In the fall of 1985, down in Fairbury, Illinois, Corey Schieler nailed down a perfect Sunday routine at 10 years old. After going to church with his family, Corey would race home, tear off his Sunday clothes, throw on all his Bears gear, sit on the couch beside his father and watch as John Madden and Pat Summerall called the game.
Over three decades later, Corey still remembers how palpable his anticipation was to watch Bears legends Walter Payton and Richard Dent light up the field. And through the years, his Bears fandom has only grown larger.
Now a Bears season ticket holder at age 47, Corey was honored on Nov. 6 as the team’s 2022 Fan of the Year for his lifelong fandom and exemplary service in the community as a Wish Granter for Make-A-Wish Illinois.
“I was super humbled,” Corey said on receiving the honor. “The Chicago Bears have been a passion and love of mine for a long time. To get recognized for the work you do in the community, that meant a lot to me. Again, very humbling. There’s a lot of Bears fans that do a lot of great stuff for the community, so to just be among that group is a pretty neat thing to be a part of. But giving back is something that’s always been engrained in me and it’s nice to be recognized. I really appreciate it and I’m very grateful.”
After putting his name in to be a season ticket holder in 2005, Corey was finally selected in 2021, achieving another lifelong dream. This season, he moved his seats to be in the same section as his cousin, Kevin, and his wife, Autumn. Corey plans to put in for more season tickets to allow additional family members to attend Bears games.
Corey’s fandom stems from his father, Duane, a Vietnam veteran who instilled a love for football in him at a young age. Sharing that mutual love for the team made “being a Bears fan all about family.”
Over the years, Corey has brought his father, nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbors and friends to games at Soldier Field. Corey said being in the stands and hearing the crowd cheer “Bear Down” or “Go Bears” alongside family has created lifelong, irreplaceable memories.
In February of 2022, Duane passed away unexpectedly, making this past year difficult for Corey and his family. But Corey’s wife, Pam, believes the Fan of the Year honor is also an ode to Duane, creating an even greater moment for Corey.
“It kind of struck him emotionally,” Pam said. “He lost his dad in February, and I think he just felt that emotion of his dad, because they always watched every Sunday…
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