About Baylor Bears
Baylor Bears football team started its first season in 1898 whereas the basketball took another nine years to arrive. The Baylor Bears are located in Big 12 Conference and are members of Division I (FBS for football).
The college has rivalries with TCU, Texas Tech and SMU.
The college’s colours are green and gold and their mascot is named Bruiser which is meant to represent American Black Bear.
Football team of Bears won seven Southwest Conference titles and two Big 12 Conference titles for a total of nine. They have appeared in 22 Bowl games for a record of 11-11. They have played in 7 Bowls occurring on the New Year’s Day and seven of their appearances went to be major bowl ones.
With a mixed fortune and team’s success there has been some individual accomplishments within the program and the Bears produced one Heisman Trophy winner, Robert Griffin III who went onto being selected 2nd overall in 2012 year by the Redskins.
Griffin III won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year title leading his team to playoffs, he recorded 59th perfect game in NFL history and was voted to Pro Bowl before long series of injuries and controversies appeared to derail his career.
One of the past biggest stars from Bears coming to NFL was Mike Singletary who was drafted in 1981 and spent all his career with the Bears that earned him: Super Bowl ring, 10 Pro Bowl nominations, 8 first team All-Pro selections, two AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year that earned him a selection to NFL 1980s All-Decade Team and later entry into Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Basketball program appeared to have a similar level of team success as the Bears appeared in 9 NCAA Tournaments (with a combined record of 11-11), making it all the way to Final Four in 1948 finishing as the runner-up.
Recent success includes two appearances in Elite Eight from 2010 and 2012 making it total of four. The Bears were conference regular champions five times but the last one such feat occurred in 1950.
Michael Williams, who is third all time in college history with points scored, made a decent career in NBA when he joined Detroit Pistons in 1988 and was part of their championship run as a rookie. He spent eleven years in NBA ranks making NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1992.
There is few Bears in the NBA, most of them playing forward position, including Cory Jefferson, Quincy Acy, Perry Jones III. None of them had managed to establish themselves firmly within the NBA but given their age they still have the time.
It appears that the Bears’ fortunes vary and once in a while the programs produce Pro players who go onto having enjoyable careers in the ‘big leagues’.
