No one has more Hall of Famers than the Chicago Bears. And they’re going to gain two more members this year.
Offensive lineman Jimbo Covert and defensive end/linebacker Ed Sprinkle are among 10 senior inductees — all of whom last played in the NFL more than 25 years ago — that will be inducted into the 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame.
To celebrate the league’s storied 100-year history, the Pro Football Hall of Fame will feature a special centennial class, which features 20 inductees. Ten of those are senior inductees.
“I’ve been on Cloud Nine for two weeks,” Covert told the Sun-Times. “It’s been a lot of fun. Phone calls, texts—it’s been really cool.”
Covert, the sixth overall pick the 1983 NFL Draft, was a cornerstone of a Bears offensive line that led the NFL in rushing for four consecutive seasons from 1983-1986 with all-time great Walter Payton. Covert played his entire nine-year career with the Bears, during which he was a two-time All-Pro selection, a member of the NFL’s 1980s All-Decade Team and a Super Bowl XX champion.
While Covert has already been involved with the creation of his Hall of Fame bust, he also made the decision to reach out to a former teammate to introduce him at his induction.
Covert chose former Bears running back Matt Suhey to introduce him, as a way to honor another teammate.
“I think it’s appropriate,” Covert said. “Him and Walter [Payton] were such good friends, and it feels like both of them are going to do it together. It’s a great thing.”
With the additions of Covert and Sprinkle, the Bears have 30 Hall of Famers, which continues to be the most in NFL history.