Dick Butkus

Dick Butkus was an American professional football linebacker, sports commentator, and actor who played his entire nine-season National Football League (NFL) career with the Chicago Bears.

Player Profile, High School, and College Career

Richard Marvin Butkus was born on December 9, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The Linebacker stood 191 cm tall, and his playing weight was listed at 111 kg.

He grew up on Chicago's South Side and attended Chicago Vocational High School, where he decided by the fifth grade that he would become a professional football player. He played both linebacker and center for the University of Illinois Fighting Illini from 1962 to 1964. A two-time Consensus All-American, he led the Illini to a Rose Bowl victory in 1963, earned the title of Big Ten Conference MVP, and was named college football's Lineman of the Year in 1964.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983, and the university later retired his number 50 jersey.

Professional Career

Butkus was selected by his hometown Chicago Bears with the third overall pick in the first round of the 1965 NFL Draft.

During his iconic NFL career, Butkus was known not just for his jarring, bone-crushing tackles, but also for his exceptional ball-hawking skills. He possessed an incredible penchant for forcing turnovers, recording 22 interceptions and recovering 27 fumbles (an NFL record at the time of his retirement). He was selected to eight Pro Bowls in his nine seasons, earned First-team All-Pro honors five times, and was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year twice by his peers (1969, 1970).

A devastating knee injury cut his career short, forcing his retirement after the 1973 season. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979 in his first year of eligibility, and the Chicago Bears retired his famous number 51 jersey. In 2009, the NFL Network named him the most feared tackler of all time.

Retirement

Following his playing career, Butkus found success in the entertainment industry as a sports commentator, celebrity endorser (famously appearing in early Miller Lite commercials), and actor in television series and films.

He was also heavily active in philanthropy through the Butkus Foundation. In 1985, the Butkus Award was instituted in his honor, serving as the most prestigious individual award given annually to the nation's best high school, collegiate, and professional linebackers.

Butkus passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Malibu, California, on October 5, 2023, at the age of 80.

Career Highlights:

• 1969, 1970 – 2× NEA NFL Defensive Player of the Year
• 1965, 1968–1970, 1972 – 5× First-team All-Pro
• 8× Pro Bowl selection
• NFL 1960s and 1970s All-Decade Teams
• NFL 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams
• 1979 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee