Why Doug Plank?

“That guy was crazy!” –former Cardinal Pro Bowl receiver Roy Green

Doug Plank played safety for the Bears in the late 70’s and early 80’s. His career was cut short by a neck injury due to years of applying punishing hits.


During the period he played the Bears were fun to watch for two reasons

-Walter Payton

-And the defense laying incapacitating hits.


Plank was teammates with Gary Fencik the two roamed the defensive backfields like two human missiles launched at the unprotected kidneys of NFL wide receivers.

Plank and Fencik were infamous for one holding up a ball carrier while the other came flying at the torso of said carrier. The result was the offensive player was left to resemble an old lawn chair found in the back of your grandparents garage.

I met Roy Green at a health club I worked at in college in Arizona, and he was still playing with the newly relocated Arizona Cardinals. We used to play pick up basketball and after the games he would tell us NFL stories.

I asked him about Plank and Fencik, and a look came in his eye that men only get after seen a great tragedy or in this case catching a football over the middle against the Bears secondary.

Roy shooked his head and said “The game would be in the fourth quarter and just about over and those two would still be yelling and threatening us. They still would be hitting just as hard as the beginning of the game and laughing after making hits.”

“And Plank….that guy was crazy.”

So heres to the man which the "46 Defense" is named after and then layed waste to the NFL in 1985.

And an all time great Bear.