Chicago (AP) — The Chicago Bears announced that Butkus, a middle linebacker whose speed and ferocity set the standards for the position in the modern era, died Thursday. The cover of Sports Illustrated’s 1970 NFL preview contained a picture of Dick Butkus sneering behind his facemask. Opponents who wound up on the business end of his bone-rattling hits could testify that wasn’t an exaggeration.
Before retiring due to a knee injury at 31, Butkus was a first-team All-Pro five times and made the Pro Bowl in eight of his nine seasons. In 1979, in his first year of eligibility, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was the quintessential Monster of the Midway. He is still regarded as one of the best defensive players in the history of the league.
“Dick Butkus was a fierce and passionate competitor who helped define the linebacker position as one of the NFL’s all-time greats. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell erklärte in einer Erklärung, dass Dick durch seine Intuition, Stärke und Athletik zu einem Musterlinebacker wurde, dessen Name für immer mit der Position und den Chicago Bears verbunden bleibt. Wir erinnern uns auch a Dick als einen langjährigen Unterstützer von ehemaligen Spielern und Spielern auf allen Ebenen des Spiels. Vor dem Spiel der Bears bei den Washington Commanders am Freitagabend wurde ein Moment der Stille zu Ehren von Butkus gehalten.
Butkus hatte eine lange Zweitkarriere als Sportmoderator, Schauspieler in Filmen und TV-Serien und ein gefragter Pitcher für Produkte wie Antifreeze und Bier, indem er auf sein Image als der schwierigste Mann in der Runde setzte. Butkus often resorted to playing himself, often with his gruff exterior masking a softer side, regardless of whether the script called for comedy or drama.
When asked about his on-field reputation, Butkus replied tongue-in-cheek: „I wouldn’t ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately.“ “Unless it was, you know, significant… like a league game or something.”
Butkus war einer der wenigen Profisportler, der seine gesamte Karriere in seiner Heimatstadt absolvierte. He spielte als berühmter Linebacker, Fullback und Kicker a der Chicago Vocational High School, bevor er a der University of Illinois spielte. He wurde am 9. Dezember 1942 geboren und war der jüngste von acht Kindern. Er wuchs auf der Südseite der Stadt und unterstützte die Chicago Cardinals, die gegenüber den Bears in der Nachbarschaft spielten.
However, after being drafted in the first round by the Bears and Denver Broncos in 1965 (at the time, a member of the now-defunct American Football League), Butkus decided to stay in Chicago and play for NFL founder and coach George Halas. That year, the Bears also added future Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers with another first-round pick.
In einer Erklärung erklärte der Präsident von Bears, George McCaskey, der Großvater von Halas, dass er Chicagos Sohn war. He spiegelte die Qualitäten wider, die George Halas in einem Spieler suchte: Härte, Klugheit, Intuition, Leidenschaft und Führung. He refuse to accept less than the best from himself or his teammates.
Bill George, a Hall of Famer who was responsible for popularizing the position in the NFL, was the middle linebacker, who Butkus inherited. George quitted his three-point position in the middle of the defensive line in 1954 and started each game several paces away. This gave him a vantage point to watch plays unfold and then race to the ball.
Butkus, jedoch, brachte Geschwindigkeit, Geschicklichkeit und eine zerstörte Einstellung zu dem Job, den seine Vorgänger nur vorstellbar hatten. In his rookie year, he intercepted five passes, recovered six fumbles and was unofficially credited with forcing six more. He finished with the first of eight straight Pro Bowl appearances. His reputation as a perturbator extended far beyond the ability to take away the football.
