To the surprise of nobody in Chicago, three former Bears were named to the National Football Hall of Fame yesterday, Steve McMichael, Devin Hester, and Julius Pepper. Congratulations to each of them.

If you lived in Chicago during McMichael’s playing career and followed the team closely, there’s a pretty good chance you bumped into him as I did a few times over the years. He was also a fixture more recently on TV or local radio. He remains larger than life and reasonably approachable-until recently. Right now, he is battling ALS and hopefully he’ll enjoy the recent honor.

Hester was the greatest at his position and everyone in Chicago remembers his great start to the last Bears Super Bowl appearance. He also was available to the fans and media during his time in town.

Peppers spent a couple of seasons with the Bears after distinguishing himself in Carolina. Off the top of my head, I couldn’t tell you what years he played in Chicago. Editor’s note: I could look it up, but that’s not the point. The specifics of his Bears career doesn’t resonate with me. Conversely, I can tell you that “pitchers” Anthony Young and Willie Banks were members of the 1994-95 Cubs.

I don’t remember a specific game that Peppers played for the Bears. I’m not sure how public a figure he was at the time or if he said anything memorable. None of this is meant as a negative. He just never registered on my radar. Yet, his jersey (a replica), is the only one I have from any professional athlete from Chicago.

While it never achieved neighborhood status, and its mere existence didn’t exude the “the soft glow of electric sex” of a leg lamp. Like The Old Man, I had won my major award. However many years ago, I entered a season-long fantasy football contest of some sort with a sports bar. Weekly winners were promised an NFL jersey. I don’t remember the rules or how the game was played, but for the first six or seven weeks, I was among the weekly leaders. I finally won one week, but wouldn’t claim my prize until the season ended. For the next few weeks, I ran the possibilities through my feeble brain. I pictured myself wearing some bright colored throwback AFL jersey-Oilers-maybe Ken Burrough 00, Curly Culp-Chiefs, Lance Alworth-17-Chargers.

Inexplicably, I was in the running for the season long prize, but fell short as I only won that one week. My prize for my efforts-a #90 Peppers blue Bears jersey. I’ve only worn it once in public-to a Cubs-Brewers affair up in Milwaukee.