Watching the Bears-Rams game with oldest living Bears alum John Damore
In the nearly 70 years since John Damore stepped on the field as a Chicago Bear, he's been a loyal spectator: "I don't miss a minute," he says.
Sitting in a recliner in his bedroom on Sunday watching the Bears take on the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, Damore, 92, reminisced about his time as an offensive lineman in the late 1950s.
He remembers the feeling of a high-stakes game and gave advice to current Bears.
"Play 60 minutes and play well, that's what they have to do," he said.
As the Bears and Rams faced off in frigid temperatures at Soldier Field, Damore remembered the days before heaters and heavy blankets on the sidelines.
"The field is heated now, but back then the ground was frozen," he said. "It was like playing on concrete."
Damore is believed to be the oldest living Bears alum, and he's still riding the high of beating the team's most bitter rival, the Green Bay Packers, in the first playoff round last week.
"It was the same for me as it is for them," he said about beating Green Bay. "I can't imagine the thrill."
As the Rams worked down the field on a touchdown drive late in the first quarter after intercepting a pass from Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, Ramore was steadfast in his belief that the Bears would return the favor with a touchdown of their own.
"They gotta come right back now," he said. "The best attitude is 'get one back!’”