Chicago Bears draft: Top picks in franchise history

Sid Luckman, QB, 1939 1st Round (#2 overall)

Luckman played for the Chicago Bears from 1939 to 1950. The Bears traded up to the second pick to nab him.

Luckman is considered the first of the modern-day quarterback. Chicago Bears coach George Halas came up with a revolutionary offensive formation — the “T” formation. Teams in that era played a run-heavy wing formation, but the “T” gave the quarterback more options.

Luckman led the Bears to four championships between 1940 and 1946. In 1940, he led the Bears in the biggest route in NFL Championship history, beating Washington 73-0. In 1943, he was named NFL MVP.

Also in 1943, the Bears played a game against the New York Giants in the Polo Grounds. Luckman was a New York native, so they had a Sid Luckman Day. He responded to the honor by throwing for a record SEVEN touchdowns in a 56-7 rout of the Giants.

There is a quote by Luckman in which he describes his fortunes in the NFL. “I was the luckiest guy who ever played football. I came along at the right time, under a great coach with a great team. Our only thought was to win for each other, for the glory of the team.”

The Chicago Bears have not had many great quarterbacks in its history, but Luckman was the greatest one they had. He was a winner and did everything he could to come away with a win.

Sid Luckman was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965.

Next: He was a part of probably the greatest draft in NFL history