Chicago Bears: The five most-feared players in team history

Dick Butkus might be the scariest player in NFL history

Number 1: Dick Butkus

I think that Dick Butkus personifies the idea of being feared. When you consider the brutality of the era that he played in and the position that he played, you need people to be afraid of you. Butkus played in an era where you were still allowed to hit people as hard as you can, and pretty much wherever you can.

Playing through concussions and broken bones were normal for players of that time. Coming out of a game unless you were seriously injured and couldn’t walk was somewhat of a sign of weakness back then.

Dick Butkus played all nine of his years in the NFL with the Chicago Bears. He was also a graduate of the University of Illinois. Stats like tackles and sacks weren’t actually kept track of in his era but he was an impact player as soon as he was drafted.

He was a turnover machine getting at least one pick every single year, including five in his rookie campaign. Butkus went on to be an all-time great player for the Chicago Bears. He was an eight-time Pro-Bowler, five-time All-Pro, while also being a member of the 60s and 70s All-Decade team.

Dick Butkus was a monster in his day and I think maybe the most feared player in the illustrious history of the NFL.