http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-sport ... ck-return/

By Chuck Fouts, November 27, 2013 at 12:23 pm
It happened 33 years ago. Or was it just yesterday. My memory of it remains that vivid.

Most people don't realize that it was one of the greatest comebacks in Bears history. And one of the greatest comebacks, if not the greatest, in Thanksgiving games history. Even many people who watched it only remember the ending.

The game started very poorly for the Bears. And that was just following protocol for Chicago's 1980 season as a whole. The team had a 3 and 5 record at the halfway point and were clearly not going to get a playoff spot, as they did in 1979.

At halftime, the Lions led 10-3. And the drubbing was worse than the score indicated. Walter Payton had 13 yards gained. In fact, the entire offense was being manhandled. It seemed as the two teams went to their respective locker rooms that another in a year chock full of losses was inevitable.

But then something changed after the intermission. The offense started playing a little better, mostly due to Payton getting up a head of steam. He would finish the game with 123 yards on 18 carries. But the Bears still couldn't find the end zone. Entering the final stanza the Lions had increased the margin to 17-3.

In the fourth quarter however, Vince Evans took over the game. First he threw a touchdown pass to seldom used tight end Bob Fisher. Then the real heroics began.

Starting at the Bears 6 yard line, Evans came out with the offense and 3:17 left on the clock. What followed was a 14 play 94 yard drive that culminated in a 5 yard quarterback scramble for a game tying touchdown with no time remaining.

As the captains for the two teams met at the 50 yard line there seemed to be a sense of inevitability permeating through the crowd. Even more so after the Bears called tails and won the coin toss.

Standing at his goal line there in the old Silverdome was kick returner and reserve running back David Williams. In his other 3 returns that day Williams had a meager total of 53 yards. He also had 1 rushing attempt for 4 yards and 2 receptions for 8 yards playing very sparingly as Payton's backup.

He caught the ball at the 5 yard line and started running to his right but quickly saw a hole to his left and shot through it like a cannon. A few seconds later the fastest overtime in Thanksgiving history was over. Bears 23, Lions 17.

In a mostly forgettable season Dave Williams made for us a Thanksgiving day memory that will last lifetimes.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

jimmypasta > rpb

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I remember watching this in my basement while helping my dad get the extensions for the dining room table up from the storage room. I thought it was incredible. My dad thought it was just kind of nice. My dad never had the love of sports that I had.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I will never forget that. Our family had just finished eating and my dad and I sat down to watch on our solid state color TV. Good times.

SEE!

Look how old Jarred Allen is, he was in on that play!!!

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Ditto. We were at my aunt's house over by Harlem & Irving. It was a huge deal--Bears games back then were almost completely devoid of excitement--even Wanny-era games were like saturday night Pac-10 by comparison. Here's the video. Was the Silverdome always smoke-filled or did it just look like it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmEr-J5lvIw

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Soccer 1,2,3
Spanish Honor Society 1,2,3,4
Forensics 1,2,3,4

"Smiles with Nostrils"

"...no Hmong, go find some blacks"

That was awesome, DannyB.

And Summerall and Brookshier to top it off.

Here's another one from the same game. Joniak can't hold Joe McConnell's jock. He was great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSavOoR2YtM

Kudos to the Professor for putting that video up on youtube.

That dining room table must have had the most extensions ever

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That is really good stuff. Vince Evans missing Baschnagel standing alone in the back of the end zone says it all. He looks Michael Vick running though. And a Bubba Baker sighting. A sammich is a sammich, but a manwich is a meal.

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Soccer 1,2,3
Spanish Honor Society 1,2,3,4
Forensics 1,2,3,4

"Smiles with Nostrils"

"...no Hmong, go find some blacks"

I thought the same thing about Evans running. And WTF was with that pass to Baschnagel? It looked like he threw it off the shoulder pad of his lineman.

Palmer's youtube channel is a great find. He's got some really good stuff on there--I'll bet he has tons more. In 1977 5000 people greeted them at O'Hare just for making the wild card before a drubbing by the Cowboys.

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Soccer 1,2,3
Spanish Honor Society 1,2,3,4
Forensics 1,2,3,4

"Smiles with Nostrils"

"...no Hmong, go find some blacks"

The f-ing power in the neighborhood went out just before the OT kickoff. I can still remember my dad saying: "well the game will still be on when we get to your grandparents".

And then the rest of weekend all of the kids in the area wanted to be Dave Williams. Even the kids that usually wanted to be Plank.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Yep. Lot of good stuff on there. He was not afraid to speak his mind.

I do remember this. Aside from Bob Thomas kicking the bears into the playoffs in the snow this might be one of my first great bears memories.

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Elections have consequences.