Mark Steven Bortz was a guard in the National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

. He attended the University of Iowa

University of Iowa

The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...

 and was drafted by the Bears in 1983 for 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 played there until 1994.

Professional career

The Bears' 1983 draft class is regarded as one of the best of all-time; providing 7 starters, including 3 for the Offensive Line - Bortz, fellow Guard Tom Thayer, and Tackle Jimbo Covert. When interviewed about the draft class for nfl.com, Coach Mike Ditka stated that Bortz was a converted defensive player, with great feet, and he formed part of a solid offensive line.

A two-time 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...

er, Bortz won a Super Bowl

Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...

 as a member of the 1985 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...

. He also holds the record for most playoff appearances by a Chicago Bear with 13.