The Chicago Bears have had a plethora of great players over their 100-year history. Each decade has had one or more special players that are worthy of being mentioned as a Bears’ great. We will take a look at the 1960s and that decade’s greatest Bear, Dick Butkus.
This was a hard decision to make. The Chicago Bears had two very good players in the 1960s that deserved to be named the best player of the decade but alas I can only pick one. I decided to choose the fearsome and often dreaded Dick Butkus over Gayle Sayers.
Richard “Dick” Marvin Butkus was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 9th, 1942. He played his high school football at Chicago Vocational High School. He was an outstanding player during his time in high school and he made a name for himself. Butkus was sought after by several colleges during his final year in high school. He ended up choosing to go to the University of Illinois.
Butkus starred at Illinois and made his name nationally known. He played center and linebacker and won honors at both positions. Some of the honors that he received included being named to the All-Big Ten Conference football team, being awarded the Chicago Tribune’s Silver Football (given to the most valuable player in the Big Ten) as well as being named to the College Football All-America team.
The Bears were not the only team interested in drafting Butkus. The Denver Broncos of the American Football League drafted him too. Both teams had to go through a bit of a sales pitch to try to get him signed. Eventually, Butkus decided to sign with the Bears. He wanted to play for his hometown team despite the fact the Bears gave Butkus less money.
Butkus wasted no time helping the Bears excel. He had a great rookie season, finishing third in the AP Rookie of the Year balloting. He was named as an All-Pro and went to the Pro Bowl. Butkus would go to eight Pro Bowls before it was all said and done.
Butkus, thanks to the way that he played, began to get a reputation of being not only a great player but a nasty one who was to be feared. He continued to be one of the strongest and most decorated players in the NFL right up until 1973 when a knee injury forced him out of the game. He retired at the age of 31 in May 1974.
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Things got a little heated between the Bears and Butkus following his retirement because he still had some time left on his contract and the contract provided that Butkus would receive medical assistance. However, he stated that the Bears didn’t provide him with this assistance. The case was settled outside of court but left hard feelings between George Halas and Butkus.
During his career in the NFL, Butkus earned a lot of honors and there are too many to list here. Some of the top honors that he received in college included being named to the College Football Hall of Fame and being named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation All-Century Team. He also had his number retired by the school.
A few of the honors that Butkus received as a result of his professional football career include being named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and being named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for both the 1960s and 1970s. He was part of the NFL’s 100th Anniversary Team and its 75th Anniversary Team. He even had his number 51 retired by the Bears. Then you have the Butkus Award which is given to the best linebacker at all levels of football.
Following his football career, Butkus took up acting and starred in several different movies and television shows. Some of the more notable movies that he starred in include The Longest Yard, Gremlins 2 and Brian’s Song, among others. He starred in several commercials and found his way into radio broadcasting. Butkus even had a stint as head coach of the XFL’s Chicago Enforcers.
If you say the name Butkus to anyone who has been a fan of Pro Football since the 60s, that name triggers thoughts of hard-hitting, bloody hands and broken bodies. Butkus was the fiercest football player of his time and set an example for linebacker play for many other players at his position. Granted, the years of the pounding he took have taken their toll on him but he is and will always remain an icon in football overall.