J.C. Caroline was a sensational running back at Illinois who led the nation in rushing with 1,256 yards in nine games as a sophomore in 1953 — breaking Red Grange’s school and Big Ten record.

But Caroline made his biggest mark in football as a versatile and selfless team player. He played mostly defense with the Bears because coach George Halas felt he could help the team more at cornerback than running back — and he made the Pro Bowl with six interceptions and two touchdowns as a rookie in 1956. And when Caroline eventually lost his starting job to Bennie McRae in 1963, he become a stalwart on special teams with key tackles and blocked kicks.

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That was never more evident than in the biggest regular-season game of that championship season when the 8-1 Bears faced off against the 8-1 defending NFL champion Green Bay Packers at Wrigley Field. Caroline’s bone-jarring tackle of Herb Adderley on the opening kickoff set the tone that ignited a convincing 26-7 victory that Halas called the Bears’ “greatest victory since 1946” — the last time the Bears had won the NFL title.

“I knew we had them when J.C. Caroline made that great tackle on Herb Adderley on the opening kickoff,” Bears assistant coach Phil Handler said after that game. “I knew we wre ready.”

Caroline, who played 10 seasons with the Bears after his All-American career at Illinois, died at 84 on Friday in Urbana. He’s the second member of the 1963 championship team to pass away this month, following linebacker Joe Fortunato, who died at 87 on Nov. 6.

Caroline, who grew up in Columbia, S.C., rushed for 1,696 yards in two seasons at Illinois, earning Most Valuable Player honors both years. He was academically ineligible as a senior in 1955 and played that season with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Big Four before joining the Bears.

Caroline had six interceptions as a rookie and returned two of them for touchdowns. His 59-yard touchdown return of Johnny Unitas’ first NFL pass sparked a 38-0 run in a 58-27 victory over the Baltimore Colts that helped propel the Bears to the Western Division title.

But the highlight that season came against the rival Chicago Cardinals. Caroline — pressed into offensive service because injuries — scored the tie-breaking touchdown on a three-yard run, then prevented the tying touchdown by catching Dick “Night Train” Lane from behind on a 75-yard pass play and forcing a fumble with a flying tackle at the 10-yard ine on the final play of the game, a 10-3 Bears victory.

Caroline finished his career with 24 interceptions — tied with Richie Petitbon for the most in franchise history at the time — and 10 fumble recoveries. He scored six touchdowns — two on interceptions returns, one on a fumble return, two rushing and one receiving.

After his retirement in 1965, Caroline earned his bachelor’s degree at Florida A&M and returned to Champaign-Urbana, where he became a fixture as a high school physical education teacher and coach.

Follow me on Twitter @MarkPotash

Email: mpotash@suntimes.com