For decades, the University of Washington football program succeeded in finding great players in Chicago and bringing them west, largely with the determined recruiting support of Dr. Alfred Strauss, himself a Husky running back at the turn of the century and a major influence in the founding of the UW School of Medicine.

The Huskies are now returning the favor by sending a host of talented football players to the Windy City.

Or did you not notice who the main players were in the Chicago Bears’ 27-3 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in the exhibition game on Saturday night?

Most notably, former Huskies wide receiver Dante Pettis caught three passes for 53 yards and scored two touchdowns, and scored on catches of 4 and 25 yards, both in the third quarter, to help the Bears take an early lead in the game.

Meanwhile, Rome Odunze, another former UW receiver, was at his best in a limited appearance, catching a difficult 45-yard pass from fellow Chicago rookie and first-round draft pick Caleb Williams and managing 16 yards on an end-around.

And finally, former Huskies cornerback Kyler Gordon came from the side and slammed Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Logan Woodside to the ground with a broadside, causing him to lose 8 yards in the first quarter.

Given the presence of a talented receiver corps that includes Odunze, who was selected as the ninth overall pick in the NFL Draft in April, it will be a tall order for Pettis to make the Bears’ 53-man roster, but this performance should help him do so.