Tag: Rex Grossman

Gator great Major Wright to serve as Mr. Two Bits vs. Ole Miss

Legendary Florida defensive back Major Wright is returning to the Swamp this week to serve as Mr. Two Bits ahead of the Ole Miss game.

Former Florida safety [autotag]Major Wright[/autotag] is the latest Gators legend to earn an invite to serve as the honorary Mr. Two Bits in the Swamp.

Sixteen years ago, Wright cemented himself in Gators history by delivering one of the biggest hits the sport has ever seen during the 2009 BCS National Championship Game against Oklahoma. Now he’ll in the footsteps of Gators greats such as [autotag]Jevon Kearse[/autotag], [autotag]Emmitt Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Rex Grossman[/autotag], all of whom have donned the yellow shirt and Orange and Blue tie this season.

“I’ve been wanting to do it,” Wright said. “Now that I’m getting the chance and it’s going to be amazing.”

Major Wright at Florida

Wright signed with Florida as a four-star prospect ranked No. 43 nationally, regardless of position, by 247Sports. He appeared in all 41 games over his three years in Gainesville, making 33 starts at free safety. He collected 165 tackles, eight interceptions, 10 pass breakups, four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a national championship with the Gators.

He decided to forgo his senior year and enter the 2010 NFL draft, where he was selected 75th overall in the third round by the Chicago Bears. Over 77 career games with the Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he made 242 total tackles and secured nine interceptions, peaking from 2012-2013.

What’s next for Florida?

The Gators play their final home game of the season against Ole Miss on Saturday, Nov. 23. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

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Former Gators QB Rex Grossman is Mr. Two Bits vs. LSU

When the LSU Tigers come to Gainesville this weekend, legendary Gators quarterback Rex Grossman will be in attendance and serve as the honorary Mr. Two Bits.

Florida is turning to a Gators legend for the Mr. Two Bits honor this weekend against LSU. 2001 Heisman Trophy runner-up [autotag]Rex Grossman[/autotag] will don the yellow shirt and Orange and Blue tie on Saturday, according to the University Athletic Association.

It’s the latest honor for Grossman who recently was named an SEC Legend by the conference office. He will be recognized that the conference championship game in Atlanta on Dec. 7.

“Pretty cool combo, right?” Grossman said.

Grossman has fond memories of his time at Florida, including witnessing the original Mr. Two Bits, George E. Edmonson Jr., hyping up the crowd in the stands. He admits that he’ll need to watch some YouTube footage to get the chant just right, but it’s an exciting time for the Gators legend.

Rex Grossman’s legacy at Florida

Grossman spent three years at the University of Florida (2000-02), earning 2001 AP National Player of the Year honors and finishing as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in the same year. He ended his Gators career with 9,164 yards and 77 touchdowns.

He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears and played nine seasons in the pros. He led the Bears to a Super Bowl XLI appearance.

“The experience of playing for the Gators means everything in the world to me,” Grossman said. “I had the best time of my life in that era. Being able to get on the field and make things happen was the most exciting thing ever, especially coming from high school in Indiana where I played in front of 2,000 to playing in front of 90,000 on national TV. Dream come true. And now I get to come back and take it all in again.”

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Former Florida QB Rex Grossman named SEC Football Legend

Rex Grossman is one of the greatest quarterbacks in Florida Gators history, and the SEC is honoring him as a 2024 Football Legend.

Legendary Florida quarterback [autotag]Rex Grossman[/autotag] will represent the Gators in the 2024 SEC Legends class, according to a release from the conference on Tuesday.

The class will be honored at the SEC Legends Celebration by T-Mobile during the Weekend of Champions on Dec. 6 in Atlanta, Georgia, and again ahead of the SEC Championship Game at Mercedez Benz Stadium on Dec. 7.

“Combined, this class of legends was responsible for nearly 2,300 points scored during their college careers and nearly 1,000 tackles on defense,” reads the release. “Together they caught passes for more than 5,000 yards, rushed for more than 7,000 yards and passed for nearly 30,000 yards.”

Grossman spent three years at the University of Florida (2000-02), earning 2001 AP National Player of the Year honors and finishing as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in the same year. He ended his Gators career with 9,164 yards and 77 touchdowns.

He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears and played nine seasons in the pros. He led the Bears to a Super Bowl XLI appearance.

2024 SEC Football Legends

  • Alabama – Barrett Jones, Offensive Lineman, 2009-12
  • Arkansas – Ken Hamlin, Free Safety, 2000-02
  • Auburn – Marcus McNeill, Offensive Tackle, 2002-2005
  • Florida – Rex Grossman, Quarterback, 2000-02
  • Georgia – Terrence Edwards, Receiver, 1999-2002
  • Kentucky – Dicky Lyons Sr., Tailback/Receiver/All-Purpose, 1966-68
  • LSU – Andrew Whitworth, Offensive Tackle, 2002-05
  • Ole Miss – Dexter McCluster, Running Back, 2006-09
  • Mississippi State – Fletcher Cox, Defensive Lineman, 2009-11
  • Missouri – Chase Daniel, Quarterback, 2005-08
  • Oklahoma – Barry Switzer, Head Coach, 1973-88
  • South Carolina – Corey Miller, Defensive End, 1987-90
  • Tennessee – Eric Berry, Defensive Back, 2007-09
  • Texas – Vince Young, Quarterback, 2002-05
  • Texas A&M – Luke Joeckel, Offensive Tackle, 2010-12
  • Vanderbilt – Ricky Anderson, Punter/Kicker, 1981-84

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Three Gators ranked among top-80 college QBs of 2000s

The Florida Gators have seen rostered a few elite quarterbacks over the past two and a half decades, and three made ESPN’s top-80 list.

The University of Florida has been home to many great signal callers, and three former Gators were named on ESPN’s top-80 quarterbacks of the 2000s list on Tuesday.

The list features [autotag]Kyle Trask[/autotag] at No. 52, [autotag]Rex Grossman[/autotag] at No. 34 and, of course, [autotag]Tim Tebow[/autotag] at No. 4. Some might include Cam Newton since he is a former Gator, but he checks in at No. 2 for what he did at Auburn, not in Gainesville.

“In 2006, Tebow served as short-yardage back and scary red zone passing option as Florida won the national title. In 2007, he posted 4,181 combined rushing and passing yards and won the Heisman,” ESPN staff writer Bill Connelly said.

“In 2008, he gave an immortal speech and led the Gators to a 13-1 record and second title. In 2009, he led the Gators to another 13-1 record, posted 3,805 rushing and passing yards and finished in the Heisman top five for a third straight year.

“It’s almost impossible to put together a career more complete than that.”

Trask is the most recent Gator to crack the list. He made it to Gainesville as a two-star backup and delivered over 7,000 passing yards across 22 games after taking over the starting spot.

Grossman could have been higher on this list, but he lost the 2001 Heisman vote by 62 points and lost the BCS national championship game by two points. So close.

For those wondering, Oklahoma‘s Baker Mayfield finished at No. 1 on the list. Vince Young (Texas) finished third, ahead of Tebow.

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Comparing Justin Fields’ first 12 starts to other Bears quarterbacks

Justin Fields made his 12th career start Sunday vs. the Packers. Here’s how he stacks up against other quarterbacks drafted by the Bears.

The Chicago Bears have drafted 32 quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era. Not all of them went on to be starters for the team, as some quarterbacks were drafted to add depth to the quarterback room. Others, like Justin Fields, were drafted to be the face of the franchise.

After 12 starts, it’s hard to tell where Fields is. It’s worth noting that he has shown flashes of greatness in his young career, but he’s also shown a lot of struggles. We’ve seen a lot change for the young quarterback since he hinted at his first preseason game being easy, with this quote: “It was actually kind of slow to me, to be honest.”

With Fields’ 12th start in the books, let’s take a look at where he stacks up with other notable quarterbacks drafted by Chicago, dating back to 1983 with Jim McMahon.

Bears don’t fare well in Super Bowl QB rankings

The inept quarterback history of the Bears has been well documented over the last century.

The inept quarterback history of the Chicago Bears has been well documented over their 100+ year span. They’ve never had a 4,000-yard passer and never had a player throw for more than 30 touchdowns in a season.

It’s truly never been a strength of this team, even when they have been winning. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that their quarterbacks who have started in a Super Bowl aren’t exactly barnburners.

A recent ranking of all the quarterbacks who have started a Super Bowl was released by Gregg Rosenthal of Around the NFL on Thursday. Rosenthal ranked all 65 quarterbacks who have started in the Big Game, including Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow, who will square off for the title next week in Los Angeles.

As you can imagine, the top of the list features Tom Brady and continues with other players such as Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, and Brett Favre, all within the top 10. But where do Jim McMahon and Rex Grossman, the two Bears quarterbacks, fall in the rankings? They’re pretty far down the list.

McMahon comes in at No. 57, trailing behind Doug Williams, Jared Goff, and even current Bears quarterback Nick Foles. McMahon famously quarterbacked the Bears to Super Bowl XX, winning 46-10 against the New England Patriots behind a dominant defensive performance.

The Punky QB had a lengthy career, though he dealt with numerous injuries while with the Bears before bouncing around to other teams. His ranking is pretty dismal, but it’s nothing compared to Grossman’s.

The man with a cannon for an arm comes in at No. 65, good for dead last in Rosenthal’s rankings. Carried by an elite defense, Grossman helped get the Bears to Super Bowl XLI where they fell to the Indianapolis Colts 29-17.

“Grossman only had three seasons where he started more than three games (2006, ’07, 2011), but at least “Sexy Rexy” has a nickname that will live forever.” Rosenthal wrote.

Indeed, his career was short and he dealt with injuries and was benched during his brief Bears run. But he still had enough “wow” moments to nearly bring Chicago another title.

Hopefully soon, another Bears quarterback can be added to this list. Maybe they can even crack the top 50 at some point. But let’s keep it to one miracle at a time.

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What happened to every Chicago Bears QB drafted in the first round?

Mitchell Trubisky is now a backup for the Buffalo Bills — another Chicago Bears first-round QB gone to waste. What happened to the others?

The Chicago Bears just don’t have a great track record when it comes to quarterbacks. It is that one position they just can’t solve throughout their team’s history.

With Mitchell Trubisky signing a free agent deal to be Josh Allen’s backup with the Buffalo Bills, it is another example of a Bears first-round quarterback’s career continuing in another NFL city.

Here is a rundown of what has happened to every Bears quarterback taken in the first round in Chicago history.

 

Aaron Rodgers has won the same number of NFC Championship games as Rex Grossman

It’s hard to believe that an elite talent like Aaron Rodgers has gone 1-4 in NFC title games, including back-to-back losses.

The Chicago Bears were ousted from the postseason back in the wild-card round, but Sunday felt like a win for Bears fans as the Green Bay Packers were dealt another NFC Championship loss, this one a 31-26 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

That leaves quarterback Aaron Rodgers with a 1-4 record in NFC Championship games, which includes back-to-back NFC title losses in as many years.

While there’s no denying that Rodgers is a Hall-of-Fame talent — even Bears fans will acknowledge that — he also hasn’t been able to win the big postseason games for as many times as he’s been there.

In five appearances, Rodgers has as many NFC Championship wins as former beleaguered Bears quarterback Rex Grossman. Let that sink in.

With Sunday’s loss to the Bucs, Rodgers became the first quarterback in NFL history to lose four straight NFC Championship Games. His lone NFC title win came against the Bears back in 2010 — where he bested the likes of Jay Cutler, Todd Collins and Caleb Hanie in a 21-14 win. The Packers would go on to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.

Following Sunday’s loss, Rodgers sounded uncertain about what his future holds beyond this year. While Rodgers is signed through 2023, there has been speculation that he and Green Bay could part ways. The Packers drafted quarterback Jordan Love in the first round with the intention being for him to succeed Rodgers.

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Throwback Thursday: Bears win the NFC North in Green Bay on Christmas in 2005

In this week’s Throwback Thursday, the Bears celebrated Christmas ’05 with a 24-17 win over the Packers and division title at Lambeau Field.

Every Thursday throughout the 2020 regular season, Bears Wire looks back at some of the most memorable moments in Chicago Bears history that occurred on or near that given day.

December 25, 2005: Bears celebrate Christmas at Lambeau Field with a 24-17 win and division title

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXlV16JL5g0

Back in 2005, there weren’t many new feats the Chicago Bears haven’t accomplished in their storied history. Well, except having a quarterback who can throw for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. But up until 2005, the Bears had never played a football game on Christmas day. When it finally happened, they made sure it was a memorable game.

Fifteen years ago, the Bears turned a slow start to their season into an improbable playoff run during head coach Lovie Smith’s second season. Led by one of the best defenses of the decade, along with a power running game, the Bears were stifling opponents left and right, winning 10 games and were on the verge of capturing a division title. They just needed to defeat their biggest rival, the Green Bay Packers, to get there.

In their primetime matchup, the Bears struck first. Quarterback Rex Grossman, who was making his first start of the season after missing much of the year with a broken ankle, fired a dart to wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad on the Bears’ first drive to put them up 7-0. The lead wouldn’t last, though, as the Packers responded on their next drive.

Quarterback Brett Favre drove down the field on a defense that had only allowed 12.6 points per game, tying it up at 7-7. Green Bay had a chance to take the lead on their next possession but missed a 38-yard field goal attempt from kicker Ryan Longwell. From there, the Bears began to turn things around. Grossman launched a 54-yard bomb to wide receiver Bernard Berrian to put the Bears in striking distance. Running back Thomas Jones finished the job, putting the Bears up 14-7. The veteran back had 105 yards on 25 carries.

Things got worse for the Packers as Favre began throwing passes to the other team. The Hall of Fame quarterback threw four interceptions in total, including a pick six to linebacker Lance Briggs that put the Bears up 24-7 in the third quarter. The game tightened at the end, however, when the Packers cut the Bears lead to 24-17 late in the fourth quarter.

With one last chance and just under a minute to go, Favre would fall short in his comeback bid as he would be picked off to end the game. The win gave the Bears the NFC North title, a first-round bye in the playoffs, a sweep of the Packers for the first time since 1991, and one heck of a Christmas present for fans everywhere.

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It’s official: Bears have the worst starting QBs in Super Bowl era

Bears fans are well-aware of the franchise’s QB struggles. But there’s statistical clarification of just how bad Bears QBs have been.

Chicago Bears fans are well-aware of the franchise’s quarterback struggles. Names like Cade McNown, Rex Grossman, Jack Concannon, Vince Evans, Jonathan Quinn and Mike Glennon are reminders of Chicago’s grim history at sports’ most important position.

But in case you needed statistical clarification of just how bad Bears quarterbacks have been, look no further than the nugget NFL Network’s James Palmer shared.

The Bears rank last — not near last, dead last — in five major statistical categories for quarterbacks since the start of the Super Bowl era.

Since 1966, Chicago quarterbacks rank last in passing yards per game, passing yards per attempt, passing touchdowns per game, touchdown-to-interception ratio and passer rating.

And it doesn’t appear there’s an end in sight for the Bears’ quarterback struggles with Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles set to battle it out for the starting job this season.

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