Chicago Bears: 15 greatest running backs of all time
By Ryan Heckman
57. . RB. (1957-63). Willie Galimore. 11. player
Have you ever noticed that you don’t see any current Bears player wearing No. 28? Without knowing the team has retired that jersey, you may have asked yourself that question.
The story of Willie Galimore needs to be told. The youngsters today need to know about an old hero.
Taking football out of the equation completely, Galimore’s story is a serious one. He was a great football player, no doubt. But, he stood for something even greater off the field.
Galimore was one of the more active athletes when it came to the Civil Rights Movement. In one of the most important events during that time, Galimore was part of the St. Augustine movement — which was a major factor when it came to segregation in schools.
At the age of 29, Galimore’s life was taken far too early. He died in a car accident along with teammate Bo Farrington back in July 1964. Since then, his number was retired by the Bears.
Galimore played seven seasons with the Bears before being taken too soon. In just his second NFL season back in 1958, Galimore was selected to the Pro Bowl after rushing for 619 yards on 130 carries and eight touchdowns on the ground. Despite playing a shorter career than we all would have liked, he still ranks 10th on the team’s all-time rushing list with 2,985 yards.
Galimore was a member of the 1963 team which won an NFL championship and was also voted All-Pro Second Team twice over his career. His incredible collegiate career earned him a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame after his outstanding career at Florida A&M.