Gary Fencik
Encyclopedia
John Gary Fencik is a former professional American-football
free safety and currently an executive with Adams Street Partners. Fencik played twelve seasons with the Chicago Bears
and is their all-time leader in interceptions and total tackles. He was the team's defensive captain through the 1980s including 1985
Super Bowl
championship season. He made two Pro Bowl
appearances (1980
, 1981
). He was also awarded a gold record and a platinum video award for the 1985 Super Bowl Shuffle
.
Fencik finished his career with 38 interceptions, which he returned for 488 yards and a touchdown. He also recorded 2 sacks and recovered 14 fumbles, returning them for 65 yards.
He played college football
at Yale University
, where he received his bachelor's degree
in 1976. In 1985, he received an MBA from Northwestern University
. John Madden once said in a broadcast that "Gary Fencik played football at Yale; that is like saying clean dirt".
Fencik was originally drafted by the Miami Dolphins
in the tenth round of the 1976 NFL Draft
, with the 281st overall selection.
Fencik along with Doug Plank
were dubbed "The Hit Men", a fact referenced by Fencik in The Super Bowl Shuffle.
In September, 1986 he was featured on the cover of GQ magazine. His picture also appeared on the reverse side of a Playboy
centerfold
, showing him and the playmate shopping at the Old Town Art Fair.
Following his football career, Fencik has worked in the finance industry. Before joining Adams Street Partners in 1995, Fencik worked with Wells Fargo
and UBS
. He has also worked as a sports commentator
, mainly on WGN
radio where he was a color commentator
on Bears radio broadcasts from 1990-1993. During the 1988 NFL season
he paired with James Brown as an NFL television commentator on CBS
.
He has two children, Garrison and Evan.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
free safety and currently an executive with Adams Street Partners. Fencik played twelve seasons with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and is their all-time leader in interceptions and total tackles. He was the team's defensive captain through the 1980s including 1985
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
Super Bowl
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
championship season. He made two Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
appearances (1980
1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
, 1981
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
). He was also awarded a gold record and a platinum video award for the 1985 Super Bowl Shuffle
Super Bowl Shuffle
"The Super Bowl Shuffle" is a rap song performed by players of the Chicago Bears football team during 1985, slightly prior to their win in Super Bowl XX.-Song and video:...
.
Fencik finished his career with 38 interceptions, which he returned for 488 yards and a touchdown. He also recorded 2 sacks and recovered 14 fumbles, returning them for 65 yards.
He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, where he received his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 1976. In 1985, he received an MBA from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. John Madden once said in a broadcast that "Gary Fencik played football at Yale; that is like saying clean dirt".
Fencik was originally drafted by the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the tenth round of the 1976 NFL Draft
1976 NFL Draft
The 1976 National Football League Draft was an annual player selection meeting held on April 8–April 9, 1976. It lasted 17 rounds, with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks making the first two selections. The expansion teams were also given a pair of extra picks at the end of...
, with the 281st overall selection.
Fencik along with Doug Plank
Doug Plank
Douglas Walter Plank is a former American-football safety and coach in the National Football League. Currently, he is the head coach of the Philadelphia Soul in the Arena Football League.- Early life :...
were dubbed "The Hit Men", a fact referenced by Fencik in The Super Bowl Shuffle.
In September, 1986 he was featured on the cover of GQ magazine. His picture also appeared on the reverse side of a Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
centerfold
Centerfold
The centerfold of a magazine refers to a gatefolded spread, usually a portrait such as a pin-up or a nude, inserted in the middle of the publication, or to the model featured in the portrait...
, showing him and the playmate shopping at the Old Town Art Fair.
Following his football career, Fencik has worked in the finance industry. Before joining Adams Street Partners in 1995, Fencik worked with Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
and UBS
UBS AG
UBS AG is a Swiss global financial services company headquartered in Basel and Zürich, Switzerland, which provides investment banking, asset management, and wealth management services for private, corporate, and institutional clients worldwide, as well as retail clients in Switzerland...
. He has also worked as a sports commentator
Sports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
, mainly on WGN
WGN (AM)
WGN is a radio station in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is the only radio station owned by the Tribune Company, which also owns the flagship television station WGN-TV, the Chicago Tribune newspaper and Chicago magazine locally. WGN's transmitter is located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois...
radio where he was a color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
on Bears radio broadcasts from 1990-1993. During the 1988 NFL season
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
he paired with James Brown as an NFL television commentator on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
.
He has two children, Garrison and Evan.