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Alumni film on Bears to air on WTTW-TV

August 25, 2016

Alumni Scott Prestin and Rich Lenkov and legendary Bears linebacker Otis Wilson are part of a documentary team that has produced a documentary on the 1985 Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears, and WTTW-TV (PBS) will air a preview screening at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7.

Chicago-Bears_1985

The film, “‘85: The Greatest Team in Pro Football History,” features Bears legends Mike Ditka, Mike Singletary, Jim McMahon, Dan Hampton and Steve McMichael and interviews with President Barack Obama, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Bill Murray, Jeremy Piven, George Wendt, Joe Mantegna and Michael Wilbon.

The ’85 Bears, one of the most colorful and talented teams of all time, had the first-ranked defense and shut out both of their playoff opponents. In their Super Bowl XX victory in New Orleans, they set records for both total points scored and margin of victory.

In a preview clip at www.85bearsdoc.com, former Bears defensive tackle Hampton talks about how fans booed and hated them in the late ’70s and early ’80s, before Ditka became coach.

“All of a sudden by ’82, Ditka’s first year, we had a core of some pretty good players,” Hampton says.

Scott-Prestin

Scott Prestin

Wilbon, an ESPN commentator, recalls how the players barked like dogs at each other and butted heads with opponents.

“They got to the point where they were invincible,” Wilbon says.

Besides being director and producer of the documentary, Prestin (B.S. ’92, J.D. ’95) works as an attorney and has more than 15 years of production experience. The Chicago native has successfully managed numerous documentary, commercial and narrative projects. His most recent work, the official documentary of the best-selling book “John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster,” is scheduled to release later this year.

Lenkov (J.D. ’95) also produced “The Perfect Storm: The 1994 Montreal Expos” and has been involved

Rich Lenkov

Rich Lenkov

in theatrical productions, including “Rock of Ages” and “The Rascals: Once Upon a Dream.” He is a Chicago resident and works as an attorney with the law firm Bryce Downey & Lenkov. In addition, he received the NIU Alumni Association this year with the Outstanding College Alumni Award for the College of Law.

Wilson was a key member of the dominant 4-6 defense from the Super Bowl XX winning Bears and was a soloist in the “Super Bowl Shuffle,” the only hit single by a professional sports team. He currently runs the Otis Wilson Charitable Association.