Rick Telander
Longtime sportswriter Rick Telander was a Senior Writer at Sports Illustrated from 1981 to 1995 and then a featured columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times from 1995 to 2025. He has written ten books, one of which, Heaven Is a Playground, has been named one of the best sports books of all time. His work has been collected in over two dozen anthologies.
A native of Peoria, Ill., he attended Northwestern University on a football scholarship, earning All-Big Ten honors as a cornerback and twice being named to the All-Big Ten Academic first team. His junior year he was also the team’s punter. He has won many writing awards, including Illinois Sportswriter of the Year (eight times), the Dan Jenkins Award for Excellence in Sportswriting from the University of Texas, the Sigma Delta Chi Award for Distinguished Service from the Society of Professional Journalists, and his work has been nominated three times for a Pulitzer Prize.
He was an original member of the seminal ``The Sports Writers on TV’’ show. In 2022, he was inducted into the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame in Winston-Salem, NC.
The latest from Rick Telander
From longshot to champs: Indiana wins first national football title | Telander
“Anything is possible.” And Indiana proved it with a College Football Playoff title win over Miami on Monday night. Fox Chicago Sports contributor Rick Telander reflects on the conclusion of an improbable season.
How Indiana football became a national power in the new age of college sports: Telander
Fox Chicago Sports contributor Rick Telander reflects on Indiana football’s improbable rise, using it as a window into how money, transfers, and adaptation have completely reshaped college football.
For the Bears, the whole season comes down to one more game against the Packers: Telander
After 15 years without a playoff win, the Bears’ season — and maybe their sanity — hinges once again on beating their oldest and most painful rival.
Caleb Williams is electric — but are the Bears asking too much too soon: Telander
A close loss to San Francisco puts Caleb Williams under the microscope again, raising familiar questions about whether brilliance, inconsistency, or something in between will ultimately define the Chicago Bears’ franchise quarterback.
How Notre Dame should fit itself into the Wild West of college football | Telander
As Notre Dame screamed and hollered for being left out of the 12-team tourney, it really had nobody to blame but itself. To avoid that, they should adhere to the "Wild West" that is present-day college football.
With Packers looming, Caleb Williams looks like the quarterback Chicago has waited 75 years for: Telander
A look at why Caleb Williams is emerging as the steady, resilient quarterback the Bears have been searching for — and how injuries, rivals, and past failures highlight just how rare that is.
Notre Dame's playoff snub could trigger seismic shifts across college football: Telander
Fox 32 contributing sports columnist Rick Telander argues that Notre Dame’s playoff snub could set off sweeping changes to scheduling, conferences, and the very structure of college football.
Why Ben Johnson may be the Bears’ best move in decades: Telander
Fox Chicago Sports contributing columnist Rick Telander breaks down how Ben Johnson’s innovative coaching, key veteran additions, and a dominant run game have turned the 9-3 Chicago Bears into surprise NFC contenders after their 24-15 win over the Eagles.
The Cardiac Bears win by small margins & beat injured squads. Get used to it | Telander
The Bears have become masters of winning games by less than a field goal. That's stressful, sure, but that’s how this 2025 season is going to be, folks. Strap yourself in, writes Rick Telander.
Why the Chicago Bears’ wild wins are exactly what Paul Tagliabue envisioned for the NFL | Telander
The Chicago Bears have turned into the NFL’s most exciting team, with quarterback Caleb Williams leading a string of dramatic fourth-quarter comebacks that reflect the thrilling, parity-driven vision of late commissioner Paul Tagliabue.