One day after the Bears’ 1984 season concluded with a 23-0 loss to the 49ers in the NFC championship game, Terry Schmidt walked up the stairs in old Halas Hall and turned right, passed the reception desk and took a seat in the office of defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan.
The conversation was blunt, as most conversations with the late Ryan were.
Schmidt: “Hey coach, how’s it going?”
Ryan: “Have you started planning your retirement party yet?”
Schmidt: “Well, no.”
Ryan: “Schmidty, I think it’s time.”
And so instead of becoming an iconic 1985 champion, the cornerback went on a quest to replace what he had been for the previous 11 years.