 Butkus c. 1995 | |||||||||
| No. 51 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | December 9, 1942 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | October 5, 2023 (aged 80) Malibu, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 245 lb (111 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Vocational (Chicago, Illinois) | ||||||||
| College: | Illinois | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1965 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3 | ||||||||
| AFL draft: | 1965 / Round: 2 / Pick: 9 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Richard Marvin "Dick" Butkus (December 9, 1942 – October 5, 2023) was an American former football player. He was commonly considered as the greatest linebacker of his time. He was raised in Roseland, Chicago, Illinois.
In college, Butkus played for the University of Illinois. He played professional football in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears. He became a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
Butkus died in his sleep at his home in Malibu, California, on October 5, 2023, at the age of 80. The cause of death was a stroke caused by atrial fibrillation, atherosclerosis, and hypercholesterolemia.
