Monsters of the Midway Era

Lore & Background

The nickname originally referred to the University of Chicago Maroons, a college football program led by Amos Alonzo Stagg. The Maroons were a prominent collegiate football program in the early 1900s, winning two national championships in 1905 and 1913. The nickname was a reference to the Midway Plaisance, a long, green swath of boulevard space bordering the southern end of the campus between 59th and 60th Streets and running from Washington Park to Jackson Park on Chicago's South Side. The University of Chicago's football program ceased operations in 1939. The Chicago Bears won six championships between the 1930s and 1940s. Fans and the media referred to the Bears as the Monsters of the Midway, especially after their lopsided 56–7 victory over the New York Giants in 1943. The Bears also adopted the Maroons’ wishbone 'C' logo in 1962. The University of Chicago later revived their football program in 1969. The nickname is commonly misattributed to Chicago's Midway International Airport or a geographic reference to the city's location in the Midwestern United States.

In Their Own Story

The wind howled off Lake Michigan, whipping snow across Soldier Field's frozen gridiron. Inside the huddle, breath fogged the freezing air, but the Bears' defense stood silent—a wall of leather and resolve. They weren't just playing; they were hunting. As the opposing quarterback scanned the field, he saw not players, but a unit waiting to collapse the play before it began. The snap came, and the collision was deafening, echoing like thunder over the Midway. In that instant, history wasn't just being written; it was being enforced.

Reader's Guide

The nickname was revived in 1985 by the Chicago Bears' dominant defense. The team used the '46 defense' to generate immense pressure on opposing offenses and devastate quarterbacks. The 1985 Bears were notorious for knocking opposing quarterbacks out of games with injuries. The 1985 Bears' defense, which was spearheaded by future Pro Football Hall of Famers Mike Singletary, Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, and Steve McMichael, allowed the fewest points and yards that season. The team cruised to a 15–1 regular season record, followed by back-to-back shutouts of the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs. The season culminated with a 46–10 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. The 1985 Bears are regarded as one of the greatest teams in NFL history. The Monsters of the Midway moniker remained as no other team won more combined games than the Bears between 1984 and 1988. The nickname has also been a reference to the Bears' defenses, especially the franchise's long history of Hall of Fame middle linebackers, including Bill George, Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, and Brian Urlacher. The nickname saw a resurgence in 2006, when Urlacher and the Bears' defense led the team to Super Bowl XLI, where they ultimately lost to the Indianapolis Colts.

Did You Know?

• TSR published a game entitled Monsters of the Midway in a 1982 edition of their magazine Dragon. It was a football simulation with various fantasy characters taking the place of football players.
• The 1993 Mutant League Football referenced the name, calling one of its fictional teams the 'Midway Monsters'.
• In 2013, the Bears partnered with Two by Four/Chicago to create a new marketing campaign, 'Believe in Monsters', inspired by the nickname. The Bears also formally trademarked 'Monsters of the Midway' that year.
• In 2018, the Bears partnered with Israel Idonije to publish a webcomic strip titled 'Monsters of the Midway'. The comic strip featured current and former Bears players, who fought monsters, cryptids, and villains modeled