Wally Chambers, who made three Pro Bowl appearances with the Bears and was named the Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1973, died Sunday at 68.
The Bears drafted the Eastern Kentucky defensive lineman eighth overall. He made the Pro Bowl in 1973, 1975 and 1976, starting all but one game over the first four years of his career. He won the Bulldog Award in 1976, given to the NFL’s best defensive lineman.
Chambers was limited to four games and one start in 1977 because of a knee injury first suffered during a Pro Bowl game that January. He and general manager Jim Finks were at odds, with the player accusing him of blackballing him.
When the Bears traded him to the Buccaneers for a 1979 first-round pick, they couldn’t have known how sweet the return would be. With the selection, the Bears drafted future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Dan Hampton.
Chambers ranked No. 45 in the Sun-Times’ list of the 100 greatest Bears, published in September.
