Mike Singletary facts for kids
Singletary with the 49ers in June 2009
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| No. 50 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | October 9, 1958 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Worthing (Houston, Texas) |
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| College: | Baylor (1977–1980) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1981 / Round: 2 / Pick: 38 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Head coaching record | |||||||||||
| Career: | NFL: 18–22 (.450) AAF: 2–6 (.250) |
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Michael "Mike" Singletary (born October 9, 1958) is a famous American former football player and coach. People often called him "Samurai Mike" because of how intense he was on the field. He played as a linebacker for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL).
After playing college football for the Baylor Bears, Singletary was chosen by the Bears in the 1981 NFL draft. He became known as "the Heart of the Defense" for the Bears' amazing defense in the mid-1980s. He was a key part of the team that won Super Bowl XX against the New England Patriots. Mike Singletary was honored by being inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
Later, Singletary became a coach. He coached linebackers for the Baltimore Ravens and then the San Francisco 49ers. In 2008, he became the head coach for the 49ers. He also coached for other teams like the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams, and even a high school team.
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Early Life and Football Dreams
Mike Singletary was born in Houston, Texas, and was the youngest of ten children. His father, Charles, was a street preacher. The family lived in a small home in Houston. Mike's father even built a church next to their house where he played guitar on Sundays.
Mike faced sad times early in his life. His older brother, Dale, passed away unexpectedly. Later, his relationship with his father became difficult. However, his brother Grady stepped in to guide him, encouraging Mike to avoid bad habits. Mike loved watching football on Sundays, especially the Dallas Cowboys. He looked up to players like Roger Staubach and Bob Lilly.
Mike went to Evan E. Worthing High School in Houston. In ninth grade, he was an all-state player as both a guard and a linebacker. His mother became a regular at his games as he became a star. Even though he had some early worries about his grades, he worked hard and improved them. After a great high school career, Mike earned a scholarship to Baylor University. There, he met another important mentor, Baylor coach Grant Teaff.
College Football Success
Mike Singletary played college football at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. As a linebacker, he was incredibly good. He earned All-America honors in both his junior (1979) and senior (1980) years. He averaged an amazing 15 tackles per game! In 1978, he set a team record with 232 tackles in one season, including 35 tackles in a single game against the University of Houston.
During his senior year in 1980, Baylor's team won 10 games, which was a first for the school. Mike was the only college junior to be picked for the All-Southwest Conference Team of the 1970s. He also won the Davey O'Brien Memorial Trophy twice. This award was given to the best player in the southwestern United States at the time. Mike's total of 662 tackles during his college career set a new school record.
Professional Football Career
Mike Singletary joined the Chicago Bears in 1981. He quickly became a starting linebacker in the Bears' defense during his rookie season. In one game, he had 10 tackles and forced a fumble. He was chosen as an almost unanimous all-rookie player.
Singletary started 172 games for the Bears over his 12-year career. He was known for being an intense player. He was the team's top or second-leading tackler for 11 of his last seasons. He made an impressive 1,488 tackles in his career, along with 7 interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries.
He was selected to play in a team-record 10 Pro Bowls. He was also named All-Pro eight times and All-NFC every year from 1983 to 1991.
Super Bowl XX Champions
In 1985, Singletary led the Bears to an incredible 15–1 season. The team's special "46 defense," created by Buddy Ryan, allowed Singletary to make plays without being blocked very often. That season, he had 109 solo tackles, 3 sacks, 1 interception, and 3 fumble recoveries. He won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. The Bears' defense was ranked number one overall that year!
During the 1985 playoffs, Singletary played exceptionally well. In the divisional game against the New York Giants, he recovered a fumble and had a sack. The Bears won 21–0. In the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams, Singletary and the defense were dominant again. The Bears went on to win Super Bowl XX by beating the New England Patriots 46–10. In the Super Bowl, Singletary broke up a pass that could have been a touchdown and tied a Super Bowl record with 2 fumble recoveries.
Mike Singletary was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year again in 1988. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998. In 1999, he was ranked number 56 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Mike Singletary decided to become a coach.
Early Coaching Roles
In 2003, Singletary became the linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens. After the 2004 season, he moved to the San Francisco 49ers to be their assistant head coach and linebackers coach. He interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers in 2007, but wasn't chosen.
San Francisco 49ers Head Coach
Singletary became the interim head coach of the 49ers in October 2008. He quickly made headlines in his first game by sending a player, Vernon Davis, off the field for bad behavior. In a press conference after the game, Singletary famously said, "I want winners!" This phrase became very popular with fans. He helped the team finish the 2008 season with a 5–4 record under his leadership. Because of this, he was offered the full-time head coaching position.
In the 2009 season, Singletary helped the 49ers start strong. The team finished the season with an 8–8 record, which was their first non-losing season since 2002. Several players from the 2009 team were chosen for the NFL Pro Bowl. In 2009, Singletary also joined other members of the 1985 Chicago Bears to recreate their famous "Super Bowl Shuffle" for a commercial.
The 2010 season started tough for the 49ers, with an 0–5 record. The team struggled and was eventually eliminated from playoff contention. Singletary was fired after the team's second-to-last game of the season.
Other Coaching Experiences
After leaving the 49ers, Singletary joined the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff in 2011 as a linebackers coach and assistant to the head coach. He stayed with the Vikings until 2013.
In 2016, Singletary returned to coaching as an advisor for the Los Angeles Rams defense. He also became the head coach of the Memphis Express in the Alliance of American Football (AAF) in 2018, but the league stopped operations. From 2018 to 2019, he coached a high school team at Trinity Christian Academy in Texas.
Head Coaching Record
National Football League
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| SF | 2008* | 5 | 4 | 0 | .556 | 2nd in NFC West | — | — | — | — |
| SF | 2009 | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2nd in NFC West | — | — | — | — |
| SF | 2010 | 5 | 10 | 0 | .333 | (Fired) | — | — | — | — |
| Total | 18 | 22 | 0 | .450 | 0 | 0 | .000 | |||
* Interim head coach
Alliance of American Football
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| MEM | 2019 | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 | 3rd in Eastern Conference | — | — | — | — |
| Total | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 | 0 | 0 | .000 | |||
High school
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Win % | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| Trinity | 2018 | 1 | 10 | .091 | — | — | — | — |
| Trinity | 2019 | 0 | 11 | .000 | — | — | — | — |
| Trinity | 1 | 21 | .045 | 0 | 0 | .000 | ||
Other Activities
Mike Singletary is also a motivational speaker and an ordained minister. He has written several books, sharing his experiences and insights. In 2022, he was a contestant on the CBS reality show Beyond the Edge.
Personal Life
Mike Singletary is a dedicated Christian. He has said that his faith is very important to him. Mike and his wife, Kim, have seven children. His son Matt played college football at Baylor University and California Polytechnic State University. His nephew, Vantz, is also a football coach.
