Wilber Marshall Returns a Fumble for TD
Wilber Marshall Returns a Fumble for TD
January 12, 1986

Wilber Marshall Returns a Fumble for TD

"It was almost too good to be true." - Marlee Matlin

One of the most memorable plays of the Bears’ Super Bowl-winning season of 1985 occurred in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams. Winning 17-0 on a windy and snowy January afternoon at Soldier Field in Chicago, with the Rams facing a 3rd and 11 in Bears’ territory, Chicago’s Richard Dent sacked Rams QB Dieter Brock, causing a fumble. Second-year Bears linebacker Wilber Marshall picked up the ball and started off running. From behind, a would-be tackler grabbed ahold of Marshall’s back collar, which spun the Bear around 180 degrees, but Marshall fought the Ram off and kept on chugging. Chaperoned by two players, including 335-pound William “The Refrigerator” Perry, Marshall ran it back 52 yards for a touchdown. The play sent the Chicago fans into a euphoric frenzy, capped a shutout win that propelled the Bears to their first-ever Super Bowl, and was a symbolic moment for one of the NFL’s most dominant all-time defenses.