Former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Dan “Danimal” Hampton made such a big splash at last year’s Chicago Construction Expo as a special guest that he has agreed to make a return visit. Along with the Chicago Bears’ Hall of Famer, construction equipment enthusiasts, contractors, landscapers and public works crews will get a change to view the latest iron from the largest equipment manufacturers.

Hampton will be on hand Jan. 8 from noon to 3 p.m. and Jan. 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to greet visitors and sign autographs at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center, a brand new venue that opened in July, and will accompany more than 100 exhibitors covering more than 100,000 sq. ft. of exhibiting space for the two-day show.

As the Chicago Bears’ No. 1 pick, fourth player overall, in the 1979 NFL draft, Hampton played both defensive tackle and defensive end for 12 years. His ferocious play helped the Bears defeat the New England Patriots, 46-10, in Super Bowl XX.

Hampton’s hard-nose playing style led legendary NFL broadcaster John Madden to call the former All-American out of the University of Arkansas “Danimal.”

Hampton retired from the NFL in 1990 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

Currently, the Hall of Famer owns a security company called Professional Detective Agency, which provides security for construction sites.

The other experience Hampton had with construction includes owning a company, based out of Memphis, Tenn., that worked on underground irrigation for projects such as golf courses. His business partner at that time ran a company that worked on sewers, gutters and sanitation.

Today's top stories

New Bridges Part of Iowa's $114M Madison Avenue Project

Eagle Bridge Co. Works On Final Leg of U.S. 35 Upgrade

Fay Preps Way for Pittsburgh International Airport Modernization Project

SAKAI Achieves Record Sales, Production

Takeuchi Recognizes Top Dealers at 2024 Dealer Summit

Muddy Water Dredging Christens Marlin Class Dredge

Indiana Officials Mark Start of 2024 Construction Season, Promote Safety

Leica Geosystems Launches its First Machine Smart Antenna — Leica iCON gps 120