- Byname of:
- Michael Singletary
- Also called:
- Samurai Mike
- Awards And Honors:
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (1998)
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (inducted 1998)
- 1 Super Bowl championship
- 7 All-Pro selections
- 10 Pro Bowl selections
- 1988 Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year
- 1985 Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year
- 1990 Walter Payton Man of the Year
- Education:
- Baylor University
- Height/Weight:
- 6 ft 0 inches, 230 lb (1.83 m, 104 kg)
- Position:
- linebacker
- Jersey Number:
- 50 (Chicago Bears, 1981ā1992)
- Draft:
- Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round (38th overall) of the 1981 NFL draft.
- Games Played:
- 179
- Sacks:
- 19.0
Mike Singletary
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Who is Mike Singletary?
Mike Singletary, born on October 9, 1958, is an American gridiron football player and coach. From 1981 to 1992, he played middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the NFL. Despite being considered small for football, Singletary's talent for delivering hard hits led him to Baylor University, where he earned All-American and Southwest Conference Player of the Year honors in 1979 and 1980.
In the 1981 NFL draft, the Bears picked Singletary in the second round. He played in 10 consecutive Pro Bowls (1983ā1992) and was the NFLās Defensive Player of the Year in 1985 and 1988. In 1998, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What position did Mike Singletary play in football?
Mike Singletary played middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL) from 1981 to 1992. Despite being considered small for the game, he was known for his hard hits. From 1983, Singletary was a leading tackler for the Bears in each of his last 10 seasons. Over his career, Singletary played in 10 Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in seven of those seasons. In 1985 and 1988, he was the NFLās Defensive Player of the Year. In 1998, Singletary was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Which NFL team did Mike Singletary play for?
Mike Singletary played middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL) from 1981 to 1992. During his 12-year career, Singletary was remarkably durable, missing only two games and playing nearly every down. In 1985, Singletary was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. That season, he anchored what is often considered the greatest defensive unit in professional football history, as the 1985 Bears allowed just 12.4 points per game in the regular season and won their three playoff games by a combined score of 91ā10 en route to a Super Bowl title. In 1998, he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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What made Mike Singletary famous as a football player?
Mike Singletary is an American football coach and former linebacker, most known for his time with the Chicago Bears from 1981 to 1992. Despite being considered small for the game, Singletary gained recognition in high school for his impactful tackles.
At Baylor University, he achieved consensus All-American and Southwest Conference Player of the Year twice. In the 1981 NFL draft, the Bears picked Singletary in the second round. From 1983 to 1992, he played in 10 consecutive Pro Bowls, and was a first-team All-Pro in seven of those seasons. In 1985 and 1988, he was the NFLās Defensive Player of the Year. In 1998, Singletary received the honor of being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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What awards or honors did Mike Singletary receive during his career?
During his NFL career, Mike Singletary received many awards and honors. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998. Singletary was a 10-time Pro Bowl selection and a 7-time All-Pro selection. He was the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year in both 1985 and 1988. In 1990, Singletary received the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. He won one Super Bowl championship.
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What did Mike Singletary do after his playing career ended?
After his NFL career, Mike Singletary became a motivational speaker before transitioning to coaching. In 2003, he began as the linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens and, in 2005, accepted the same position with the San Francisco 49ers. During the 2008 season, he was promoted to interim head coach and then became the permanent head coach in 2009. After being fired from the 49ers, Singletary served as an assistant coach and linebackers coach with the Minnesota Vikings from 2011 to 2013, and in 2016, he joined the coaching staff of the Los Angeles Rams.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Mike Singletary (born October 9, 1958, Houston, Texas, U.S.) is an American gridiron football player and coach who was the middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1981 to 1992. The remarkably durable Singletary played nearly every down and missed only two games in his 12-year career.
Singletaryās father was an assistant minister whose strict adherence to rigid church doctrine prevented his son from playing football until he reached junior high. Although he was told that he was too small for the game, Singletary discovered a talent for delivering hard, decisive hits to ball carriers while playing linebacker for his high-school team. In college at Baylor University, he averaged 15 tackles a game and was consensus All-American and Southwest Conference Player of the Year in both 1979 and 1980. Despite standing only 5 feet 11 inches (1.8 metres) tall, he established a reputation for hitting hard enough to break helmetsāboth his own and his opponentsāāwith his ferocious tackles.
Singletary was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 1981 NFL draft. Despite not starting for the first seven games of the 1981 season, he still managed to earn NFL all-rookie team honours. Singletary secured his hold on the middle linebacker position from 1982 and, beginning in his breakthrough season of 1983, Singletary was the Bearsā first or second leading tackler in each of his last 10 seasons. He played in 10 consecutive Pro Bowls from 1983 through 1992 and was first-team All-Pro in seven of those seasons. He was the NFLās Defensive Player of the Year in 1985 and 1988, the former award coming after a season in which Singletary anchored what is often considered the greatest defensive unit in professional football history, as the 1985 Bears allowed just 12.4 points per game in the regular season and won their three playoff games by a combined score of 91ā10 en route to a Super Bowl title.
Following the end of his playing days, Singletary spent time as a motivational speaker before turning to coaching. In 2003 he became the linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens, and two years later he accepted the same position with the San Francisco 49ers. When head coach Mike Nolan was fired during the 49ersā 2008 campaign, Singletary was promoted to interim head coach. He led the team to a 5ā4 record during the remainder of the season and was given the permanent head coaching position in 2009. However, the 49ers struggled, and he was fired near the end of the 2010 regular season. In 2011ā13 Singletary served as assistant coach and linebackers coach with the Minnesota Vikings, and in 2016 he was on the coaching staff of the Los Angeles Rams.
In 1998 he was awarded his sportās highest honour when he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.