Chicago Bears 28

  All-Stars 14

December 29, 1940 

On December 29, 1940 the 1940 NFL Champion Chicago Bears met an All-Star team from the other NFL clubs in the third NFL All-Star game at Gilmore Stadium in Los Angeles. The crowd was the largest for a pro game in Los Angeles history to that time. With 21,000 fans in the seats (extra seats had to be erected to accommodate the crowd) it surpassed the attendance totals from Red Grange’s exhibition debut of 1925 in that city.

Two minutes into the contest, Sid Luckman of the Bears hit end Nick Glasman who lateraled the ball at midfield to Hampton Pool who thundered down the field for the score. The play was officially good for 48 yards. Early in the second quarter the All-Stars tied the game on a freak play that brought the crowd to its feet. Washington's Sammy Baugh dropped back to pass and was hit hard twice by Bear defenders. But, he managed to unleash a long touchdown pass to Cleveland Ram, Ted Livingston. The score was knotted at 7-7. The Bears wasted little time responding as Luckman returned the kickoff to his own 41. He then hit Harry Clark for the 49 yard touchdown.  Baugh then drove the Stars 80 yards on six consecutive passes, hitting Eagle Don Looney for the tying score just before half.

In the third quarter, the Bears' Dick Plasman intercepted a Baugh pass a returned it 26 yards inside the Stars' 5. From there, Luckman pushed it in on a one yard run. Late in the third quarter, the Bears marched 39 yards in 5 plays with Joe Maniaci carry the ball in for the score. The final was 28-14. The Bears' defensive line had just proven too tough for the All-Stars.

Sitting in the stands that day were the 1941 Rose Bowl squads from Stanford and Nebraska. Nebraska took particular interest as they studied the Bears' T formation, the same offense that Stanford ran that season. Stanford would defeat Nebraska, 21-13.

Luckman led Bears to win

RETURN