Chicago Bears: 15 greatest running backs of all time

With the No. 23 overall pick in the 1988 NFL Draft, the Bears selected Brad Muster out of Stanford. He came to the Bears as a running back, but the Bears quickly turned him into their fullback and used him to block for starting running back Neal Anderson. Muster was a force blocking for Anderson, who sits third overall on the Bears’ all-time rushing list.

Over his five seasons with the Bears, Muster still managed to run for 2,014 yards and scored 20 touchdowns on the ground, despite never being the go-to guy in the backfield. I suppose it helped to play in an era where the fullback was still used in various ways. During his time in Chicago, Muster also caught 159 passes in that role within the Bears offense.

After the 1992 NFL season, Muster wanted badly for head coach Dave Wannstedt to allow him to take the reins as Chicago’s feature back. On one hand, Muster may have had a decent argument. His career at Stanford proved he was more than just a fullback.

In college, Muster rushed for over 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns in his four seasons. More impressively, he was proficient as a receiver, too. In four years with Stanford, Muster caught 198 passes for 1,722 yards and eight scores.

When Wannstedt declined to give him the featured role, Muster’s time with the Bears was up. He ended up signing with the New Orleans Saints, where he played another two seasons. Following the 1994 campaign, Muster called it a career.