High School Football | Chicago Bears Official Website

The Bears are proud to partner with Athletico Physical Therapy to present the Chicago Bears Community High School All-Star Award that recognizes high school football players who make a positive impact in their community and school. These student-athletes exemplify service, leadership and character. The Bears Community High School All-Stars take the lessons learned through playing the sport of football and use them to benefit their community.

Week 1 l Abbie Lewis - Stevenson High School

Week 2 l Nicholas Armour - Leo Catholic High School

Week 3 l Margaret Yoest - Lane Tech College Prep High School

Week 4 l Adilene Diaz - Instituto Health Science Career Academy High School

Week 5 l Sajjad Hussain - Wauconda High School

Week 6 l Carson Strating - Morrison High School

Week 7 l David Lyle - St. Rita of Cascia High School

The Chicago Bears hosted the 3rd annual Nike 11-On at Fenton High School on June 29 and 30. Sixteen high schools participated in scrimmages and skills competitions over two days.  Those schools were:

• Addison Trail
• Carmel Catholic
• Christ the King
• Dundee-Crown
• Evanston
• Fenton
• Joliet West
• Lane Tech
• North Chicago
• Rochester
• Rockford Auburn
• South Elgin
• Streamwood
• Thornton Fractional North
• Westinghouse
• Willowbrook

As the winning team, Rochester received a $2,000 donation to their football program.  Carmel Catholic and Fenton received a $1,500 donation for coming in second and third place, respectively.  South Elgin received a $1,000 donation for fourth place, Dundee-Crown and Evanston received a $750 donation for coming in fifth and sixth place respectively, and Joliet West and Rockford Auburn received a $500 donation for coming in seventh and eighth place respectively.

During halftime on Dec. 10, the Bears recognized the 2023 Football State Champions:

• Class 1A - Central Junior High School (Camp Point, IL.)
• Class 2A - Wilmington High School (Wilmington, IL.)
• Class 3A - Byron High School (Byron, IL.)
• Class 4A - Rochester High School (Rochester, IL.)
• Class 5A - Nazareth Academy (LaGrange Park, IL.)
• Class 6A - Cary-Grove High School (Cary, IL.)
• Class 7A - Mt. Carmel High School (Chicago, IL.)
• Class 8A - Loyola Academy (Wilmette, IL.)
• Girls Flag Football - Lane Tech College Prep (Chicago, IL.)

The Chicago Bears and Bears Care announced that Back of the Yards High School in Chicago and Thornton Township High School in Harvey will each receive grants from Bears Care for athletic training equipment that will support the health and safety of all students. In 2021, the Chicago Bears and Bears Care also presented Dunbar Vocational Career Academy in Chicago and Fenton High School in Bensenville with similar grants; Tucker also joined their coaches and staff virtually to share the news.

On Oct. 28,  2023, CPS Lane Tech High School was crowned the new Illinois Girls Flag Football state champions by the Chicago Bears. They clinched the title by defeating their CPS counterparts, Wendell Phillips High School, with a core of 30-0 in the championship final. Both Lane Tech and Phillips were considered underdogs going into the finals, having overcome two powerhouse teams, Willowbrook and Guilford in the semifinals.

In addition, the 2022 state champions, Willowbrook High School from Western Suburban League, secured the 3rd place spot this year after a well-fought victory against Guilford High School from Rockford, ending with a score of 12-0. Overall, more than 100 high school teams participated from six different leagues this year.

The Bears annually host the National Football Foundation Chicago Metro Chapter Scholar-Athlete Awards at Halas Hall. This year three high school seniors received college scholarships and trophies for their excellence on the football field, in the classroom and in the community. The scholarships are provided through a partnership between Bears Care and the National Football Foundation. Additionally, the Chicago Bears Community Champion Award was presented to two high school football players in recognition of their tremendous civic involvement. Each recipient received a $5,000 scholarship.

The NFL Foundation Grassroots Program is a partnership of the National Football League Foundation (NFL Foundation) and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to provide non-profit, neighborhood-based organizations, middle schools and high schools with financing and technical assistance to improve the quality, safety, and accessibility of local football fields.

Parks and playing fields can serve as tremendous community assets because they offer opportunities for recreation, education, and relaxation that contribute to the local quality of life, especially for young people. Since 1998, the Fields Program has awarded $61.8 million in grants for 431 projects in over 40 cities across the country. The 2023 Grassroots funding cycle will begin September 15, 2023 and the deadline for submissions will be December 15, 2023. Details on how to apply are available here.

Below are the past winners from the Chicago area:

• 1998: Jackson Park Field (Chicago)
• 2000: North Park University Football Field (Chicago)
• 2000: New City YMCA Football Field (Chicago)
• 2004: Jesse Owens Park (Chicago)
• 2006: Lane Stadium (Chicago)
• 2007: Lazier Field (Evanston)
• 2008: Orr Academy High School (Chicago)
• 2009: Gately Stadium (Chicago)
• 2010: LaFollette Park (Chicago)
• 2011: Altgeld Park (Chicago)
• 2012: Kelly Park (Chicago)
• 2013: Pullman Park Recreational Center (Chicago)
• 2014: Manual Academy (Peoria)
• 2017: Douglas Park (Chicago)
• 2018: Ogden Park (Chicago)
• 2019: Taylor Park (Chicago)
• 2020: Leo High School (Chicago).

The National Football League Foundation (NFL Foundation) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and safety of sports, youth football and the communities in which we live. The NFL Foundation represents the 32 NFL clubs and supports the health and safety of athletes, youth football and the communities which support our game.