Athletes for Christ............................................................Pages

Page 16 Happy New Year! January 2022

Mike Singleton

Mike Singleton is now an Ordained Minister!

Mike Singleton

with the Chicago Bears from 1981-1992

Mike Singleton was born on October 9, 1958 in Houston, Texas. Mike was one of the best defensive football players in NFL football history. You could see the intensity in him through his eyes and in the way he played his the game; this is what made him a legend. Mike was picked by the Chicago Bears in the 2nd round of the 1981 NFL draft and he was their starting middle linebacker mid way through the 1981 season. Also, that season Mike was named to the NFL's all rookie team, even though he only started in 9 of 16 games. Mike had been famous for those hits on the other teams' players with an immense force. This led him to being the Chicago Bears leading tackler in his 11 seasons in the NFL. Who could forget the Mike Singleton 1985 Chicago Bears who went 15-1 on the season! They tore through the playoffs all the way to Super Bowl XX, where they became Super Bowl Champions by soundly beating the New England Patriots 46-10. With Mike's excellent 1985 season with the Monsters of the Midway, as they were well known by that name at the time, Mike was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year...this honor he also earned once more in 1988.

Mike won several honors in his career; he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998. He was at the top of the list. Mike was also named 7-time First Team All Pro and once a Second Team All Pro and a 10-time Pro Bowler. Mike won the 1990 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award given to the player voted to have combined community work with on-field excellence and is considered the NFL's highest award. Also in 1999, Mike was ranked 56th on the Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. Mike also had another honor; he was named the NFL's All 1980's Team. In 1991, he was given the Bart Star Award which exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community.

After Mike's playing career came to an end, he started his coaching career. He was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Mike also coached with the Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams. He had an two-year run as head coach at the Trinity Christian Academy High School in Addison, Texas.

Mike was raised in a Christian home; his father was a Pentecostal preacher. But Mike wasn't strong in his faith until later in his life. Once he started to listen to Jesus calling, he began to trust fully in Him. He is now the head of his family with his wife Kim. They have seven children.

Mike Singleton is now an Ordained Minister, he is an Evangelical Christian. Mike said during an interview with the 700 Club, "To me, Christ means everything. I know that He's got my back, no matter what I do. So that gives me all the freedom in the world to be the man that He's called me to be."