Ronnie Bull gazes at his 1962 NFL Rookie of the Year trophy and notices a few cracks and loose parts after all these years.
But the former first-round pick of the Bears out of Baylor still cherishes the memories of his 10 years in pro football, which included winning the NFL championship in 1963 against the Giants at Wrigley Field while playing for George Halas.
Bull, 75, played in 123 games, rushing for 3,222 yards and nine touchdowns. He also caught 172 passes for 1,479 yards and five touchdowns. Bull, who was switched from halfback to fullback when future Hall of Famer Gale Sayers was drafted in 1965, finished his career with the Eagles in 1971.
Now semi-retired, Bull lives in Bolingbrook and runs his specialty advertising business from his home.
We caught up with Bull recently to talk about his playing career.
The ’85 Bears have been able to exploit their Super Bowl success for 35 years and they remain beloved in Chicago. What was it like winning the NFL title in 1963 and do you feel as appreciated?
It was a totally different game back in 1963 when we won it. Football was just beginning to grow into something spectacular. There was no Super Bowl back then.
We had a parade, but I was not there. What happened was that as soon as the game was over, I headed for Florida. I didn’t find out about the parade until later.
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The ’63 title game was played in record cold conditions. What do you recall from that experience?
The turf was in pretty good shape when we started. It was solidly frozen when we finished. The worst part of it was when you left the bench and the heaters and took off those big heavy parkas and went on the field. Then they would say “TV timeout” and you are just standing there for five minutes or so with that wind blowing.
And I didn’t wear gloves. Halas really didn’t want us wearing gloves. Some of the offensive linemen snuck out gloves, but Halas didn’t believe in that kind of stuff. All I had on was a tear-away jersey and a T-shirt underneath. Once your adrenaline gets going, you don’t notice it. The one thing you had to watch out for was when you caught a pass that you didn’t catch it on the seams. The seams would injure your hands.
How did winning the NFL title change your life?
It really added to my life. You’re talking to a kid from a little town called Bishop, Texas, that had a graduating class of 31.
The NFL now makes a major television production out of the draft. What was it like being the No. 7 overall pick in 1962?
I had just finished class and gone down to the (Baylor) athletic cafeteria to have lunch. And as I came in, the lady who ran the cafeteria said, “Ronnie, you’ve got a long-distance call.” So she handed me the phone and someone said, “Ronnie, this is George Halas. We just drafted you No. 1. Now don’t you sign anything until I get a chance to talk to you.”
Because the week before I had been drafted by the Dallas Texans (of the American Football League), which are now the Kansas City Chiefs. There wasn’t too much difference in the money. But looking at both teams … as I thought about it, I think I wanted to play for the more established league.
How would you describe the contract negotiations with Halas?
I was only paid $20,000 plus a signing bonus. I asked Halas if I also could get a new car thrown into the deal and Halas said, “Son, with the money I’m paying you, you can buy your own friggin’ car.”
Other than winning the NFL title in ’63, what was your proudest memory?
A good trivia question is that the Bears have had two consecutive No. 1 draft choices who were Rookie of the Year: Mike Ditka in ’61 and myself. That’s good company.
Was there any low point in your career?
It was an injury — my knee — in 1965. By that time Gale Sayers was there and (assistant coach) Jim Dooley suggested to Halas to move me to fullback. I had the honor and privilege to play with one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game, and that was Gale Sayers.
What do you miss from your playing days?
I miss the friendships. I hung around the kickers, and (punter) Bobby Joe Green and I were close friends. When he passed away (May 28, 1993), that really hurt. Anytime you lose a teammate it really hurts. We abused our bodies as players. But would I do it again? You bet I would. It’s a great game.
What advice would you give current NFL players?
The main thing is to invest your money wisely. Even today, I think better than 50 percent of the players … three years out of the game, they are broke. You are set up on a pedestal and it is the high life. The body gets beat up and my goal was to play 10 years. When I got to my 10th year I said, “Thank you very much” and walked away. I wanted to leave on my terms. When you are forced out of the game there is bitterness. I had no bitterness. All I have is fond memories.
Twitter @kicker34