Mike Pyle

Michael Johnson Pyle (July 18, 1939 – July 29, 2015) was an American professional football player who was a center for nine seasons between 1961 and 1969 in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears. In 2019 he was selected as one of the 100 greatest Bears of All-Time. Background Pyle was born in 1939 to William Palmer Pyle, an executive with Kraft Foods, and Cathryn Johnson Pyle in Keokuk, Iowa. He has two brothers: William Palmer Pyle Jr. (who played offensive guard at Michigan State University and with the Baltimore Colts, the Minnesota Vikings and the Oakland Raiders) and Harlen Pyle. From Palmer's family, his nephew is Eric Kumerow, and his grand-nephews are Joey and Nick Bosa, as well as Jake Kumerow. Pyle attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, where he wrestled and threw the discus and shot put in addition to playing football. He was an Illinois state wrestling champion in 1957 in the heavyweight division. He also won a state championship in 1957 for his efforts with the discus and set a state record on his way to winning the shot put title, as well. He graduated in 1957 from New Trier and went on to Yale University, where he was a member of Skull and Bones and Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He was an offensive lineman for the Bulldogs and captained the undefeated, co-Lambert Trophy winner 1960 team. The 1960 team was ranked 14th in the final AP college football poll and 18th in the final UPI college football poll.