Former Bears punter/tight end Bob Parsons, whose NFL record of 114 punts set in 1981 still stands, died last Friday at 72.
Parsons, a fifth-round draft pick out of Penn State, played for the Bears from 1972-83 — he was a tight end from 1972-77 and the Bears’ full-time punter from 1974-83. He played in 167 consecutive games — a franchise record at the time —before he was cut by Mike Ditka with two games left in the 1983 season after Ditka was miffed that Parsons had contacted the USFL’s Chicago Blitz about a coaching job.
Parsons, who lived in Lake Zurich in retirement, led the NFL in punts in 1975 (93), 1981 (114) and 1982 (58 in a strike-shortened season), when he averaged a career-best 41.