CHAMPAIGN – If you grew up in most any part of Illinois during the 60’s or 70’s, there was always a kid on the sandlot football field who wanted to play the role of Dick Butkus.
Butkus was football, The Intimidator before Dale Earnhardt took that name, the GOAT before anyone really used that term. He was a bad ass, and that big kid down the street who had a mean streak always wanted to be the next Dick Butkus.
Dick Butkus was football to us kids back in that era. So it hurts to hear our hero, our GOAT passed away in his Malibu residence overnight Thurdsay. He went peacefully, according to a statement from the family.
“The greatest living Illini has left us,’’ said Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman. “Dick Butkus was a giant in a land of giants. In a game built on toughness and tenacity, he stood alone. One of the most imposing figures to ever wear a helmet, away from the field, Dick was self-effacing, humble, and generous. A cultural icon, Dick leaves a legacy on Americana that will never be forgotten.’’
Sure, the statue in front of Memorial Stadium honors Red Grange, the galloping ghost who first put Illini football on the map. That legend was someone we learned from reading books, maybe seeing some grainy film from centuries ago or a black and white picture of Grange in his uniform or running a sweep against Michigan, back in the day when you wore a suit and tie to the game.
But, for guys our age, Dick Butkus was football. He was the show, the soul of the game and a highlight reel. In 2019, the Illini brass finally added a statue for Butkus on the backside of the stadium, close to the entrance to the football complex.
And he was ours, an Illinois guy, a native Chicagoan who played for the Illini, led them to a Rose Bowl and eventually played nine years in the NFL with the Bears. If a guy on that sandlot field told to you he was “going to give you the Butkus,’’ it wasn’t good.
He was always growling and playing without holding anything back. He was there for one reason.
“Every time he hit you, he tried to put you in the cemetery, not the hospital,’’ one former NFL player told ESPN.
Butkus chose to play for powerhouse Chicago Vocational High School, and he was a man among boys during those prep days. By the time he reached Illinois, he was a star in waiting, forced to sit out his freshman year because of NCAA eligibility rules barring freshmen from playing varsity.
Nonetheless, it only took a practice or two before the Illini coaching staff knew he was the King of the Jungle. Butkus played center on offense and linebacker on defense for coach Pete Elliott, leading the Illini to the 1963 Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl victory over Washington. In that season, Butkus registered 145 tackles, a school record that stood for 13 seasons.
He finished with 374 tackles in his Illini career, and Butkus was a two-time consensus All-American, three-time All-Big Ten selection and was named the 1963 Silver Football Award winner as the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player. He finished third in the 1964 Heisman Trophy balloting before going on to a nine-year Hall of Fame career with the Bears.
Butkus was so good, they named the award that annually goes to the top collegiate linebacker the Butkus Award.
Illini coach Bret Bielema called Butkus “the greatest linebacker in football history.’’
Who knows, maybe Bielema was that big kid who played the role of Butkus on an open lot in his hometown of Prophetstown, near the Quad Cities.
“As the head coach of his alma mater that he loved, I had the great honor to meet Dick, one of my childhood idols, last September,’’ Bielema said. “He was an amazing person, as well as football player, and a loyal Illini. Dick embodied everything that Illinois football has represented in the past and what we look to represent into the future.
“His deep love for Illinois football will be honored and remembered forever.’’
Butkus is a member of both the college and professional football halls of fame, and he was a member of the inaugural class with the Illini athletic Hall of Fame.
Following his days on the grid iron, you could find Butkus in a Miller Lite commercial with Bubba Smith or an episode of Hang Time, a sitcom aimed at teenagers in the late 90’s. Yet he made a name for himself for playing football, and he became big time wearing the No. 50 for the Illini, joining Grange as the only players with Illini football jersey numbers retired.
Butkus joined the Bears in the same draft class as Gale Sayers. In a Tweet earlier Thursday Jarrett Payton, the son of former Bears star running back Walter Payton, posted pictures of his father, Sayers and Butkus, with the words:
“Dick Butkus wasn’t just one of the greatest football players to ever play the game, he was a remarkable man. He was always there for me when I needed him. Now, these three Bears legends are in heaven, sharing a drink, getting ready to watch #TNF game from the best seats. Here’s to you, @DickButkus. Your spirit will live on forever. #RIPButkus.’’
A man’s man on the field, he was shy and guarded off it. He kept to himself outside of his close confidants, and his friendship had to be earned. But, according to those close to him, Butkus was a sensitive guy who loved deeply.
When he drew his final breaths, we’re hoping he saw himself back on that football field, perhaps wearing the No. 50 for the Illini or that 51 with the Bears. He was most comfortable playing football.
“Football was my life,’’ Butkus once told ESPN. “It was a release for me. I swore that if I was going to die, let it be on the football field.’’
In his mind, I’m sure that’s where he was. Rest in Peace, GOAT. We’ll miss you.
