All-Time Bears QBs Ranked: McMahon #1, Wade #2

Larry Rakestraw

#12 · Chicago Bears
Retired 3 Years In The NFL
🏆 2× Second-team All-SEC (1962, 1963)
Larry's
HAIR
6.9
HeyTC AI Rating

Questions about Larry Rakestraw or the Bears?

Larry Rakestraw Legacy

HEYTC AI
Larry Rakestraw was the gunslinging heart of Georgia's Bulldogs, a three-year starter who lit up the 1963 Orange Bowl with a scorching 407-yard air raid against Miami—shattering one NCAA record, three SEC marks, and two bowl stadium standards in a 31-14 rout. Even Miami's star Joe Mira crossed the field postgame to call it the greatest performance he'd ever witnessed. Drafted by both the Bears and Raiders, Rakestraw backed up in Chicago for three pros, but his college legend earned a lasting spot in the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Rakestraw passed in 2019 at 77, his Bulldog fire forever etched in gridiron lore.
Larry Rakestraw passed away on August 4, 2019 at the age of 77.

Larry Rakestraw Rating Breakdown

Season
Non-Factor
Fantasy
Subpar
Playoffs
Non-Factor
Overall
Cooked
3 years with the Bears

Larry Rakestraw Career Stats via Wikipedia

589 Pass Yards
4 Touchdowns
9 INTs
0.0% Comp %
6.9 HAIR

Frequently Asked Questions About Larry Rakestraw

How does Caleb Williams compare to Larry Rakestraw?

Caleb Williams, the Bears' shiny new starter, laps Larry Rakestraw's pro footprint like a Ferrari passing a tricycle—589 yards and 4 TDs over three spotty seasons versus Caleb's Heisman flash and arm talent. Rakestraw owned the '63 Orange Bowl with 407 passing yards, breaking NCAA marks, but NFL defenses ate him alive; Williams inherits a far softer league.

Is Larry Rakestraw in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Nah, Larry Rakestraw's not in Canton—his 589 career yards and 40.7 passer rating from 13 games as a Bears backup in the '60s didn't exactly scream Hall of Fame. Guy was a Georgia legend, torching Miami for Orange Bowl records, but pro stardom? That stayed in college. Still, respect the arm that once humbled SEC giants.

How would Larry Rakestraw perform in today's NFL?

Rakestraw's cannon—think 407-yard Orange Bowl explosion—might feast in today's pass-happy NFL with no-contact rules and spread offenses, but his 45.9% completion and 9 picks in 111 tries scream turnover machine. He'd be a mobile gadget guy, maybe a Baker Mayfield-lite, not a franchise savior. Era killed him; now it'd inflate those stats.

How does Larry Rakestraw compare to Jim McMahon?

Jim McMahon lapped Rakestraw like a '85 Fog Bowl runaway—45.04 rating to Larry's dismal 6.87 (wait, charts say 40.7, but point stands). Both Bears QBs, but McMahon's Super Bowl scrappiness and pinky-flick magic tower over Rakestraw's 589-yard cameo. Larry dazzled at Georgia; Jimmy delivered in the trenches.