Sid Luckman

The first great T-formation quarterback who led the Bears to four NFL championships.

Sid Luckman (November 21, 1916 – July 5, 1998) was an American professional football player. During his 12 seasons as a quarterback with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), he led them to four NFL championships in 1940, 1941, 1943, and 1946. He also played safety on defense for most of his career.

Quick Facts

Position: Quarterback, safety
Born: 21 November 1916
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died: 5 July 1998
Place of death: Aventura, Florida, U.S.
High school: Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn)
College: Columbia (1936–1938)
Draft year: 1939

Lore & Background

Sportswriter Ira Berkow wrote that Luckman was 'the first great T-formation quarterback', and he is considered the greatest long-range passer of his time. He was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1943. Luckman was also a 3× NFL All-Star (1940–1942), 5× First-team All-Pro (1941–1944, 1947), 2× Second-team All-Pro (1940, 1946), 3× NFL passing yards leader (1943, 1945, and 1946), 3× NFL passing touchdowns leader (1943, 1945, and 1946), 3× NFL passer rating leader (1941, 1943, and 1946), named to the NFL 1940s All-Decade team, had his No. 42 retired by the Bears, and tied the NFL record of 7 touchdown passes in a game. To date, Luckman still holds the all-time NFL record for touchdown percentage, at 7.9 percent. Luckman was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965, and in 1988 he was declared a joint winner of the Walter Camp Distinguished American Award.

Reader's Guide

Hearing of Sid Luckman's exploits as a single-wing tailback at Columbia University, Chicago Bears owner and coach George Halas believed Luckman had the ability to become an effective T-formation quarterback, and traveled to New York to watch him play. Halas then convinced the Pittsburgh Pirates (later the Steelers) to draft Luckman second overall and then trade him to the Bears. After initially declining pro football to work for his father-in-law's trucking company, Luckman signed a contract for $5,500 after a dinner with Halas.

He mastered the T-formation offense and led the Bears to a 73–0 win over the Washington Redskins in the 1940 NFL championship game. In 1943, he volunteered as an ensign with the U.S. Merchant Marine, playing for the Bears on game days. He returned full-time in 1946 and led the Bears to a fifth NFL championship. After retiring, he remained with the Bears as a vice president and later became the team's quarterbacks coach on a part-time basis through the 1960s.

Did You Know?

Luckman was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Jewish immigrants from Germany.
He played both baseball and football for Erasmus Hall High School and led the football team to two all-city championships.
He attended the New College for the Education of Teachers at Columbia University and was a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity.
In 1943, Luckman threw for 443 yards and seven touchdowns in one game, the first 400-yard passing game in NFL history.
He still holds the NFL record for career touchdown percentage at 7.9% and the single-season touchdown rate record of 13.9% in 1943.