Editing Bronko Nagurski (section)

===Football===
Nagurski turned professional to play for the [[Chicago Bears]] from [[1930 Chicago Bears season|1930]] to [[1937 Chicago Bears season|1937]]. At {{height|ft=6|in=2}} and {{convert|235|lb}}, he was a formidable presence, and a dominant force, helping the Bears win several division titles and two NFL championships. He ended his eight-year stint with 3,947 rushing yards on 856 attempts, completed 36 of 80 passes, and scored a total of 236 points.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33151771/|title=Bronko Nagurski Back for More Pro Football|agency=[[Associated Press|AP]]|newspaper=[[Reno Gazette-Journal]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=October 30, 1943|access-date=June 22, 2019}}</ref>

Nagurski had the largest recorded NFL Championship ring size at {{frac|19|1|2}} and wore a size-8 helmet.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20010507065824/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/features/1997/photogallery/phatbacks/drz.html  Dr. Z's Top 10 Big Backs - Bronkosaurus - ''Bronko Nagurski was, literally, a monster of the Midway'']. Sports Illustrated. Paul Zimmerman (Dr. Z). November 24, 1997  ''[Q]uarterback Sid Luckman, about Nagurski. "A monster," Luckman said. "The neck, the hands. They measured him for a championship ring in 1943, when he made his comeback, and his ring size was 19&nbsp;1/2."''</ref> He was probably the largest running back of his time, bigger than most linemen of the day,{{refn|group="n"|A forerunner to large fullbacks like [[Marion Motley]], [[John Henry Johnson]] and [[Jim Brown]]}} often dragging multiple tacklers with him. In a time when players were expected to play on [[one-platoon system|both sides of the ball]], he was a standout defensive lineman as well playing a ranging tackle or "The Monster." After an injury, instead of sitting on the bench, he would sometimes be put in as an [[offensive tackle]]. In a 1984 interview with ''Sports Illustrated'' writer [[Paul Lionel Zimmerman|Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman]], when asked what position he would play if he were coming up in the present day, he said, "I would probably be a [[linebacker]] today. I wouldn't be carrying the ball 30 or 35 times a game."

A time-honored and perhaps [[apocryphal]] story about Nagurski is a scoring gallop that he made against the [[Washington Redskins]], knocking two linebackers in opposite directions, stomping a [[defensive back]] and crushing a [[Safety (American football position)|safety]], then bouncing off the [[goalposts]] and cracking [[Wrigley Field]]'s brick wall. On returning to the [[huddle]] for the [[extra point]] try, he reportedly said: "That last guy hit me awfully hard."<ref name="NYTObit">[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CEFD7103BF93AA35752C0A966958260 Bronko Nagurski Is Dead at 81; Star Runner for Chicago Bears] Paul Rodgers, The New York Times, January 11, 1990</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2010/11/20/hill-recalls-wall-at-wrigley/ |title=Hill recalls wall at Wrigley - tribunedigital-chicagotribune |access-date=December 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216141211/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-11-20/sports/ct-spt-1121-around-town--20101120_1_wall-wrigley-field-harlon-hill |archive-date=December 16, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Once in a game against the Packers, the Bears prepared to punt, and Green Bay's [[Cal Hubbard]] went to [[Red Grange]] and said: "I promise not to try to block the kick, Red, but get out of the way so I can get a shot at that [[Polack]]." Grange, glad not to try to block Hubbard for once, obliged. Cal tore through the line, slammed into Nagurski and bounced off. Rising slowly, he turned to Grange and said: "Hey, Red, don't do me any more favors."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5339533/cal_hubbard_obituary/|page=16|title=Cal Hubbard: 'Big Umpire' Was A Man For All Sports|author=Bob Broeg|newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=October 23, 1977|access-date=May 21, 2016|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

At the end of the [[1932 NFL season|1932 season]], the [[Chicago Bears]] and the [[Detroit Lions|Portsmouth Spartans]] were tied with the best regular-season records. To determine the champion, the league voted to hold its first [[NFL Playoff Game, 1932|playoff game]]. Due to the cold weather, the game was held indoors at [[Chicago Stadium]], which forced some temporary rule changes. Chicago won, 9–0. In the fourth quarter of the 1932 game, the Bears scored on a controversial [[touchdown]]: [[Carl Brumbaugh]] handed the ball off to fullback Nagurski, who pulled up and threw to [[Red Grange]] in the end zone for the score.<ref name=chpc>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LrZRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y2kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3265%2C2405018 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |title=Chicago Bears pro champions |agency=(Chicago Tribune) |date=December 19, 1932 |page=14}}</ref> The Spartans argued that Nagurski did not drop back five yards before passing to Grange, but the touchdown stood. The playoff proved so popular that the league reorganized into two divisions for the [[1933 NFL season|1933 season]], with the winners advancing to a scheduled championship game. A number of new rule changes were also instituted: the goal posts were moved forward to the goal line, every play started from between the [[hash marks]], and forward passes could originate from anywhere behind the [[line of scrimmage]] (instead of the previous five yards behind).<ref>{{cite web|title=History 1931–1940 |work=NFL.com |publisher=NFL Enterprises LLC |year=2007 |url=http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/timelline.aspx?csid1=46 |access-date=October 12, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927183348/http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/timelline.aspx?csid1=46 |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref><ref name=hick32>{{cite web|last=Hickok |first=Ralph |title=The 1932 NFL Championship Game |publisher=HickokSports.com |year=2004 |url=http://www.hickoksports.com/history/histbit1.shtml |access-date=June 5, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070603010641/http://www.hickoksports.com/history/histbit1.shtml |archive-date=June 3, 2007 }}</ref><ref>Bennett (1976), pp 32–33</ref>

In 1943, with the Bears losing so many players to [[World War II]], Nagurski came out of retirement to play tackle. He remained at the position until he returned to fullback against the [[Chicago Cardinals]], whom the Bears needed to defeat to advance to the [[1943 NFL Championship Game]];<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33151831/|title=Bronko Nagurski at Fullback Spot as Bears Meet Cards|agency=[[United Press|UP]]|newspaper=[[The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)|The Gazette]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=November 28, 1943|access-date=June 22, 2019}}</ref> Nagurski scored a touchdown in the game as the Bears won 35–24.<ref>{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Red|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/05/26/archives/hunk-anderson-nicest-tough-guy-sports-of-the-times-pride-of-the.html|title=Hunk Anderson, Nicest Tough Guy|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 26, 1978|access-date=June 22, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Goldman|first=William|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1963/12/09/595098/a-big-game-for-the-old-man-of-the-bears|title=A Big Game for the Old Man of the Bears|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|date=December 9, 1963|access-date=June 22, 2019}}</ref> Chicago went on to win the 1943 title after beating the [[Washington Redskins]] 41–21, while Nagurski scored on a three-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/194312260chi.htm|title=Championship - Washington Redskins at Chicago Bears - December 26th, 1943|work=[[Pro-Football-Reference.com]]|access-date=June 22, 2019}}</ref>

He retired again after the 1943 season and became the backfield coach for the [[UCLA Bruins football|UCLA Bruins]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33152395/|title=Bronko Nagurski On UCLA Staff|agency=[[United Press|UP]]|newspaper=[[Nevada State Journal]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=April 13, 1944|access-date=June 22, 2019}}</ref> After one year, he resigned from his position with the Bruins to return to farming.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33152464/|title=Bronko Nagurski Will Give Up All Coaching|agency=[[Associated Press|AP]]|newspaper=[[The Fresno Bee]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=February 10, 1945|access-date=June 22, 2019}}</ref>