Mike, Steve & Dexter

This week on Bearly Legal, we line it up with Hall of Famer Mike McCormack, and talk football and politics with Hall of Famer Steve Largent Plus, the Secretary of Defense Dexter Manley.

Episode Segments:

Bearly Legal: Mike McCormack Mike McCormack went from the offensive line to the sidelines to the front office, and got enshrined in Canton along the way. We talk to him about blocking for Jim Brown, the Bears’ problems with their “O” Line, and the challenges of building a franchise from scratch (The Carolina Panthers)
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Bearly Legal: Dexter Manley The Secretary of Defense Dexter Manley opens up about his drug problems that ended his NFL career, and what it took to finally get clean after years of abuse. He also has an interesting story about recruiting Vince Young.
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Bearly Legal: Steve Largent The Hall of Fame wide reciver gives his take on what the Patriots are doing right, what the Bears are doing wrong, and why the government shouldn’t be helping teams build stadiums. Then, how his NFL career prepared him for a career in politics.
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Bearly Legal: The Bears Beat The guys preview the Monday Night Game between the Bears and Vikings. And David needs a new TV, thanks to the Nintendo Wii.
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Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Mike McCormack McCormack was drafted by the New York Yanks in the 1951 NFL Draft. After one year of play, he then served two years of military service in the United States Army before being traded to the Browns. In his first season with the team, he played on the defensive line, with his fumble recovery in the 1954 NFL Championship game against the Detroit Lions helping set up an important early touchdown. The following season, he was shifted to offensive tackle and helped the Browns once again capture the NFL title. He would play a key role in helping legendary running back Jim Brown become one of the dominant players in the game, ending his career with four selections to the Pro Bowl.His coaching career began in 1962 with the first of four consecutive stints as an assistant in the annual College All-Star Game. In 1965, he was hired as an assistant coach with the Washington Redskins, spending the next eight seasons working under four different head coaches, including former teammate Otto Graham from 1966-1968. In 1973, he was hired as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, but a 16-25-1 record over three seasons resulted in his dismissal following the conclusion of the 1975 season. He moved on to serve as an assistant with the Cincinnati Bengals from 1976-1979, then was hired as head coach of the Baltimore Colts in 1980. However, two frustrating seasons ended in his dismissal from the Colts. In 1982, McCormack joined the Seattle Seahawks, eventually becoming president and general manager. He also served as the Seahawks interim head coach for the remainder of the 1982 season when Jack Patera was fired after the first two games. McCormack took over during the 57-day players strike and led the team to a 4-3 record, the only time he compiled a winning record as an NFL head coach. He then returned to his management position when the Seahawks hired Chuck Knox as their new head coach in 1983. In January 1989, he was abruptly fired by the new Seahawks owner, Ken Behring, who explained the decision was necessary in order to make changes in the financial operations of the team. Later that year, McCormack became a consultant for Jerry Richardson and his ownership group that were seeking to land an NFL expansion team in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1993, he was hired by the newly formed Carolina Panthers as their team president and general manager. He retired from the Panthers organization in 1997. Mike's Hall of Fame Profile

Dexter Manley Dexter Keith Manley, nicknamed the "Secretary of Defense," was as drafted in the fifth round (119th overall) of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins, where he would play for nine seasons. During his career with the Redskins, Manley won two Super Bowl titles and was a Pro Bowler in 1986 when he recorded 18.5 sacks. He then played for the Phoenix Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 1989, Manley failed his third drug test and was banned from the NFL for life, with an opportunity to apply for reinstatement after one year.[2] However, after he failed his fourth drug test, he was permanently banned from the National Football League for life on December 12, 1991. Officially, Manley had 97.5 quarterback sacks in his career. His total rises to 103.5 when the six sacks he had his rookie year of 1981, when sacks were not yet an official statistic, are included. Manley also played two seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1993 and 1994 after being banned from the NFL. In 1995, Manley was convicted of cocaine possession and was sentenced to four years in prison, or which he served two. In 2002, he was selected as one of the 70 Greatest Redskins of All Time and is a member of the Washington Redskins Ring of Fame. Dexter's Website

Steve Largent Despite an All-American career at the University of Tulsa, Largent was not selected until the fourth round of the 1976 NFL draft by the Houston Oilers. After four preseason games, he was slated to be cut, but was instead traded to the expansion Seattle Seahawks for a 1977 eighth-round pick. Largent spent thirteen years with the Seahawks, and, while not particularly fast, was extremely sure-handed. He was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl seven times, and was the first Seahawk to earn that honor. In 1982, Largent, along with teammate Jim Zorn, ended his participation in the NFL strike, after the third and final week of the strike, citing religious principles, specifically based on Matthew 5:36–37, stating that "your word is your bond" and that all contracts shall be honored as with God. In 1989, Steve Largent became the first Seahawks player to win the Steve Largent Award for his spirit, dedication and integrity. When Largent retired, he held all major NFL receiving records, including: most receptions in a career (819), most receiving yards in a career (13,089), and most touchdown receptions (100). He was also in possession of a then-record streak of 177 consecutive regular-season games with a reception. Largent was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995. In 1999, he was ranked number 46 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the only Seahawk on the list. His number (80) was retired in 1992; Largent is the first Seahawk player to be so honored (the team has retired number 12 in honor of the fans, the “twelfth man”). During Jerry Rice's stint with the Seahawks in 2004, Largent's number 80 was temporarily "unretired" after a conversation between Rice and Largent that was reportedly initiated by then Seahawks president Bob Whitsitt. Largent remains the most prolific receiver in team history. On October 26, 2008 Largent's University of Tulsa number (83) was also retired. He is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and is a former U.S. Congressman, having served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Oklahoma from 1994 until 2002. He made an unsuccessful run for Governor of Oklahoma in 2002 losing by one half of one percent. Steve's Career Stats