Plank attended Norwin High School in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, where he played baseball, basketball, and football. His high school baseball batting average of .526 stood as a school record for over thirty years. Following his senior football season, Plank was voted MVP of the WPIAL’s Foothills Conference.
He then played football for The Ohio State University, winning three Big Ten titles and participating in three consecutive Rose Bowls under legendary coach Woody Hayes. Plank played a reserve role at Ohio State starting only five games, playing mostly on special teams. One of those starts came against Northwestern his senior year in Chicago, where he was seen by a Chicago Bear scout.
NFL playing career
The 46 defense that was named after Doug Plank's jersey number
In 1975, Plank was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 12th round. He spent his entire eight-year NFL playing career with the Bears. He became an instant starter with the Bears and was the first Bears rookie to lead the team in tackles. Plank was a favorite of Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan for his hard hitting and aggressive style, so that he named his defense the "46 defense" after Plank's jersey number since Plank played middle linebacker in the defense and made automatic front line adjustments. The "46 Defense" put great pressure on the quarterback with 6 defensive lineman and a large inventory of blitzes with physical safeties that could cover receivers and stop the running game.[1] The Bears used the "46" Defense in 1985 to dominate the New England Patriots on their way to a Super Bowl victory of 46-10 despite the retirement of Plank in 1983.
Plank was considered one of the hardest hitting safeties in the game. Plank retired before the Bears reached their peak in 1985. Plank and Gary Fencik were dubbed "The Hit Men", a fact referenced by Fencik in 1985's The Super Bowl Shuffle.
In 1984, Plank played one season in the USFL for the Chicago Blitz before retiring.
After football
After football, Plank became a franchisee of Burger King Corporation. He operated a total of twenty individual restaurants in three states over a twenty-year period.
In 1995, Plank began working as a football analyst and has done work for Fox Sports, the Arizona Cardinals, the Arizona State Sun Devils, the University of Arizona Wildcats, and the Arizona Rattlers. In 1996, a Bears fan "Bearman" became the unofficial mascot of the Bears, and he wore Plank's Number 46 jersey.
Since 2001, Plank has worked as a football color analyst for NFL and NCAA football on national radio broadcasts for Sports USA Media.[citation needed]
He is a licensed realtor in Arizona, a licensed health license salesperson, licensed life insurance salesperson, and real estate investor in Arizona. He currently manages commercial and residential properties in Arizona. He is also an investor for the McRae Group, which improves property through the entitlement process for future development.
In addition, Plank is a seminar speaker, emphasizing the value of hard work, making wise decisions in one's personal life and working with competent partners for success.[2][3]
In 2004, Plank was hired by Arthur Blank to be head coach of the Georgia Force, an arena football team he owned in addition to the Atlanta Falcons. He was named the AFL's Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2007, leading Georgia to the playoffs in every season and in his first year, ArenaBowl XIX in 2005. In Plank's first four years as an AFL head coach, he won more games in that period than any other coach in the history of the AFL.
In 2008, he was a seasonal assistant on the Atlanta Falcons staff. The Falcons played in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs. In 2009, he served as the assistant defensive backfield coach for the New York Jets under head coach Rex Ryan, the son of Plank's former defensive coordinator, Buddy Ryan. The 2009 Jets defense led the NFL in fewest total yards allowed, fewest points allowed, and fewest TD passes allowed. The Jets played in the AFC championship game versus the Colts.
In 2010, Plank became a football program assistant at Ohio State. The Buckeyes earned a share of the Big 10 title with an 11–1 record and beat Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl.
On August 31, 2011, Plank became head coach of the AFL's Philadelphia Soul. In his first year, the Soul compiled a regular season record of 15–3 after going 6–12 the previous year. The Soul played in ArenaBowl XXV versus the Arizona Rattlers. The Soul established new franchise records in wins, scoring, rushing, and defensive takeaways in 2012.[4]
On September 5, 2012, Plank became head coach of the 4-14 Orlando Predators of the AFL. After losing the first five games of the 2013 season, Orlando rebounded to make the playoffs before losing in the first round and subsequently retiring.[5]
