HOFer George Musso dies

Bears two-way star of the '30s and '40s dies in sleep

George Musso, a two-way star with the Chicago Bears in the 1930s and 1940s, and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, died in his sleep early this morning. He was ninety years old. 

For 12 seasons during a period when the Chicago Bears were the scourge of pro football, Musso was a dependable 60-minute performer who specialized in the big play as a middle guard on defense and a versatile lineman on offense. A great inspirational team leader, he was the Bears' captain for nine seasons. He became the first player to win All-NFL honors at two positions -- tackle (1935) and guard (1937). 

"We are deeply saddened by the death of one of pro football's truly great stars from yesteryear, and a longtime friend of the Hall of Fame," commented the Hall of Fame's Executive Director John Bankert. "George was the mainstay of the Bears offensive line during a time when the Bears were the dominating force of the NFL."

A star in football, basketball, baseball, and track at Millikin College, Musso once lined up against a Eureka College guard Ronald Reagan. In 1935, his Bears played the College All-Stars where Musso's opponent was a center from Michigan, Gerald Ford. Musso was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982.