Mike Singletary

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Mike Singletary was born in Houston, the last of ten children. His father, Charles, was a street preacher in Dallas. The family soon settled in Houston. Tragedy struck when his brother Dale died from coal stove fumes. Later, his brother Grady, who had become a father figure, was killed in a six-car accident caused by a drunk driver. Singletary attended Evan E. Worthing High School in Houston, where he was an all-state guard and linebacker. He earned a scholarship to Baylor University, where he met coach Grant Teaff. At Baylor, Singletary earned All-American honors in 1979 and 1980, averaged 15 tackles per game, and set a school record with 232 tackles in 1978. He is the only college junior selected to the All-Southwest Conference Team of the 1970s and won the Davey O'Brien National Defensive Player of the Year Award (now the Chuck Bednarik Award) in 1979 and 1980. Singletary was selected 38th overall in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He started 172 games for the Bears over 12 years, amassed 1,488 career tackles, made 7 interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries, and was selected to a team record 10 Pro Bowls. He was All-Pro eight times and All-NFC every year from 1983 to 1991. He won NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1985 and 1988. After his playing career, he became a coach, first as linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens, then for the San Francisco 49ers. In 2008, he was promoted to head coach of the 49ers and remained until he was fired after the 2010 season. He also coached for the Los Angeles Rams, the Memphis Express of the AAF, and a high school team.

In Their Own Story

The tunnel at Soldier Field was a cavern of deep-heat fumes and damp concrete, the roar of eighty thousand fans vibrating through the soles of Mike Singletary's cleats like a distant earthquake. Yet, in that chaos, he heard only his own heartbeat. He adjusted his helmet, eyes scanning the field with a predator's stillness before the storm. As the huddle broke, he didn't just run; he surged forward, a blur of navy and orange cutting through the line. The quarterback dropped back, but Singletary had already seen the tell-tale shift in the offensive linemen's stance—the pre-snap whisper of a trap play. He crashed through the gap with terrifying precision, meeting the runner at the point of attack with a collision that echoed like a gunshot, instantly silencing the crowd before it erupted into a deafening roar.

Reader's Guide

Singletary's playing career is defined by his intensity and leadership on the Chicago Bears' dominant defense. He was the heart of the Monsters of the Midway, leading the team to a 15–1 season in 1985 and a Super Bowl XX victory. His coaching career included a stint as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2008 to 2010. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.

Did You Know?

• Singletary was nicknamed 'Samurai Mike'.
• He was selected to 10 Pro Bowls, a team record for the Bears.
• He won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award twice, in 1985 and 1988.
• Singletary set a school record at Baylor with 232 tackles in 1978.
• He tied a Super Bowl record with 2 fumble recoveries in Super Bowl XX.