Jimbo Covert Hits the Highest Notes

Former Bears tackle Jimbo Covert delighted all in his enshrinement speech at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as he told tales of Walter Payton, Ed McCaskey, Mike Ditka and recognized many former teammates
USA Today

Somehow Jimbo Covert gave an eight-minute speech encapsulating an entire football career and an era of Chicago Bears football.

Like with his playing career, Covert didn't have long, but he definitely made the most of it.

Covert, a left tackle for the 1985 Super Bowl champions, became the 30th Chicago Bear  inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday with an acceptance speech that included comical thank you tributes to former teammates and stories about the late Ed McCaskey and Walter Payton.

Covert played from 1983-90 and was part of an offensive line that helped the Bears lead the league in rushing from 1983-86. Payton was the beneficiary of the blocking, as was Matt Suhey, who presented Covert for enshrinement.

"He's a kind, sweet guy, but you put a football helmet on him and look out: He'd block his mother," Suhey said.

Covert's Payton story had the Canton, Ohio crowd laughing and possibly tearing up at the thought of the late, great Bears back. 

"Back in the day no one had single rooms," Covert recalled. "Everybody had to room together but Walter had a single room, of course. He was the only one. Matt (Suhey) and I roomed together. And (Payton's) room was always next to ours.

"And when it was a big game, every once in a while that door would fly open and he would run in there and jump right on top of me and he would lean down. You know, he had that (high-pitched) voice like Michael Jackson, you know? And he said, 'Good morning sunshine. Time to kick some ass.' He was the best. I wish he was here with us tonight."

Jimbo Covert at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. USA Today photo
Jimbo Covert at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. USA Today photo

Covert is the only lineman who blocked for Payton and made the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

McCaskey, the husband of team matriarch Virginia McCaskey, was a beloved character at Halas Hall and Covert recalled how Ed McCaskey came to the hospital to see him in 1988 after he had back surgery.

"He bought me lunch at Tufano's and he'd sit there with that Sportsman's Park racing form chewing on that cigar and say to me, 'Jimmy what do you think of this horse?'"

After thanking Pitt coach Jackie Sherrill and his line coach there, the late Joe Moore, Covert recalled many of his other Bears teammates from the 1985 team.

"Richard Dent and I squared off against each other every day," Covert said. "Sometimes we didn't like each other very much but we made each other better. Thanks Rich, my brother, I appreciate it.

"And then when you look down the line you had Dan Hampton, another hall of famer and then Steve McMichael, who I believe should be in the hall of fame and we are all thinking about you tonight Steve. I wish you were here."

McMichael is battling ALS.

"I just knew I wasn't going to face anybody on Sunday better than I faced during the week, so thank you fellas," Covert said.

Covert thanked his line mates and the late Dick Stanfel, their line coach and a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

"We were very fortunate that the same five of us played together for seven years of my career: Mark Bortz, Jay Hilgenberg, Tom Thayer and Keith Van Horn. I can't think of four guys I would rather line up next to on any given Sunday," Covert said. "So thank you guys, you're the best."

Covert also paid tribute to Mike Ditka for bringing the team together and told the story of one of the team's first meetings with Da Coach.

"One of my first meetings, Mike Ditka said 'I got good news and bad news,' " Covert said. "'The good news is we're going to the Super Bowl and the bad news is half you guys won't be there when we do.'

"But he pushed us hard, but I also believe he re-established the pride back into the Bears organization that playing in the NFL is a privilege and not a right, and that when you pull that Bears jersey over your pads and put on that helmet with that 'C' on the side it means something special. So thank you Mike, I appreciate it."

To finish his talk, Covert had one last thank you.

"And In closing I'd like to thank all the Chicago Bears fans out there, your support has really been appreciated," Covert said.

Also inducted as part of the special Centennial Class of 2020 was the late Ed Sprinkle, a defensive end who played from 1944-55 and was a member of the NFL champion 1946 Bears team.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.