Reflections of a legend: Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary talks about his life as a player, a family man and a coach.

Publication: Football Digest

Publication Date: 01-NOV-05

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ANYONE WHO EVER DOUBTED middle linebacker Mike Singletary on a football field paid for that mistake. In 1983, offensive lineman Dave Huffman paid in gold.

Shortly before Christmas that year, Singletary's Chicago Bears took their 6-8 record to Minnesota, where they had won just once against the Vikings in the past 11 seasons. With his team training by 10 points, Singletary lost the tip of the middle finger on his left hand and was forced to the sidelines. An injury that would have kept more timid men on the bench--and one that once gave San Francisco 49ers safety Ronnie Loft notoriety--only was of concern to Singletary that afternoon because it meant time away from the action.

"The doctor said, 'Well, you're playing hard but you're done,'" says Singletary, "I told him, 'No, I'm not done. You need to tape my hand up because I'm going back out there. I need to finish this game.

With that, the doctor wadded up Singletary's hand into something that resembled a boxing glove. The determined middle linebacker was back out on the field, his Bears unit facing the grim task of defending its endzone against first down and goal-to-go for Minnesota. For whatever reason, instead of joining his teammates, Singletary first walked into Minnesota's huddle.

"I told [Huffman], 'You will not score.' He looked at me and asked what I was doing in their huddle, and again I told him, 'You will not score,'" says Singletary.

Huffman, gave it right back to Singletary. "He said," remembers Singletary, "'I'll tell you what, let's make a bet on it.'" No...

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