CHICAGO — Bob Avellini, the previous Bears quarterback who teamed with Corridor of Fame working again Walter Payton to guide the Bears to the 1977 playoffs, has died. He was 70.
The Bears stated Saturday that Avellini died of most cancers. The group didn’t say when he died.
Avellini and Payton had the best seasons of their careers in 1977, when Chicago and the Minnesota Vikings every went 9-5 within the NFC North. Minnesota gained the division, whereas Chicago earned a wild-card playoff berth.
The Bears had been overwhelmed by Dallas 37-7 within the playoffs that season. Avellini threw 11 landing passes and had a career-high 2,004 yards with 18 interceptions. Payton, in the meantime, rushed for greater than 1,800 yards and 14 TDs.
“Bob was one-of-kind, a fierce and difficult competitor,” the group stated in an announcement. “He is maybe finest remembered for main the Bears on an unbelievable run in 1977 to our first postseason look in fourteen years. He shall be missed.”
Avellini threw for 7,111 yards with 33 touchdowns and 69 interceptions in 73 video games over 9 seasons, from 1975 to 1984.
Avellini, from New York, was a part of the identical draft class as Payton, chosen by Chicago within the sixth spherical out of Maryland in 1975. Payton was the fourth total choose.
