Jim Covert
The cornerstone left tackle who protected Jim McMahon and bulldozed paths for Walter Payton on the Chicago Bears' legendary 1985 Super Bowl team.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American football player·Birthday: March 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
In the lore of the 1985 Chicago Bears, a team defined by its swaggering, brutal defense, the offensive line was its quiet, equally dominant counterpart. At its anchor was Jim Covert, a first-round draft pick from Pittsburgh who instantly transformed the Bears' front. Nicknamed 'Jimbo,' Covert played with a technical precision and a mean streak that made him one of the most feared linemen of his era. His primary job was to protect the blind side of quarterback Jim McMahon, a task he performed so well that he was named an All-Pro in just his second season. More than a pass protector, he was a devastating run blocker, clearing gargantuan holes for Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton. Covert's reliability and toughness were the bedrock of an offense that perfectly complemented the famed '46 Defense.' His career, though shortened by back injuries, peaked with that Super Bowl XX championship, cementing his status as one of the greatest Bears of all time and a pioneer of the modern offensive tackle position.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Jim was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jim Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Jim's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Named a First-Team All-Pro in 1985 and 1986, anchoring the offensive line of the Super Bowl XX champion Chicago Bears.
- Selected to the NFL's 1980s All-Decade Team as one of the premier offensive tackles of his era.
- Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020 as part of the special Centennial Slate class.
- Was the sixth overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, a class famously rich in quarterback talent.
Did You Know?
He played his college football at the University of Pittsburgh under coach Foge Fazio.
Covert and his college teammate, defensive end Dan Marino, were both first-round picks in the famed 1983 draft.
His Hall of Fame induction came 30 years after his final NFL game, a long-awaited recognition for many fans and analysts.
He served as the President of the Chicago Bears Alumni Association after his playing career.
“My job was simple: protect the quarterback and open a hole for Walter.”
