The Bears have two of the top-10 players in the history of the sport. One of them checks in at No. 2 on this list. Dick Butkus epitomizes Bears football. He was tough, ferocious and aside from Lawrence Taylor, the best linebacker to ever play the sport.
Butkus was relentless at the point of attack. Teams couldn’t run at him and if he rushed the quarterback, that quarterback was quickly running for his life (sacks weren’t a statistic until well after Butkus retired).
If Butkus dropped into pass coverage, he could wreak havoc that way, proven by his 22 career interceptions. Butkus was elected to eight Pro Bowls, was First-Team All-Pro six times (and Second-Team twice), was NFL Defensive Player of the Year twice and was named to the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team, the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team and the NFL 75th Anniversary Team.
Butkus was the hardest hitter in the sport and may be the hardest hitter that’s ever played. He was a favorite among Bears’ fans and a favorite around the NFL. He’s an iconic all-time player that will be among the top-10 players in NFL history for decades to come, no matter who comes along, it won’t be easy to knock him off that list.