J. C. Caroline obit

Bears great J.C. Caroline has died

 

 He was not on the list.

A gifted 6-0, 184-pound speedy halfback known as "Mr. Zoom", J.C. Caroline was one of the best running backs in Illinois history. He led the nation in rushing as a sophomore in 1953, gaining 1,256 yards in nine games to set the Big Ten record at the time and helping the Illini to a 7-1-1 record and a share of the conference title. A First Team All-American that season, he finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy balloting.

As a junior in 1954, Caroline rushed for 440 yards in four games. An injury forced him to miss the rest of the season.

Caroline signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League in 1955 before joining the Chicago Bears for a decade, where he mainly played defensive back. He made the Pro Bowl as a rookie and finished with 24 career interceptions.

e initially signed with the Toronto Argonauts for $15,000 and played with them through September. They then stunned the league when he was placed on waivers; head coach Bill Swiacki, claimed he wasn’t good enough as a defensive back. The only team that could afford him was the division champion Montreal Alouettes. Caroline rushed for 575 yards on the season. He played in the 1955 Grey Cup game. Following that year, Caroline earned a physical education degree from Florida A&M University and was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the 82nd overall pick in the 1956 NFL Draft .

Beginning in 1956, Caroline had a ten-year career with the Bears. Playing primarily defensive back, Caroline finished his career with 24 interceptions and six total touchdowns—two rushing, one receiving, one fumble recovery, and two on interceptions. Caroline intercepted Johnny Unitas's first NFL career pass attempt and returned it for a touchdown. He was a two-way player for the Bears' 1956 Western Conference champions and a DB on the 1963 NFL Championship team.

Caroline was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980. He was portrayed by actor Bernie Casey in the 1971 biopic Brian's Song. His grandson Jordan Caroline is a basketball player at Nevada.

Caroline worked as an assistant coach at Illinois before becoming a physical education teacher and coach in Urbana, Ill. He passed away in 2017 at the age of 84.

Career highlights and awards

    Pro Bowl (1956)

    NFL Rookie of the Year (1956)

    100 greatest Bears of All-Time

    College Football Hall of Fame