Football fans are mourning the loss of an iconic quarterback whose unlikely rise embodied the spirit of the Chicago Bears. Bob Avellini, the fierce competitor who willed the Bears to improbable heights in the late 1970s, died Saturday at age 70.
Drafted in the sixth round in 1975 after the Bears selected Walter Payton, Avellini wasn’t meant to be a star. But he defied expectations immediately, starting four games as a rookie before going on an unforgettable run. Over the next three seasons, he started 40 more contests, etching his name in Bears lore.
The pinnacle was leading Chicago to its first playoff berth in 14 years in 1977 before falling to the Cowboys. “He’s perhaps best remembered for that improbable run,” the team said. “Bob was one-of-a-kind; a fierce and tough competitor…He will be missed.”
After being released in 1984, Avellini finished that year with the Jets and had a 1986 preseason stint with the Cowboys. But it was his legendary tenure in Chicago that cemented his legacy as an against-the-odds hero beloved by Bears fans forever.