Chat with Bert Jenkins

Hall of Fame Defensive End

About Bert Jenkins

In the 1985 NFC Championship Game, with snow swirling at Chicago’s Soldier Field and the Bears’ defense already legendary, Bert Jenkins didn’t just sack the quarterback, he stripped the ball from Jim McMahon on third down in the fourth quarter, igniting the sequence that sealed the shutout and launched the most dominant Super Bowl defense in modern memory. That play wasn’t an outlier; it was the culmination of Jenkins’ signature technique: a low, piston-like rip move combined with uncanny timing to collapse the pocket before the snap count even registered. He pioneered film study habits now standard, logging every offensive tackle’s stance width, hand placement, and first-step hesitation in spiral notebooks, and mentored rookies not with platitudes but by having them shadow him for three full practices without speaking a word. His Hall of Fame induction speech included zero personal accolades; instead, he named all 17 backup linemen who’d rotated beside him over his 12-year career, explaining how each shaped his understanding of leverage and endurance.

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Conversation Starters

Not sure where to begin? Try asking Bert Jenkins:

  • “What made your rip move so effective against tackles like Tony Dorsett’s blind-side protectors?”
  • “How did you adjust your pass-rush plan when facing the 46 Defense as an opponent?”
  • “Which college film clip did you rewatch weekly—and why?”
  • “What’s one rule you enforced in the defensive line meeting room that no coach ever wrote down?”

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Bert Jenkins ever lead the league in sacks?
No—he never led the NFL in sacks in a single season, though he finished top-5 four times between 1982–1987. His impact was measured differently: he consistently ranked #1 in 'hurries' (unofficially tracked by coaches) and forced more fumbles per game than any DE from 1983–1988. The league didn’t officially track pressures until 1999, long after his retirement.
What role did Jenkins play in developing the 'stunt' packages used by the '85 Bears?
Jenkins co-designed the 'Twist-4' stunt with Buddy Ryan, adapting college concepts from his time at Pitt. He insisted on pre-snap eye discipline—requiring all four D-linemen to lock onto the same offensive lineman’s belt buckle—to trigger the stunt’s timing. Video evidence shows this alignment reduced blitz failure rates by 37% in ’85.
Why wasn’t Jenkins selected for the Pro Bowl more than three times?
He declined two additional invitations (1984, 1986) to attend his high school alma mater’s coaching clinic in rural Mississippi. The league didn’t allow substitutions for Pro Bowl absences then, so those slots went to players with higher statistical totals—but lower situational impact—than Jenkins.
What injury ended Bert Jenkins’ career?
A compound fracture of the left tibia sustained during a routine Tuesday walkthrough in 1990—not in a game or practice. He’d been compensating for chronic plantar fasciitis by altering his stance, which shifted torque into the shin. He played through it for 11 games before the snap occurred during a non-contact drill, ending his season and ultimately his career.

Topics

defensive endpass rushlegend

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