Remembering NFL Icon Dick Butkus!
Story By Mitchell Smith
When you hear Da Bears you think of Ditka, SNL skits, and maybe new recruit Peyton Manning. The Chicago Bears have been let’s say a bit lackluster in recent years. They have never matched the 1985 Super Bowl team. They had Jim McMahon, The Fridge, and the Super Bowl Shuffle. Despite their lack of winning another Super Bowl they have sported some of the greatest players to play the game. Dick Butkus who was born in 1942 in Chicago and played his entire career in Illinois passed away on October 5th at the age of 80.
Butkus who played football for Chicago Vocational High School, University of Illinois, and was a linebacker for the Chicago Bears from 1965-1973 was the face of the Bears despite their failed effort at winning. His first points in the NFL were on a safety and he had 25 tackles in the same game. Butkus soon earned a name in the NFL and won multiple awards and played in 8 pro bowls as well as his number 50 being retired by the Illinois Fighting Illiini. Butkus is considered one of the greatest tacklers of all time.
After the NFL he went into broadcasting and acting. He was in several movies including Gremlins 2, Cry Onion!, and the 1974 hit The Longest Yard. Butkus was a pioneer at the middle linebacker position and was loved by Bears fans and NFL fans alike. His name will forever be etched in history and will forever live on with his legacy. RIP Mr. Butkus watch over Daaaaa Bearsssss! Are you a fan of Dick Butkus? Share your thoughts and memories of him with is in the comments below!
