Dick Butkus was born on December 9, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois, and is widely known as one of the greatest football players of all time. Not only did Butkus have all of the physical skills to be a top notch player throughout his career, but he was always known as one of the smartest as well. When you put these two things together it is easy to see why Butkus was a force on the gridiron for many years.
After high school Butkus decided to take his game to the University of Illinois where he played from 1962 to 1964. During his time at Illinois Butkus quickly became known as a force to be reckoned with. From his linebacker position, Butkus was a unanimous All American selection in both 1963 and 1964. To go along with this honor he won many other awards including Big Ten Conference Most Valuable Player, and a sixth place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting. In 1983 Butkus was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Additionally, the Dick Butkus award is given to the best college linebacker in the country each year.
Butkus was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. From the very start he showed the entire league why he was the best linebacker in college. During his rookie campaign he led the Bears in tackles, forced fumbles, and interceptions. Over the course of his career Butkus was selected to nine Pro Bowls, and made the all league team on six occasions.
All in all, Dick Butkus will always be known as one of the best linebackers to ever play the game of football. His bone crushing hits and will to win will always be remembered by Bears fans, as well as anybody else who ever had the privilege of watching him take the field.
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