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Butkus, a middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears whose speed and ferocity set the standards for the position in the modern era, died Thursday, the team announced. He was 80. According to a...
5 days ago · Chicago Bears great Dick Butkus, a fearsome middle linebacker for the Bears, has died, the team announced Thursday. He was 80.
2. Dick Butkus, LB (1965-73) Butkus passed away in October 2023, but his legacy as one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL remains forever. Butkus spent his entire career in Chicago, selected as the first-round draft choice in 1965, until he retired in 1973, three years after a serious injury to his right knee that never healed right.
Tony Canadeo*, Bill George*, Lou Groza*, Dick “Night Train” Lane*. 45th anniversary — Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1979 Dick Butkus*, Yale Lary*, Ron Mix, Johnny Unitas*. 40th Anniversary — Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1984 Willie Brown*, Mike McCormack*, Charley Taylor*, Arnie Weinmeister*.
Widely viewed as the ideal middle linebacker, Dick Butkus was chosen with the third overall pick of the 1965 NFL Draft and subsequently spent nine years with the Chicago Bears. He was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year twice (1969, 1970) and earned Pro Bowl appearances in every season of his career except for his final campaign.
The Bears won another title in 1963 and drafted two all-time greats in 1965: linebacker Dick Butkus and running back Gale Sayers. While Butkus and Sayers went on to dominate the game on an individual level, the Bears did not advance to the playoffs during either of their careers.
Dick Butkus. Widely regarded as one of the most intimidating linebackers in NFL history, Butkus' aggressive playing style and ferocious tackling struck fear into opposing offenses. His leadership ...
