
Doug Plank: The Original 46 | NFL Toughness, Bears History & Old School Football
Doug Plank — “The Original 46” — joins the show for an incredible deep dive into football, toughness, leadership, and life after the game. From growing up in Irwin, Pennsylvania and becoming an All-State running back, to starring at Ohio State Buckeyes football alongside 2x Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin, Doug shares stories from every stage of his football journey. Doug talks about overcoming injuries early in college, fighting his way back to the pros, and what it was like walking into the legendary Chicago Bears locker room for the first time. He also reflects on playing under coaches Jack Pardee, Neill Armstrong, and the iconic Mike Ditka. The conversation dives into the legendary “46 Defense,” how Doug studied quarterbacks as a free safety, the hardest hitters he faced, trash talk on the field, and the famous divide between the Bears’ 1985 offense and defense featured in ESPN’s 30 for 30 coverage. Doug also opens up about retirement from the NFL, playing in the USFL, coaching in the Arena Football League, and life after football. Plus, we wrap things up with our signature Binge Burner Round. This is an awesome conversation filled with old-school football stories, NFL history, and behind-the-scenes insight from one of the toughest players of his era.0:00 Introduction 0:49 All State RB in High School 3:26 High School Baseball Experience 4:59 Destination Ohio State & Irwin, PA Roots 8:03 Doug's First Choice of College 8:54 Letter Writing to Joe Paterno 10:50 Doug's Request to Joe Paterno That Led Him to Ohio State 11:57 Woody Hayes Recruitment of Doug 14:13 PA High School All-Star Game (Big 33 Game) & Penn State coaches 17:02 Doug's First Practice at Ohio State 18:43 Ohio State vs Penn State 19:44 Freshman Year Injury and Its Impact on Doug's Playing Time 23:29 Playing With 2x Heisman Winner Archie Griffin 25:38 Getting Drafted and Walking Into The Bears Locker Room for the First Time 33:56 Playing for Pardee, Armstrong and Ditka 38:46 Any Hard Hits on Doug Plank 42:05 Reading the QBs being a Free Safety 45:04 What Made The “46-D’ Great 50:19 30 for 30 and the Split between the ’86 Beard Offense and Defense 51:48 Retirement from the NFL and Playing in the USFL 54:00 What Players Did Doug Like Playing Against 55:52 Coaching in the Arena Football League 1:00:47 Post Football Retirement Discussion 1:11:51 Binge Burner Round (Wally Chambers, Jim Osborne, Mike Ditka, Gary Fencik)1:20:59 Trash Talking On The Field 1:25:10 Closing Comments and OutroThanks for tuning in and be sure to leave a comment for Doug. Please click FOLLOW for future episodes of the Back It Up Binge Podcast. #DougPlank #ChicagoBears #NFLHistory #46Defense #BuddyRyan #AthleteStory #InspiringInterviews #backitupbingepodcast FYI All material used in this video fully complies with fair use law which permits the reuse of the Work in a non-commercial and transformative manner. It does not use the original more than necessary and does not negatively affect the market for the original work. If you do not agree with any material used in the video, just contact us and request the removal of the video, which we will remove immediately.













