Hampton's contribution to the defense as a rookie paved the way for his Hall of Fame career. He recorded 70 tackles, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, and three passes defended in his first campaign, then eclipsed that performance in his sophomore season by recording 73 tackles and leading the Bears with 11.5 sacks. He also earned his first of four Pro Bowl appearances.
Dan Hampton will probably be remembered best as a huge part of the Bears' 1985 defense that allowed just 198 points in 16 regular season games, and 10 points in three playoff games, including a dominating performance over the Patriots in Super Bowl XX.
Career Highlights
All-Pro: 1982 (PFWA, NEA, PW), 1984 (AP, NEA, SN, PW), 1986 (NEA), 1988 (NEA, PW)
All-Pro Second Team: 1980 (NEA), 1982 (AP), 1985 (AP, NEA), 1986 (AP), 1988 (AP)
All-NFC: 1980 (PW), 1984 (PW), 1986 (UPI), 1988 (UPI, PW)
All-NFC Second Team: 1980 (UPI), 1982 (UPI), 1984 (UPI), 1985 (UPI)
Pro Bowls 1981, 1983, 1985, 1986
Defensive MVP 1982 (PW)
All-Decade Team: 1980s
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002
Championship Teams
1985 NFC Champions - Chicago Bears
Super Bowl Teams
Super Bowl XX - Chicago Bears 46, New England Patriots 10