R.I.P Dick Butkus

Dick Butkus, one of the best linebackers in NFL history, passed away on October 5th, 2023 at age 80. A statement from his family indicated the Chicago Bears great died in his sleep.

Butkus was born in Chicago and played college football at the University of Illinois. He led the Fighting Illini to an 8-1-1 record in 1963 and a 17-7 win over Washington in the 1964 Rose Bowl. He was the Most Valuable Player on both the 1963 and 1964 Illinois teams, and was the Big Ten Conference’s MVP in 1963. The Chicago Bears had the third and fourth picks in the 1st round of the 1965 NFL draft; they selected Butkus with the #3 pick and running back Gail Sayers with the #4 pick.

The Bears had won the NFL Championship in 1963 (the pre-Super Bowl era), but had slipped to 5-9 in 1964. In 1965, with Butkus and future Hall of Famer Sayers, they rebounded to 9-5. That would turn out to be the best record the Bears would have during Butkus’ career. They really hit bottom in 1969, with a record of 1-13. Butkus never played in the post season.

Despite the won lost record, Butkus himself had a tremendous career as an intimidating middle linebacker who would make bone crunching tackles. He had 1020 tackles and 22 interceptions in a nine year career. (Sacks were not an official statistic in the NFL until 1982). Butkus was an eight time Pro Bowler and two time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Like Sayers, Butkus suffered knee injuries that cut his career short. He retired after the 1973 season, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979. His post playing career included acting, product endorsements, and football broadcasting.

The Bears played the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football on October 5th, and perhaps Butkus was inspiring them as Chicago won its first game of the season, a 40-20 rout of the Commanders.

Here’s a link to a Dick Butkus Highlight Reel