Staley Da Bear is the official

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...

of the Chicago Bears of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

. He is an anthropomorphic bear with a customized team

jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the l ...

. Staley's name is

eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

ous to A. E. Staley, who founded the Bears’ franchise in 1919. He debuted during the

2003 Chicago Bears season The Chicago Bears season was the franchise's 84th season in the National Football League. The team improved to a 7–9 record over its 4–12 record from 2002 under head coach Dick Jauron. The team was once again in a quarterbacking carousel ...

to entertain fans at

Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since ...

. He has since participated in many charity events, parties, Chicago Rush games, and other Bears-related events. Staley has also made numerous cameos on television, especially during the team's Super Bowl run in 2006. Through , Staley's winning percentage with the Bears is .537. Staley was named a three-time

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

mascot in 2004, 2006 and 2007. At halftime, Staley and his "furballs" ( NFL mascots and various other mascots) would take on a group of youth players from

Naperville Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is in the Chicago metro area, west of the city. Naperville was founded in 1831 by Joseph Naper. The city was ...

. Staley also frequently attends annual holiday parties hosted by the Bears. Staley has also appeared in the Elmhurst St. Patrick's Day Parade. Staley and other NFL mascots have also participated in Halloween events. Staley also visits area schools to promote and participate in anti- bullying assemblies and programs.

References

External links

Staley's Bio on the Chicago Bears website
Chicago Bears National Football League mascots Bear mascots 2003 establishments in Illinois {{mascot-stub