IRVING, Texas (Oct. 5, 2023) – Dick Butkus, the 1983 College Football Hall of Fame inductee who starred at linebacker for the Fighting Illini from 1962 to 1964, passed away today at his home in Malibu, California. He was 80.
"Few names, if any, invoke the level of greatest achieved by Dick Butkus," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "He simply was and always will be one our game's greatest legends. An unbelievable competitor, Dick Butkus dominated every inch of the gridiron, on every down, and for every second. There simply was no letup in him. He was relentless and unstoppable. His name is one of the few that I expect will never fade. We are deeply saddened by his passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time of loss."
A two-time All-American, including unanimous honors in 1963 and consensus in 1964, Butkus earned a reputation in college as a devastating linebacker for Illinois, playing with intensity and desire. According to his coach, Pete Elliott, Butkus, "...never took a loafing step," including warm-ups, practices and games. At 6-3, 237- pounds, Butkus played center on offense and linebacker on defense, leading the Fighting Illini to an 8-1-1 record, the 1963 Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl 17-7 victory over Washington with the future Hall of Famer making a key interception.
Butkus finished his Illinois career with 374 tackles. His 145 stops in 1963 stood as the school record until 1976. Against Ohio State in 1963, Butkus made 23 tackles, a school record at the time. He finished third in the 1964 Heisman Trophy balloting and was named the Player of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association. A three-time All-Big Ten selection, he was named the 1963 Silver Football Award winner as the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player. Butkus' No. 50 was retired in 1986, making him and Hall of Famer Red Grange as the only players to have their numbers so honored at Illinois.
Drafted No. 3 overall in the 1965 NFL Draft, Butkus starred for the Chicago Bears as linebacker from 1965-73, twice being named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year and six times as an All-Pro selection. He made eight consecutive Pro Bowls from 1965-72. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979 and the Bears retired his No. 51.
Butkus was named to the Big Ten Diamond Anniversary Team in 1970, The Sporting News College Coaches All-Time Team, and the University of Illinois All-Century Team. He was named to the Walter Camp Foundation All-Century team in 1989 and he was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1995. Sports Illustrated ranked Butkus as the best middle linebacker ever in 2001. The NFL Network named him the most feared tackler of all time and the No. 10 player in NFL History in 2009 and 2010, respectively. In 2010, he was named the No. 6 Big Ten Icon in the history of the conference by the Big Ten Network, and in 2020 he was tabbed as the No. 8 player in college football history as part of college football's 150th anniversary.
In 2017, Butkus was inducted as a member of Illinois Athletics' inaugural Hall of Fame Class, and in 2019, a larger-than-life statue of Butkus was unveiled outside the front entrance of Illinois' Smith Football Performance Center. In 1985 the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Florida, inaugurated a trophy given to the best college linebacker each year. It is called the "Butkus Award," and it has become one of the most coveted awards in college football.
He became a TV commentator and actor. He hosted a national golf tournament which raised money for treatment of cystic fibrosis. In 1989, he received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award. Born, Dec. 8, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois, he played high school football for Chicago Vocational High School, earning a high school player of the year award as a junior.
The clip has a great Bill Curry clip talking about him early on.
"Few names, if any, invoke the level of greatest achieved by Dick Butkus," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "He simply was and always will be one our game's greatest legends. An unbelievable competitor, Dick Butkus dominated every inch of the gridiron, on every down, and for every second. There simply was no letup in him. He was relentless and unstoppable. His name is one of the few that I expect will never fade. We are deeply saddened by his passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time of loss."
A two-time All-American, including unanimous honors in 1963 and consensus in 1964, Butkus earned a reputation in college as a devastating linebacker for Illinois, playing with intensity and desire. According to his coach, Pete Elliott, Butkus, "...never took a loafing step," including warm-ups, practices and games. At 6-3, 237- pounds, Butkus played center on offense and linebacker on defense, leading the Fighting Illini to an 8-1-1 record, the 1963 Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl 17-7 victory over Washington with the future Hall of Famer making a key interception.
Butkus finished his Illinois career with 374 tackles. His 145 stops in 1963 stood as the school record until 1976. Against Ohio State in 1963, Butkus made 23 tackles, a school record at the time. He finished third in the 1964 Heisman Trophy balloting and was named the Player of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association. A three-time All-Big Ten selection, he was named the 1963 Silver Football Award winner as the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player. Butkus' No. 50 was retired in 1986, making him and Hall of Famer Red Grange as the only players to have their numbers so honored at Illinois.
Drafted No. 3 overall in the 1965 NFL Draft, Butkus starred for the Chicago Bears as linebacker from 1965-73, twice being named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year and six times as an All-Pro selection. He made eight consecutive Pro Bowls from 1965-72. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979 and the Bears retired his No. 51.
Butkus was named to the Big Ten Diamond Anniversary Team in 1970, The Sporting News College Coaches All-Time Team, and the University of Illinois All-Century Team. He was named to the Walter Camp Foundation All-Century team in 1989 and he was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1995. Sports Illustrated ranked Butkus as the best middle linebacker ever in 2001. The NFL Network named him the most feared tackler of all time and the No. 10 player in NFL History in 2009 and 2010, respectively. In 2010, he was named the No. 6 Big Ten Icon in the history of the conference by the Big Ten Network, and in 2020 he was tabbed as the No. 8 player in college football history as part of college football's 150th anniversary.
In 2017, Butkus was inducted as a member of Illinois Athletics' inaugural Hall of Fame Class, and in 2019, a larger-than-life statue of Butkus was unveiled outside the front entrance of Illinois' Smith Football Performance Center. In 1985 the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Florida, inaugurated a trophy given to the best college linebacker each year. It is called the "Butkus Award," and it has become one of the most coveted awards in college football.
He became a TV commentator and actor. He hosted a national golf tournament which raised money for treatment of cystic fibrosis. In 1989, he received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award. Born, Dec. 8, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois, he played high school football for Chicago Vocational High School, earning a high school player of the year award as a junior.
The clip has a great Bill Curry clip talking about him early on.
