birth to our son, Stuart.
My wife opened her eyes and saw beautiful flowers with a card that read:
“Best wishes to Mrs. Malles and her little champion. Bill Osmanski.”
