Legends Spotlight: The Monster of the Midway Dick Butkus

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He is the man commonly known for defining the middle linebacker position. At 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, Dick Butkus was bigger than most linebackers of the day. Butkus was mean and tough, and most importantly, he struck fear into the hearts and minds of opposing players.

Dick Butkus: The Player

Butkus was born in Chicago in the early 1940s. By the time he started high school, Butkus was bigger and stronger than most football players and played multiple positions on his high school team: fullback, linebacker, punter and placekicker. However, it was at linebacker where he shined brightest.

Butkus had unique training and conditioning methods, such as pushing a car up and down the street to strengthen his legs. Butkus made 70 percent of his team’s tackles and was named the Chicago High School Player of the Year in 1959.

When it came time to attend college, Butkus considered Notre Dame but chose Illinois to stay in his home state.

This Illini Would Fight Anyone

Larger than life when he arrived on the Illinois campus, Butkus made his imposing presence known on the football field. He continued his unorthodox training regimen by running toward trees, then side-stepping to simulate avoiding opposing blockers. From 1962-64, Butkus was widely recognized for his style of play and production on the Illini defense:

• Third-team All-Big Ten Conference at Center, 1962

• Unanimous first team College Football All-American, 1963

• Led the Illini to a 17-7 Rose Bowl victory over the Washington Huskies

• Co-Captain, team MVP, unanimous All-American and Player of the Year by the Sporting News, 1964

• College Football Lineman of the Year, 1964

• 374 career tackles

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Butkus was later drafted by two teams in two professional leagues, the NFL and the AFL. He was drafted No. 3 overall by the Chicago Bears and was selected in the second round by the AFL’s Denver Broncos.

The opportunity to play for the Chicago Bears, Butkus’s hometown team, was too good to pass up, regardless of money.

The Monster of the Midway

When Butkus arrived at his first practice for the Bears, incumbent linebacker Bill George took one look at him and began packing his belongings, knowing that Butkus would take over the position and become one of the all-time greats.

Butkus played mad and pissed off to achieve a competitive edge, and often growled at opposing players before the snap. Practicing as he played, Butkus once hit a metal-blocking sled so hard that he broke it.

In a game against the Detroit Lions played at venerable Wrigley Field in 1969, Butkus responded to being called overrated in the press by a Lions player by chasing that player out of bounds and forcing him to make a hasty getaway by jumping into the bleachers.  

In addition, Butkus was adept at forcing turnovers, with 22 INTs and 27 fumble recoveries during his tenure in the Windy City. Butkus was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1969 and 1970.

Despite his aggressive play and recording more than 1,000 tackles in his pro career, the Bears were a losing team, posting a 48-74-4 record during the nine-year career of the greatest linebacker to ever separate the ball from a ball carrier.

Butkus was as outspoken as they come, especially toward opposing teams and players, and his frustration with the Bears’ losing ways.

"I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately. Unless it was, you know, important—like a league game or something."

Dick Butkus

In 1979, Butkus was welcomed into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In addition, Butkus was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983. The University of Illinois retired Butkus’s No. 50 jersey in 1986. Butkus joins the great Red Grange as the only Illini players to have their jerseys retired.

Butkus and his foundation championed the cause of anti-steroids with the “I Play Clean” program and worked to put an end to steroid use among younger athletes. He continued to receive honors and recognition long after his playing days. Butkus set the standard of excellence and success for all Bears middle linebackers that came after him, such as the great Mike Singletary and Brian Urlacher.

On October 5, 2023, Butkus passed away at age 80. The greatest linebacker of all time played the game with a ferocious abandon. He was never outworked or outplayed, even while playing injured. Butkus left football fans a legacy of how to play the game of football at a high level through hard work, a desire to succeed and the will to win.

The Butkus Award

The prestigious national college football award that bears his name is given to the top linebacker in college football. In 2008, the award expanded into the high school and professional ranks. The “Boz” Brian Bosworth of Oklahoma won the inaugural Butkus Award in 1985, and again in 1986. Bosworth is the only two-time winner of the award. If there ever was a player that epitomized the style of play of Butkus, it was the “Boz.” The Butkus Award selection committee consists of “51” people comprised of scouts at all levels and football journalists.

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The 2024 Butkus Award Watch List will be announced on Aug. 13. Stay tuned to College Football Dawgs for our projection of candidates for this year’s watch list.