Chicago Bears: 5 recent players deserving of Hall of Fame

Center Olin Kreutz

With Olin Kreutz, you had a guy who had all eyes on him at all times. If you were really watching what was going on in the trenches, chances are, you’d be glued to what Kreutz was doing. He was as vocal and physically nasty as they came.

If you, as a defensive player, decided to take that unwise chance and put your hands on his quarterback after the play was over, or unlawfully during the action, you were in for it. Kreutz was as protective of a center as I have ever seen in the NFL. You wouldn’t dare touch his quarterback in that kind of manner without getting a mouthful and a healthy shove in return.

Over the course of his career which spanned from 1998 to 2011, Kreutz played in 195 games and started a whopping 187 of them. He spent every single season except his last with the Bears.

Kreutz earned Pro Bowl honors six times throughout his career with the Bears and went First Team All-Pro once in 2006. He also appeared on the All-Pro Second Team in 2005. Over his time with the Bears, he was arguably the best center in the league next to Kevin Mawae.

Kreutz played on some pretty terrible offensive lines during a few seasons with the Bears, which could be a major reason why fans did not vote him into more Pro Bowls — in my eyes, he deserved the trip at least three or four more times. At some point, this guy needs a gold jacket. It has to happen.