NATCHEZ, Miss. -- Joe Fortunato, the speedy linebacker who helped the Chicago Bears win the 1963 NFL title, has died. He was 87.
Fortunato died Monday in Mississippi, where he starred at linebacker and fullback at Mississippi State.
"Joe Fortunato was not only a great player for the Chicago Bears, including being a part of our 1963 championship at Wrigley Field, he was a key figure in one of the greatest linebacker trios in Bears history alongside Hall of Famer Bill George and Larry Morris," Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey said in a statement Thursday.