Buddy Ryan coordinated the legendary defense of the 1985 Bears, so it's hard to believe that only three years before, the team was close to letting him go.
When Mike Ditka took over as their head coach in 1982, Ryan's players wrote a letter urging Bears owner George Halas to retain Ryan and his defensive staff. It worked, and the rest is Super Bowl XX history.
Not too long ago, Hall of Fame defensive tackle Dan Hampton, along with two of his former Bears teammates, safeties Gary Fencik and Len Walterscheid, got a chance to visit Ryan and read him that letter.