1994 Chicago Bears-Leader and Team on the Rise?
The 1994 Chicago Bears pose in their throwback uniforms in a sepia tone photo for the annual team poster. 
In 1994, the Chicago Bears' young head coach continued to imprint his deep stamp on the team. Native son of the same area as his predecessor, the legendary Mike Ditka, Dave Wannstedt wielded personnel control that Ditka could only dream of, and used it to mold his roster the way he saw fit. By the end of Wannstedt's sophomore season, the young Bears team would have seen surprising highs, surprising lows, and a finish that was every bit as rewarding as it was frustrating.
Wannstedt's eventual downfall in Chicago would ultimately be a result of his personnel decisions. But his poor personnel decisions seemed to focus more on draft choices than his free agent signings. February 1994 brought the second year of free agency in the NFL, and the Bears were poised to overhaul their offensive roster.
The 1993 Bears had finished near the top in NFL defensive rankings-and near the bottom in offense, so it was obvious where the Bears would focus the majority of their attention. Wannstedt and his personnel advisors publicly stated that they thought the team was a few years away from contending for a Super Bowl. The plan was to build from the core of the team out. No major free agent splashes on a player deemed to be the best as his position in the game (thus overpaid) would be made until a solid overall team was in place. Then, if the team determined that one player may make the difference, the team would spare no expense to sign that person.
As a result of this philosophy, the Bears spent widely but modestly on free agent offensive players. In a year in which Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre was a restricted free agent, meaning the Bears could have thrown the bank at him to see if the Packers might possibly not match the deal, the Bears refrained. Instead of pursuing the top free agent receiver in Dallas' Alvin Harper, the Bears found a less expensive alternative.
The first decision made was the release of quarterback Jim Harbaugh. The seven-year Bear veteran had signed a five-year contract worth over $12 million with the Bears in 1993, becoming the richest Bear in history. A year later he was on the street. Such was life in the free agency era of the NFL. Harbaugh quickly latched on with former Bear personnel boss Bill Tobin in Indianapolis and would later prove his career was far from over.
To replace Harbaugh, Wannstedt decided to sign Detroit free agent Erik Kramer, the quarterback Wannstedt had watched take apart his 1991 Cowboys defense in the playoffs. The Bears felt Kramer's quick release and strong arm were more suited to the west-coast offense they ran than Harbaugh's. Kramer received a four-year, $12 million deal. Even the Bears' backup of the previous four years, Peter Tom Willis, wasn't spared. Willis had a chance to start a game in 1993 against Denver and fared poorly, so Chicago jettisoned him, replacing him with former first round pick Steve Walsh, who had most recently played with New Orleans.
Quarterback was far from the only position revamped by the Bears in 1994. They decided not to resign nearly-legendary halfback Neal Anderson, who was clearly close to the end of his career. Anderson would retire after replacing Walter Payton and becoming the Bears' second-leading rusher in their history. Chicago had traded with Pittsburgh to land Tim Worley in 1993, and Worley appeared to have all the tools the Bears were looking for. But he had a history of off-field issues. To be safe, Wannstedt signed New York Giant backup Lewis Tillman to compete for the starting role.
On the offensive line, the Bears signed Seattle's transition player Andy Heck to solidify the all-important left tackle position. At fullback, all-purpose threat Merrill Hoge from Pittsburgh was inked. Patriot tight end Marv Cook was brought in to team with second-year player Chris Gedney, and the team eventually traded a fifth-round pick to Pittsburgh (for the second year in a row) in exchange for receiver Jeff Graham.
In all, the offense would feature seven brand-new starters.
On defense the Bears were satisfied with their [STAT] overall ranking from 1993, but this did not preclude them from making changes or other moves to keep players that were beginning to emerge. The team released one of their first-ever free agent signings, cornerback Anthony Blaylock. Blaylock had been outplayed by backup Jeremy Lincoln in 1993 and was coming off an injury that would cause him to file a grievance with the Bears over his release. The team resigned middle linebacker Dante Jones, who in replacing Mike Singletary the previous year had excelled.
The biggest changes on defense were with the line. Veteran Steve McMichael, who had played in more games as a Bear than any other, was released to save salary as well as pave the way for Wannstedt pick Carl Simpson. Legendary end Richard Dent was a free agent, and as always he and the organization were in the midst of acrimonious contract discussions. Wannstedt wanted Dent to accept the role of third-down pass rush specialist only, and a salary commensurate with that role. Dent pointed to his 12-sack season in 1003, arguing he would still produce as a starter. When Dent did not relent, Wannstedt told the defensive end the Bears would no longer pursue his services, and this event set the stage for their draft philosophy.
Following the 1994 roster makeover, the 1994 Bears would feature only three players from the Super Bowl championship team of nine years earlier: safety Shaun Gayle, kicker Kevin Butler, and guard Mark Bortz.
After Dent refused to work with Wannstedt, the Bears made Alcorn State linebacker John Thierry their first-round pick (eleventh overall). Wannstedt's plan was to move Thierry to defensive end, replacing Dent. Thierry was the exact player Wannstedt wanted, and he felt he had all the tools to become Chicago's version of Charles Haley, Wannstedt's top end in Dallas. This was despite questions about the level of competition Thierry faced at the [division 2] school. Thierry's combine numbers (speed, strength) were off the charts, and this made Wannstedt's decision.
Wannstedt selected a fellow player from [conference], tackle Marcus Spears, with a high second-round pick, just before the Cowboys would select eventual Hall of Fame offensive lineman Eric Allen. In the third, defensive tackle Jim Flanigan from Notre Dame was taken to replace McMichael. In the fourth, running back Raymont Harris from Ohio State was taken. The rest of the draft yielded no players that stuck.
During the 1994 preseason, the Chicago Bears looked fantastic, for what the preseason is worth, anyway. Chicago showed off its offensive acquisitions in the opening drive against the Eagles, marching the length of the field and capping off the drive with a Kramer-to-Conway touchdown pass. In fact, the Bears finished the prelude to the regular season undefeated for the first time since 1958.
Prior to the season's opening week, the team released veteran tight end Keith Jennings and traded linebacker Jim Schwantz to Dallas. The final cutdowns made room for them to shore up their wide receiver corps-they did so by signing castoff catchers Nate Lewis and Greg McMurtry.
The Bears opened the '94 regular season at home, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21-9. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner's unit didn't set any records under the guidance of its new quarterback, but it was perfectly balanced, mixing 25 rushes and passes. Leading 14-9 in the fourth quarter, Chicago sealed the day with the second Kramer to tight end Chris Gedney touchdown pass of the day.
Chicago would not fare as well in weeks two and three of the season. In two losses at Philadelphia and versus the Vikings at home, the Bears were outscored 45-0 in the first three quarters of the games. They did recoup to score 36 points in the fourth quarter of the games, but fell to Philadelphia 30-22 and Minnesota 42-12.
Against the Vikings, the Bears officially celebrated their 75th anniversary along with the NFL, donning their 1920 throwback uniforms. The club would wear them in three games this season. The uniforms featured tan pants, a logoless helmet, and a jersey with orange vertical stripes that simulated the canvas stripes sewn on the original jersey purportedly to help players hold on to the ball. Per NFL rules, the jersey still had the players' full-size name and number on the back. And interestingly, despite no 1920 football player having white shoes at his disposal, the 1994 Bears wore them, true to Dave Wannstedt's 1993 directive.
During the two losses, cracks began to emerge in the Bear defense that was ranked 4th overall in the NFL just the previous season. Certainly it had to be noted that solid veterans in Richard Dent and Steve McMichael had not been re-signed, safety Shaun Gayle was getting older and Jeremy Lincoln was beginning his first year as a starter at the critical position of cornerback.
In week four the Bears wore the same throwback uniform in a Sunday night game against the Jets in the Meadowlands, but the quarterback was different. Erik Kramer moved to the bench as he nursed a slightly separated shoulder, and backup Steve Walsh received his first action of the season. It would be only the second start for Walsh since the 1991 season. And this first start led to a Bears victory, 19-7, over the Jets. Walsh didn't approach Kramer's average of 254 passing yards per game, but he did manage a conservative game plan, which led to the critical momentum change of the season. Leading the attack was Lewis Tillman, who rushed for a paltry 96 yards on 32 carries, but the performance controlled the clock and keyed the victory.
The win over the Jets changed the season's momentum and led directly to two more victories at home over the Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints. Walsh started these games as well as Kramer continued to heal, averaging just 167 yards on 27 attempts, but again the ball control of Tillman's rushing, along with a resurgent pass defense was enough to edge the Bills 20-13 and the saints 17-7.
The victory over Buffalo, 1993's AFC Champion, was notable for two plays. Early in the game, free agent fullback (and current ESPN analyst) Merril Hoge suffered the last of a series of concussions, ending his career. In his place rookie Raymont Harris was elevated to starting fullback, and Harris would sparkle by season's end, leading the NFL for most carries without losing a yard by an NFL running back. Then late in the second quarter, Gedney turned in what may have been the best catch in the history of football. The tight end was on the receiving end of a low fastball thrown by Walsh clearly out of the back of the end zone, but a well-covered Gedney reached out with one hand to pull in the touchdown. The score ended up being the difference in the ballgame.
On October 23, the Bears traveled to Detroit with another change at quarterback, but without a running back. Veteran Tim Worley, acquired via trade in 1993, had been a pleasant surprise the previous season. But after rushing just nine times in 1994, Worley missed the team plane to Detroit. After the game it was announced that Worley was being placed on the reserve/non football injury list, and his Chicago and NFL career was over.
And the coaching staff decided to re-insert Kramer as the starter at quarterback, following Walsh's three-game win streak. While Kramer again out-passed Walsh with 309 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 77-yard bomb to Jeff Graham, the Bears lost the game 21-16, falling back to 4-3 on the season.
Following the Detroit loss, Halloween loomed, but not just any Halloween. This holiday featured a Monday Night Football matchup between the Bears and the Packers in their throwback uniforms. Additionally, the Bears organization planned to retire the uniform numbers of legends Gale Sayers (40) and Dick Butkus (51). This was notable, as the Bears had resisted efforts to retire these for years. Already with 11 retired jersey numbers, the Bears risked running out for all players they fielded.
This would be no ordinary Halloween, in that it featured a Monday night matchup between the NFL's two oldest franchises, but also weather-wise. Gale-force winds howled, sheets of rain whipped horizontally, and tragically an American Eagle commuter flight crashed in the area due to the weather. And under the direction of Kramer, and the object of the wrath of opposing quarterback Brett Favre, the Bears were equally brutal.
Sayers and Butkus did get their jerseys, covered in plastic to protect them from the elements, retired at halftime, while the Bears were down just 14-0. The score ended up 33-6, after the Packers rushed for 233 yards to the Bears' 94. Favre participated with his legs more than his right arm, scrambling 36 yards for a touchdown on a broken play late in the first half. Kramer completed just 5 of 10 passes for 34 yards and was pulled for Walsh before the end of the game.
Following Kramer's Monday Night benching, the short-lived Steve Walsh era in Chicago began. Walsh continued to direct a slightly less conservative offense than 1993's version, but still very conservative nonetheless. And the Bears kept winning-four games in a row to be precise. Starting in Tampa Bay, then moving to Miami where Chicago was the prohibitive underdog. The following week at home, Tillman outrushed Barry Sanders and the Bears won 20-10. On November 27th, the Bears beat Buddy Ryan's Arizona Cardinals 19-16 in overtime. Chicago was 8-4 and leading the NFC Central.
Next up was a Thursday night contest in Minnesota against the 7-5 Vikings for NFC Central dominance. The game may have been the most back-and-forth battle witnessed by Bear fans in several years. Down 13-7 at the half, Chicago roared back to score 17 in the third, then allowed 11 in the 4th. The game went into overtime, but on the second play of sudden death, Cris Carter raced 65 yards for a touchdown, virtually taking first place away from the Bears.
Following the second Viking loss of the season, much of the team's momentum seemed lost. Chicago traveled to Green Bay the following week and were pummeled 40-3 in frozen Lambeau Field. On December 18 the Bears defense held Ram rusher Jerome Bettis to 7 yards on 8 carries, beating the visitors 27-13. In the season's final week, the Bears could clinch their first playoff berth since 1991 with a win over the Patriots, or depend on help from other teams if they lost.
Lose the Bears did, 13-3, playing poor football. But miraculously, they did clinch a playoff berth when the New York Giants upset the Dallas Cowboys. "It's tough to be excited today, but I think tomorrow when we wake up and assess the whole year, we'll know that we're still alive and we'll go from there," Head Coach Dave Wannstedt said.
While the Bears were indeed glad to be alive, they faced the toughest challenge of any playoff team, being lowest seeded and having to travel back to Minnesota, where they hadn't won any game since 1991. In fact, since the Metrodome opened in 1982, the Bears were 5-8 overall.
But Steve Walsh and the Bears were up to this challenge. Proving as many teams have in the past that it's very hard to defeat any team three times in a given year, the seven-point underdog Bears upset the Vikings 35-18. In the playoff win, only the Bears' second of the decade, all phases of the team performed strongly. Rookie fullback Harris led the team with 67 yards rushing, a 5.2 average, and scored a touchdown. Walsh threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns. The defense did allow the Vikings' Warren Moon to pass for 292 yards, but they also forced two sacks and interceptions when they needed them the most.
The playoff win cast the Bears into San Francisco, where the 49ers had dominated the NFL in 1994. Bears fans and players had high hopes that Chicago might pull off an upset as double-digit underdogs. But they didn't. The 49er's massive array of stars was too strong for the young Bears, who after falling behind 30-3 at halftime, lost 44-15.
In a strange twist on a season that was rescued by Walsh, the backup quarterback, "new backup" Kramer played the second half and outperformed Walsh. The move would foreshadow things to come the following year. Unfortunately, the playoff berth would not foreshadow the success, or lack thereof, Dave Wannstedt would have in Chicago.
Quote of the Year: "We have something special going here.  The experience we had this year should help us next year and into the future." - Quarterback Steve Walsh after the playoff loss to the 49ers, obviously not knowing that Dave Wannstedt's tenure would spiral downward after January 2, 1995
1994 Records: Preseason 4-0, Regular Season 9-7, Playoffs 1-1
1994 NFL Rankings: Offense 23rd Overall, 15th Rush, 21st Pass; Defense 13th Overall, 13th Rush, 5th Pass
1994 Coaches: Dave Wannstedt, Head Coach; Bob Slowik, Defensive Coordinator; Ron Turner, Offensive Coordinator
DATE
TEAM
RESULT
NOTES
8/5
Eagles
12-6
Preseason
8/13
Cardinals
16-0
Preseason
8/22
Chiefs
21-18
Preseason
8/27
Giants
27-21
Preseason
9/4
Bucs
21-9
Kramer's 1st win.
9/12
Eagles
22-30
MNF loss.
9/18
Vikings
14-42
Loss in throwbacks.
9/25
Jets
19-7
Turnaround with Walsh.
10/2
Bills
20-13
Offense controls game.
10/9
Saints
17-7
Balanced attack.
10/23
Lions
16-21
Kramer=another loss.
10/31
Packers
6-33
Monsoon loss.
11/6
Bucs
20-6
Another turnaround.
11/13
Dolphins
17-14
Big Cat to rescue.
11/20
Lions
20-10
Sanders outrushed.
11/27
Cardinals
19-16
OT win over Buddy.
12/1
Vikings
27-33
Stunning OT loss.
12/11
Packers
3-40
Ich.
12/18
Rams
27-13
No Bus this time.
12/24
Patriots
3-13
Stumble into playoffs.
1/1
Vikings
35-18
Big playoff win.
1/7
49ers
15-44
Blown to pieces.
HOME
AWAY
Passing:  Steve Walsh- Erik Kramer started 5 regular season games, Walsh 11.  Kramer out-threw Walsh statistically in every game he started.  But Walsh delivered an 8-3 record to Kramer's 2-3, along with 2078 yards and 10 TD's. 
Rushing: Lewis Tillman-The free agent signee, Rodney Hampton's backup in New York, was brought in to compete with Tim Worley.  There was no competition in that regard.  Tillman rushed for  899 yards and just a 3.3 average, with 7 TD's.
Receiving: Jeff Graham- The Bears traded a fifth-round pick to the Steelers for Graham, who immediately became the best all-around receiver to play for the Bears since Dennis McKinnon.  Graham caught 68 passes for 944 yards.
Scoring: Kevin Butler- Scored 87 points on 24/24 PAT conversions and 21/29 on field goals.  Butler became the Bears' all-time leading scorer in 1994 with 1,002 points
Sacks: Trace Armstrong- The savvy six-year veteran made the most of his final season with the Bears, compiling 7.5 sacks.  His influence was needed on a young defensive line in transition.
Interceptions: Donnell Woolford- Woolford played strong as usual, leading the team with five interceptions in his last full, healthy season as a Bear.
1994 Starters
Steve Walsh Lewis Tillman Raymont Harris Jeff Graham Curtis Conway Andy Heck Mark Bortz Jerry Fontenot Jay Leeuwenburg James Williams Chris Gedney Kevin Butler
4 QB
27 RB
29 RB
81 WR
80 WR
64 LT
62 LG
67 C
58 RG
71 RT
84 TE
6 K
Alonzo Spellman Chris Zorich Carl Simpson Trace Armstrong Vinson Smith Dante Jones Joe Cain Donnell Woolford Shaun Gayle Mark Carrier Jeremy Lincoln Chris Gardocki
90 DE
97 DT
98 DT
93 DE
55 LB
53 MLB
59 LB
21 CB
23 SS
20 FS
39 CB
17 P
Left to right: Offense: Steve Walsh, Lewis Tillman, Raymont Harris, Jeff Graham, Curtis Conway, Andy Heck, Mark Bortz, Jerry Fontenot, Jay Leeuwenburg, James Williams, Chris Gedney, Kevin Butler.  Defense: Alonzo Spellman, Chris Zorich, Carl Simpson, Trace Armstrong, Vinson Smith, Dante Jones, Joe Cain, Donnell Woolford, Shaun Gayle, Mark Carrier, Jeremy Lincoln, Chris Gardocki.
#
Pos.
Name
School
Exp.
4
QB
Steve Walsh
Miami
6
6
K
Kevin Butler
Georgia
10
9
QB
Shane Matthews
Florida
2
12
QB
Erik Kramer
NC State
5
16
P
Chris Gardocki
Clemson
4
19
WR
Kenny Shedd
N. Iowa
1
20
S
Mark Carrier
USC
5
21
CB
Donnell Woolford
Clemson
5
22
RB
Robert Green
Wm & Mary
3
23
S
Shaun Gayle
Ohio State
11
24
CB
Kevin Minifield
Arizona St.
2
26
S
John Mangum
Alabama
5
27
RB
Lewis Tillman
Jackson St.
6
29
RB
Raymont Harris
Ohio State
R
30
FB
Tony Carter
Minnesota
R
33
FB
Merrill Hoge
Idaho State
8
35
CB
James Burton
Fresno St.
R
37
DB
Maurice Douglass
Kentucky
8
38
RB
Tim Worley
Georgia
5
39
CB
Jeremy Lincoln
Tennessee
3
43
RB
Trevor Cobb
Rice
2
44
FB
Bob Christian
Northwestern
2
53
LB
Dante Jones
Oklahoma
7
54
LB
Ron Cox
Fresno St.
5
55
LB
Vinson Smith
E. Carolina
7
58
G
Jay Leeuwenburg
Colorado
3
59
LB
Joe Cain
Oregon Tech
6
60
LB
Darwin Ireland
Arkansas
R
62
G
Mark Bortz
Iowa
12
63
G
Todd Burger
Penn State
1
64
T
Andy Heck
Notre Dame
6
65
DT
Tory Epps
Memphis State
5
67
C
Jerry Fontenot
Texas A&M
6
68
DT
Jim Flanigan
Notre Dame
R
69
G
Tom Myslinski
Tennessee
2
70
T
Troy Auzenne
Cal
3
71
T
James Williams
Cheney St
4
75
G
Todd Perry
2
Kentucky
79
T
Marcus Spears
NW State
R
80
WR
Curtis Conway
USC
2
81
WR
Jeff Graham
Ohio State
4
82
WR
Nate Lewis
Oregon Tech
5
84
TE
Chris Gedney
Syracuse
2
85
TE
Keith Jennings
Clemson
5
86
TE
Marv Cook
Iowa
6
87
WR
Tom Waddle
Boston College
5
88
WR
Greg McMurtry
Michigan
5
89
TE
Ryan Wetnight
Stanford
2
90
DE
Alonzo Spellman
Ohio State
3
91
LB
Myron Baker
Louisana Tech
2
92
LB
Barry Minter
Tulsa
2
93
DE
Trace Armstrong
Florida
6
94
DE
John Thierry
Alcorn St
R
96
DE
Al Fontenot
Baylor
2
97
DT
Chris Zorich
Notre Dame
4
98
DT
Carl Simpson
Florida State
2
Wanny's Personnel Stamp
Prior to the 1994, Head Coach Dave Wannstedt began to truly remake the Bears' roster. While his free agent signings provided immediate dividends, the erosion of talent acquired via the draft began to show.
Taking a step back, history shows that after Wannstedt was hired in 1993, long-time personnel director Bill Tobin was forced out of the organization. (After taking a year off in 1993, Tobin resurfaced as VP of Football Operations in Indianapolis, where he resurrected the Colts franchise for a conference championship run in 1995). After Tobin's departure, Wannstedt was give tacit control over personnel, while Rod Graves became Director of Player Personnel.
While most NFL teams began to ramp up the number of scouts they employed in the mid-1990's, the Bears showed 6 total scouts in their organization in 1994. This scouting department deficiency would be well documented several years in the future with the hiring of Mark Hatley, but during most of Wannstedt's reign he made due with what scouting resources he had, and his own decisionmaking powers.
In the 1994 draft, Wannstedt selected LB John Thierry from Alcorn State with the intention of moving him to defensive end. The Bears were enamored with Thierry's workout numbers, ignoring the competition he faced. In fairness, the Bears took Thierry before Wannstedt's old team, the Dallas Cowboys, could trade up to get him. In hindsight perhaps the Bears should have made that deal with Dallas, but it shows that Wannstedt wasn't the only NFL decisionmaker that liked the prospect.
The biggest bust of the draft was second-round pick Marcus Spears, a tackle from Northwestern State. Spears was taken seven picks before the Cowboys drafted future Hall of Fame offensive lineman Larry Allen. Spears would amazingly play in the NFL until 2004 as a backup, but only got in on several snaps as a reserve for the Bears.
In the third and fourth round, the Bears took solid players in DT Jim Flanigan and RB Raymont Harris, but the rest of the draft was a washout.
Late-round draft picks are always a crapshoot, so it's unfair to judge Wannstedt solely on not uncovering late-round gems, but many teams, including the Green Bay Packers of the 1990's, found solid contributors to Super Bowl teams in the late rounds.
Available in the sixth and seventh rounds of the 1994 draft were TE Andrew Jordan, WR Bill Shroeder, QB Gus Frerotte and RB Jamal Anderson.



 
"The window of opportunity closed when we drafted John Thierry" were the comments uttered about Richard Dent by Bears negotiator Ted Phillips. Dent had been a part of contentious contract negotiations with the Bears going all the way back to 1985, then 1991, never feeling appreciated by the organization. After Dent's strong 1993 performance, the player felt this would be the time to negotiate his final large contract, but the Bears wouldn't budge. Chicago offered Dent a one-year contract going as high as $3 million (according to Phillips), but the player wanted $9 million over three years with the majority of the money up front. After drafting Thierry, Dent eventually signed with San Francisco, where he was injured early in the season. The Bears also parted ways with Steve McMichael, who was released in a cost-cutting move. McMichael signed with Green Bay for one more season. The team was in for a major offensive overhaul as free agency opened. The Bears signed or traded for new starters at quarterback, running back, receiver, tight end, left tackle and fullback. They also ended up with a new stalwart right tackle in James "Big Cat" Williams. After training camp battles sorted out the positions, new signee Andy Heck wound up on the left side, with Williams on the right. Williams was a free agent signee at defensive tackle in 1991. In late 1992 he began the transition to offense and stayed there as a reserve in 1993, finally starting and not looking back in 1994. Williams also played a large role on the field goal defensive unit, and saved the Miami win with a block. Gone in the roster shakeup were veterans P.T. Willis, Craig Heyward, Tim Ryan, John Wojciechowski and Tony Blaylock. Legend Neal Anderson opted to retire. With the failure to re-sign Dent and release of McMichael, the immediate starter at right defensive end was Alonzo Spellman, although the Bears probably saw him as a left end with Thierry rushing from the right. McMichael was replaced by Dave Wannstedt's 1993 second-round pick Carl Simpson. Simpson and Spellman more or less failed to distinguish themselves, and as the year wore on more big plays were made in their place by rookie Jim Flanigan and second-year end Al Fontenot. Receiver Tom Waddle, still a legend in Chicago to this day, saw his playing time reduced in 1994 with the addition of Jeff Graham. Waddle may not have made the team had Wannstedt succeeded in his pursuit of Seattle's Brian Blades or New England's Michael Timpson. At Tampa Bay in week 9, Waddle went over the middle as was his patented move, and was crushed by Buccaneer safety Thomas Everett. He suffered a chin laceration and twisted knee, and would not play the rest of the season, his last in a brief but legendary career in Chicago. According to longtime Chicago Tribune writer John Mullin in his excellent book Tales from the Chicago Bears Sidelines, defensive end Trace Armstrong approached Wannstedt late in the season regarding the coach's penchant for violent practices so late in a championship season. Another player heard a loud argument from Wannstedt's office, and the coach would not relent and ease the practice schedule for the tired players. Armstrong would be traded the following year in exchange for two draft picks that became punter Todd Sauerbrun and guard Evan Pilgrim. Sauerbrun and Pilgrim would never be valuable to the Bears, while Armstrong led the league in sacks as late as the 2000 season. Ironically, Wannstedt was reunited with Armstrong in Miami after he was fired by the Bears after the 1998 season. Running back Tim Worley, acquired via trade from Pittsburgh in 1993, impressed the Bears with solid play that first season. But he always had character issues with the Steelers. During the offseason in 1994, Worley was arrested for speeding on the Kennedy Expressway and leading police on a chase. The same day, the Bears began their pursuit of Tillman. After rushing just nine times for 17 yards in six games, Worley missed the team flight to Detroit and was placed on the reserve/non football injury list for the remainder of the season. It was never disclosed what the issues were in 1994. But in a 1995 article, Dan Pompei reported that Worley battled chronic depression in 1994, eventually checking into the Menninger Clinic in Kansas. The Bears organization paid all expenses. Worley would be re-signed by the Bears in March 1995 and given a chance to make the team, but he did not and his NFL career ended. Wannstedt was named NFC Coach of the Year for turning the 7-9 Bears around to 9-7, making the playoffs and winning in the wild card round.
1994 was a year of many changes in the NFL. It was the second full year of free agency and the player salary cap, and the year the league would celebrate its 75th anniversary by having its teams wear throwback uniforms for select games. The throwback games featured the good (Bears in my opinion, Cowboys and Packers), the bad (Steelers and the putrid red Patriots uniforms) and the unchanged (Tampa Bay and Seattle wore the same uniforms they had since 1976). A major rule change implemented by the NFL in 1994 was the introduction of the college two-point conversion rule. Additionally, all teams wore the official league 75th anniversary patch. On the field in '94, the San Francisco 49ers dominated the league. They finished with a 13-3 record and breezed to Super Bowl 29 in Miami after a 38-28 win over Dallas in the NFC Championship. In the AFC, the surprising San Diego Chargers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium to advance to the championship. But there were no surprises at the big game, when the 49ers destroyed San Diego 49-26 in a matchup that was nowhere as close as it sounds.
1994 Bears Draft
Rd
Pos
Name
School
1
DE
John Thierry
Alcorn State
2
T
Marcus Spears
NW State LA
3
DT
Jim Flanigan
Notre Dame
4
RB
Raymont Harris
Ohio State
6
WR
Lloyd Hill
Texas Tech
7
S
Dennis Collier
Colorado
1994 Bears Trades
Traded fifth-round pick to Pittsburgh for WR Jeff Graham.
1994 Bears Free Agent Signings
QB Erik Kramer, Detroit, Unrestricted FA
RB Lewis Tillman, NYG, Unrestricted FA
FB Merrill Hoge, Pittsburgh, Unrestricted FA
T Andy Heck, Seattle, Unrestricted FA
TE Marv Cook, New England, Unrestricted FA
WR Greg McMurtry, LA Rams, Unrestricted FA
WR Nate Lewis, San Diego, Unrestricted FA
FB Tony Carter, Rookie, Minnesota; CB Dwayne Joseph, Rookie, Syracuse; S Anthony Marshall, Rookie, LSU
1994 Bears Retirements
Neal Anderson, RB; Keith Van Horne, T
1994 Chicago Bears Awards
Dave Wannstedt, NFC Coach of the Year
Kevin Butler, NFC Special Teams Player of the Month (November)
Kevin Butler, NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (11/27)








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