This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/5/2015
Chicago Bears fans and advanced game used football jersey collectors will all agree this following lot is extremely tough to find:
“1963-66 Doug Atkins Chicago Bears Game Worn Home Jersey – Reissued To Amsler & Reppond”
To our knowledge, this is the first and only surviving Doug Atkins Chicago Bears game worn jersey. A later Saints specimen survived, but no examples exist from his time with the Bears.
Originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns, Douglas Leon Atkins (6’8”, 257 pounds) was an exceptionally strong and agile pass rusher, known to leap frog offensive lineman to make the play. Traded to the Bears for the start of the 1955 season, it was in Chicago for the next 12 seasons that Atkins laid the foundation for his claim to NFL immortality. The Bears of that era produced overpowering defensive units and Doug quickly became one of the ring leaders. He won all-NFL honors in 1960, 1961, and 1963 and all-Western conference acclaim seven year in the 1958-1965 span. He was a starting defensive end in the Pro Bowl eight of the last nine years he was a Bear and the Most Valuable lineman in the 1959 classic.
Atkins' brilliance was never more evident than in 1963, when the Bears interrupted Green Bay's championship string with one of their own. The defense only allowed 10 points a game-by far the lowest yield in the NFL-as the Bears battled to an 11-1-2 record. Then in the 14-10 upset of the New York Giants for the NFL title, Chicago intercepted five passes as the Giants' great quarterback, Y.A.Tittle, absorbed a merciless pounding from the Atkins- led pass rush. Respected by the football establishment, Atkins was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.
For advanced Chicago Bears game worn jersey collectors, this shirt is a must. A favorite of the Chicago Bears organization, the team originally issued the shirt to Doug Atkins to be worn during the 1963-66 timeframe. The heavy degree of wear and team repairs are consistent with Atkin’s position (DE) and compare quite favorably to available images. It is our opinion that this shirt was worn by Doug Atkins during the 1963-66 seasons, and possibly was his very last shirt.
Still serviceable, the shirt stayed with the team, loved, altered, repaired, and worn by two more Bears throughout the 1973 season before being retired and replaced by the new mesh knit shirts. Fellow Bears alumni Marty Amsler and Mike Reppond are forever linked to the Bears Hall of Famer as all three players toiled and battled in this jersey. The jersey has been carefully reviewed by MEARS and the following are our findings:
Style: Navy durene full body shell with ¾ length sleeves which have been cut and hemmed (post Atkins career). Crew neck with straight tail. Orange and white sleeve stripes (3). Numbers (sleeve, front, back) are white on orange double tackle twill. Style of collar, striping, and numerals has been verified as being correct to have been worn by the Bears circa 1963-66), 1969, - 1973, the final season the Bears wore durene while also incorporating the new mesh styles. Period images and actual examples that have entered the hobby confirm this style as being correct for the era of 1963-73 circa. Images of Atkins during his career with the Bears show him wearing long sleeves; this shirt was cut and trimmed after being worn by Atkins.
History of the Bears Jersey Style 1963-74
1963: No Name On Back, Durene
1964: No Name On Back, Durene
1965: No Name On Back, Durene
1966: No Name On Back, Durene
1967: No Name On Back, Durene
1968: No Name On Back, Durene
1969: No Name On Back, 50th Year Patch, Durene
1970: Names On Back, Durene
1971: Names On Back, Durene
1972: Names On Back, Durene
1973: Names On Back, Durene/Mesh
1974: Names On Back, Mesh
Therefore, the style (No Name On Back), Material (Durene), and position of the name on back which caused the original 81 numerals to be moved (1973) is consistent with what you would expect to see Doug Atkins wear during the 1963-66 era, with subsequent use by teammates as a re-issued shirt with number re-alignment.
Player Attribution Of Number 81: After a review of the book, “Uniform Numbers of the NFL by John Maxymuk”, and per the style of the shirt and the dating of the King O Shea tag, number 81 would have been worn first by Doug Atkins (1963-66) due to the fact of the style, dating of the King O Shea tag, and the issuance of number 81 to Atkins during that time span. Marty Amsler (6’5”, 255 pounds, 1967-69) was issued the shirt as evidenced by the remnants from the removal of the 50th Anniversary Patch, worn during 1969. The shirt was then again re-issued to Mike Reppond in 1973, as evidenced by his name on reverse and the fact the original 81 was re-used but repositioned lower on the shirt, below the space of the added nameplate. This can be seen with a light table where portions of the original 1963-66 application of the uniform number 81 stitching can be seen. Each of the progression of the modifications of the shirt when compared against its original condition support use by each of the three named players. The shirt must have been big on Reppond but was given to him because that was his number.
Manufacturer (King O Shea / 1963-70): Per the MEARS Official Tagging Database, the style of the King O Shea tag was issued during the1963-70 circa. Other period examples to support King O Shea as the supplier of Bears jersey (1963-66) during Atkins career with the Bears bearing this style tag include:
1961-66 Dave Wiltsell (King O Shea) Home
1960s Dick Butkus (King O Shea) Home
1965 John Arnett (King O Shea) Home
1966-68 Curt Gentry (King O Shea) Home
It should be noted that this version of the King O Shea tag is found without the size indicated. The rest of the style of the tag is consistent with other version of the tag.
Size (50-52 approximate): Standing 6’8” and weighing 257 pounds, this shirt has a 26” chest and 31” torso measurement, both consistent with a player of that size.
Repositioning of 81: Due to the fact the Bears added names to the back of their jerseys during the 1973 season and the shirt was issued to Mike Reppond, the original 81 was removed from the shirt and lowered to accommodate the addition of the nameplate. This fact is supported by review of the area around the 81 when examined with the use of a light table and black light. You can see the original outline of parts of the 81, and it is clear that no other number was ever applied, indicating the 81 is original to the shirt as first worn by Doug Atkins. The numbers were moved approximately 3” as evidenced by the original stitch pattern which is visible upon review with a light table.
Repairs: Both repaired (10) and unrepaired (9) holes are present on the shirt.
10 Repairs
• Heart shaped repair on back neckline on left shoulder
• Back left repair partially under nameplate which would have occurred prior to 1973 and the re-positioning of the nameplate
• Repair on left chest
• Repair on right sleeve above #8
• Repair on right sleeve above #1
• 5 repairs near the front #8. Due to the large size of the tear, the shirt was turned inside out and sewn with a 2” straight seam
9 Unrepaired holes
• Unrepaired hole in the middle of the bottom hole on front #8
• Unrepaired hole near the front #8 (bottom)
• Top right shoulder near seam
• Unrepaired hole to the right side of front #1
• Two holes above left sleeve #8
• Right sleeve between repairs above 8 and 1
• Right under heart shaped repair
• Two inches to the left of the heart repair
The shape of the heart shaped repair on the left shoulder compares quite favorably to the image taken from the 1969 Glendale card.
Final Grade (MEARS A5): Although MEARS is quite confident this shirt was issued and worn by Doug Atkins during the 1963-66 era, the subsequent use by two players added to point deductions. Minus 3 points for use by more than one player including the removal of the 1969 patch. Minus 2 for team implemented number replacement and hemmed/shortened sleeves.
Conclusion: Although there is no year tag, this shirt is consistent with respect to style, manufacturer, and size as worn by Doug Atkins during the 1963-66 era, which would allow for potential for this to be the very last shirt he wore as a Chicago Bear. The jersey compares quite favorably to the 1969 Glendale stamp with respect to the team repair. The jersey was kept within the organization for continued issuance. Although altered to reflect the changes of personnel, this shirt still represents the only known game worn Doug Atkins Chicago Bears jersey known.