George Leo Connor (January 21, 1925 – March 31, 2003) was an American professional football player for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1948 to 1955. He played offensive tackle on offense, and on defense was recognized as one of the sport's first linebackers. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and of the College Football Hall of Fame. He attended both the College of the Holy Cross and the University of Notre Dame. He won the first Outland Trophy as the best college lineman in 1946. Sportswriter Grantland Rice once observed Connor was "the closest thing to a Greek God since Apollo." Early life and college Connor was born in Chicago, and was not expected to survive infancy, weighing only three pounds at his premature birth. He played two years of college football at Holy Cross and was a second-team All-America selection by the Associated Press in 1943. He then served in the United States Navy during World War II. After the war, Connor was drafted in the first round, fifth overall by the New York Giants in 1946, but instead transferred to the University of Notre Dame to be closer to his ill father. He was twice a consensus All-American as a tackle for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, in 1946 and 1947. He won the first Outland Trophy as the nation's best college interior lineman in 1946. Connor was a key component of Notre Dame's 1946 and 1947 national championship teams, and was the captain of the unbeaten 1947 team. Professional career After graduating, Connor received an offer from the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference, but chose to sign with his hometown Chicago Bears in 1948 for $13,000 a year guaranteed for three years, a high salary at the time for a lineman. He played for the Bears from 1948 through 1955. In eight seasons, he was named a first-team All-Pro five times, and was an invitee to the first four Pro Bowls. At first exclusively a tackle on defense, in a game in 1949 Bears head coach George Halas ordered Connor to stand upright outside the end in an attempt to thwart the running of Philadelphia Eagles halfback Steve Van Buren. The plan worked, as Connor held Van Buren in check and the Bears handed the Eagles their only loss of the season. "We