Detroit Lions

Former Chicago Bears OL coach Dick Stanfel dies at 87

Published Jun. 26, 2015 10:36 a.m. ET

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Dick Stanfel, who was the Chicago Bears offensive line coach from 1981-92, died on Monday at his home in Libertyville, Ill., Bears senior writer Larry Mayer reports. Stanfel was 87 years old.

Chicago led the NFL in rushing four-consecutive seasons (1983-86) and won Super Bowl XX under Stanfel's watch, Mayer points out in his report. His former players remember him fondly.

"He was everything to our offensive line," former Bears center Jay Hilgenberg told ChicagoBears.com about Stanfel's impact. "He taught us how to be a dominating offensive line. He wanted guys who could go out and dominate the line of scrimmage. That’s the way he taught it technically and I think our record speaks for itself"

Former Bears guard Tim Thayer, who played eight seasons under Stanfel, pointed to the coach's attention to detail as what made him great.

"[Stanfel] was the reason we all developed,” Thayer said. “He tweaked everything from the way you broke the huddle to the way you came out of a three-point stance to what you were thinking one step into the play.

"He told you how everything was going to unfold. He told you what to expect and how to know exactly what was going to happen. That was the greatest thing about coach Stanfel."

Going all the way back to his playing career, Stanfel was a second-round pick of the Detroit Lions in the 1951 NFL Draft. In his first two professional seasons, the University of San Francisco product won back-to-back NFL championships. He went on to make six Pro Bowls with the Lions and Washington Redskins.

(h/t Chicago Bears)

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