I have a book with an awesome Butkus quote. "I never deliberately tried to hurt anybody, you know, unless it was important, like a league game or something."
Lewis played 8 years longer than Butkus. Lewis had 51 career takeaways. Butkus had 49 career takeaways. Lewis 13 Pro Bowls. Butkus 8 Pro Bowls. Lewis 7 time 1st Team All Pro. Butkus 6 time 1st Team All Pro. Lewis 41 career QB sacks. Butkus reportedly had 18 sacks in 1 season( They didn't keep track of QB sacks when Butkus played). Lewis had 1568 solo tackles in his career. Butkus had 1020 solo tackles in his career. Lewis played on mostly winning teams throughout his career. Butkus played on only 2 winning teams in 9 years. Butkus played his last 2 1/2 seasons basically on 1 leg because of knee/leg injury. Remember, Lewis played 8 more years than Butkus. I'd say Butkus was the better MLB.
@@carlweaver3243 I got to watch Butkus' career, and I couldn't agree more. He was also, twice, NFL Defensive Player of the Year. I wonder how many know what he did in college? There were 2 reasons to watch the Bears: Butkus and Sayers. Sayers had, only, 4 1/2 healthy seasons; Butkus had 6 1/2. There's no Lewis Award.
@@billj8148 '69 and '70. DP of the Y. '69 on 1-13 team. My 2 All Time favorite Bears. Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus. The Very Best Ever. I'm 60 years old and I've watched a lot of football. And those 2 dudes were THE Greatest. Imagine if both had been able to play longer.
@@carlweaver3243 I started watching the BEARS, in late '64, after we moved to Rockford. Hasn't changed; all these years later. Some will think there's a bias, but their play eliminates that, because their play said it all.
Dick Butkus is and always will be the benchmark to which all future linebackers should aspire to be. No one has, or ever will, come close. Thank you, Mr Butkus for teaching us all how to play.
Lashawn Barber Barber Yes he did , Deacon Jones also said roses are red violets are blue if you have any sense at all you’ll keep Butkus away from you. RIP Deacon Jones. A real class act . Deacon Jones belongs in the Hall of Fame.
DB was an absolute wrecking ball and nobody inflicted more damage/devastation. +The only player who reminded my of the great DB in terms of hitting was the BOZ in college - who did win the DB award. LT was the greatest Defensive player in history - not bad - what he could do while ingesting in human amounts of cocaine is otherwordly
What a shame that with all his talent and drive he didn't have the good fortune to be on a winning team. But he's still remembered for being perhaps the greatest ever at MLB.
As devastating as his hits were, that was if you had the ball. He had no peer when it came to shedding blockers, who were just an annoyance to him. He was fantastic at reading keys, but had an animal instinct too that you can't coach. Best ever. No. 2 isn't even in sight.
When they name an award after you and it's the most prestigious award a linebacker can receive in college (equivalent to the Heisman for linebackers), you know you were something.
He never played on a winning team, never played in the post-season, but is still considered one of, if not the best linebacker ever to suit up in the NFL. I heard from one of his former teammates on a video that Chicago had a loosing season of 1-13 or something, but Butkus was nominated as defensive player of the year that season. That says it all.
I always thought of Butkus as a violent, old-school, thumper, which he obviously was, but seeing him in the slow-motion made me realize what an athlete he was. Man was he explosive, great with his hands, well balanced, he was a lot more than I thought.
Butkus averaged 113 Solo Tackles a year. He had 49 Takeaways in his career. Consider Ray Lewis had 51 Takeaways in his career but played 8 more seasons than Butkus.
@@carlweaver3243 5.5 takeaways a year, 14 game season, in a ball-control Era. Had at least a pick and a FR every year. Thats insane. Thanks for pointing that out.
@@smeagolmazurenko5238 What I'm trying to get across in all of his highlight reels is how dominant Butkus really was, while only playing 9 years or 119 games. If you compare his stats to other HOFers, like Nitzsche, Lambert, Taylor or Lewis, you'll find Butkus' stats are as good, or better than all the other four I mentioned, while playing way fewer games/years. That he won Defensive Player of the Year award in '69 and '70, but the Bears record was 1-13 in '69 and 6-8 in '70, tells you how great he really was.
Not only would he be kicked out of most games but also most practices. He intimidated his teammates, bullied officials and opposing coaches. His enemies fared worse. He literally hated everyone on the opposite side of the line.
All of us have seen his highlights. What's crazy is he has a ton of unseen plays from games played in black and white. You can find them on UA-cam. The man was a legit monster when you start watching his full games. His play was simply ferocious.
A classmate of mine was D's daughter's Resident Advisor at Notre Dame. She told me that #51 is a complete gentleman off the field, and that she got to shake two of his fingers.
Butkus was a Beast! A Line Backer that called plays like a Quarter Back...just on the Defense. Respect like a Lion in the pride...or A Bear In the forest! Man!!! That's football!!!
I00% agree .....John Facenda narration , Keith Mansfield. Soundtrack there nothing to not like about this . This is the shit!!! And always will be the shit!!
RIP. This is like watching poetry in motion. What a mean MFer, a pure SOB on the gridiron. Noone will ever play MLB like him. Noone ever has since. I'm a Lions fan, and my mom told me about his ferocity, I've watched many clips of him. He's a complete beast, stud. A total complete football player. Not enough players like him anymore. No showboating, just mean hard play. A beast, intimidating. Just look at him, he is fearsome. He once said "I love to hear bones crack." Total stud. RIP, Dick, you are why we watch football today. You will always be the greatest.
Makes his accomplishments all that more impressive. It's a huge reason I consider him the greatest ever. I mean he was D P of the Y in 1969 and 1970 and the Bears only won 7 games in those 2 seasons; 1-13 in '69. Bob I've often thought the same as you. Him and Sayers both, and without the injuries. It's a shame. IMO they were the Greatest players at their position in NFL history.
This is the type of football I grew up watching this is the way football is so pose to be played .Football was always a rough sport way back when it began.
Sorry, not in today's 2-hand touch league where even breathing on QB's in frowned upon. Ever wonder why QB records are constantly being set...rules favor QBs so much so that players like Butkus wouldn't be allowed to play.
If players disrespected our National Anthem & Flag in Butkus' day, they would regain consciousness in a hospital intensive care ward out for the rest of the season.
My dad told me you could hear Butkus’ yelling up in the stands at Yankee Stadium back when the Giants played there. Paul Hornung: “He played like...he hated you from his old neighborhood.”
We saw Butkus play a few times-- Never had good seats but we always could hear the gasps of air that the players let out after being hit and ground into the turf!!!! Time out was called many times when the player couldn't get back up!!!!
Way ahead of his time. 6'3 245-250 pound linebacker, he was as big as a D-lineman that can run and hit like that, and seems like he could cover pretty good. i never saw him play live. I'm 54 and it was before my time but he was always the standard bearer of linebackers, and of course Lawrence Taylor.
He was great at every level he played. They named the college and NFL linebacker awards after him, which is just the start of the respect that guy earned.
When I was a kid my dad took me and some cousins down to St. Jos college in Rensselaer, IN where the Bears used to practice pre-season. In those days, you could get any autograph you wanted. I even got George Halas', Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo's autographs! My cousin asked Butkus to sign a miniature football which he did. While he was signing it, he put his cleated football shoe on my cousin's foot and held him there. After he signed, he just smiled at my cousin for a second until he raised his foot to release the kid. After he left, we all went Whoooaah! My cousin looked down and said, "Look, you can still see the cleat marks!" It was awesome!!!!
Dick Butkus greatest defensive NFL player ever ! 🖤 no question.He intimidated everyone 😵 😱 ☠ 🔥🔥🔥 He got the job done every time .Nine years of glory without winning 👽 ,Butkus was the best past,present, future 😎
@slip satch interesting fact is that Jim Brown and Dick Butkis were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Jim Brown class of 1971, Dick Butkis class of 1979
I have seen comments here that he was dirty. Watch again, how many times did he hit with his helmet? A lot more with his shoulders. REALLY big shoulders.
Fury unleashed upon humanity ! The most vicious hit I've ever laid my 59 year old eyes upon at 2:45. The receiver for the Lions never moved and he land on his right side. Never, ever have I seen anything close to that. No one hit like this man.
Waaay back in 1970 I read a piece in Pro magazine called "Beware the Linebacker". Illustrated by the great Marvel artist John Buscema, it equated NFL linebackers with Marvel heroes and villains. Guess who was "The Hulk"?
What I love the most about this guy is he was never really probably going to get to a superbowl but his heart was never told that what a tremendous football player absolutely fearless
Dick Butkus and Ray Nitske could not play today, because they were used to hitting a player and grinding him into the ground. They stop you today when you touch a QB, and they blow the whistle before you can grind a player into the ground. Different world!!
Dick butkus the dean of mean the gold standard of what a middle linebacker is suppose to be simply the best of all time nobody is even anywhere near him The best ever
I liked Butkus and how he played the game so much I took his #51 and wore it threw out my football playing days in high school and in college ! Nothing I enjoyed more than sticking my face into a Fullback,Tailback or Quaterback's numbers and driving him into the ground !
As bad as the bears were when you played them you better get ready because Butkus is coming for you. He hated you like you were from his old neighborhood. He bullied and intimidated coaches and officials, his enemies fared worse. Everytime he hit you he tried to put you in the cemetery not the hospital. If there was a heaven or a hell to a running back, he was satan. He was the only person to ever intimidate me on the football field. Roses are red and violets are blue you better keep Butkus away from you. These are saying of people that played against him. The greatest of all time! Dick Butkus
Butkus was the closest thing that football had to a Bear because he didn't just tackle people, he mauled them! The game of football will never have another Dick Butkus because of the NFL changing the game so much that LBs are now discouraged from laying hits like Butkus did back in his time! With Ray Lewis's retirement, I don't know if any LBs going forward will ever match the fear and intimidation that LBs like Lewis, Lambert, Butkus, Singletary, and Taylor had because of them not being allowed to hit like they did. In summary, I fear that the NFL is almost ensuring that the chances of a LB being remembered for being a hard-hitter will almost cease to exist if things keep going the way they are.
Yeah this season was a prime example of how the NFL has turned so much on the offensive side because each of the top defensive teams in the playoffs (Giants, Texans, Seahawks, and Chiefs) were out by the first round while the Broncos didn't even make the playoffs this year.
Well they didn't know about the effects of brain trauma then when it came to hits like back then. I am just simply saying that because of the rules enforced to avoid more brain trauma. I just simply saying that I don't think a LB will ever be able to reach the same intimidation level that guys like Butkus, LT, Lewis, Lambert, and others achieved in their careers because of the game making sure to keep track of how tackles are done today.
Linebackers..... they are everything the NFL stood for. Thank you NFL films for allowing me to watch highlights of men like Butkus, Nitschke, Lambert and L. Taylor. In my opinion, the Mount Rushmore of linebackers.
Deacon Jones said it perfectly....Butkus didn't want to put you in the hospital but the cemetary. That's all you need to know about him. Football wasn't fake when he was on the field. Hard to say how good he really was because he played for a horrible team.
Coming from the Deacon, that is the ultimate compliment. How good was Butkus? Well the Bears never had a winning season in his 9 seasons with them and yet he was a Pro Bowler 8 times, a first team All Pro 6 times, and was twice selected as the league's defensive player of the year.
He was definitely an intimidating presence. Got in a tussle with an Atlanta Falcon lineman around 73 and the benches cleared at Atlanta Stadium. I think this game in Atlanta might have been one of his last, because Don Rives came in at middle linebacker during that game. The Falcons beat them badly that day.
There will never be a football player linebacker like Dick butkus he is the greatest linebacker second to no one if he played in this era he would still dominate the football league.
I saw this Fucker hit a golf ball 340 yards at Shadow golf course in Simi Valley about 5 years ago. Came in his BADASS 1970 Big Block Vette he owned since new.
I worked at the course. Like the third hole. I was by the green when the ball rolled right up to the front of it. He knew the right place to put it. Hole 18 on this course, if you put the ball in the right spot you might get more than 400 yards rolling down the hill. @@lestergreen1190
Was Butkus really an alien? Would make sense. He moved (correctly) on the snap, like he knew the play. A friend said, "Well, he read his keys." Sure, he read his keys, but there was more. It was an animal predatory instinct, and you can't coach that. By far the greatest MLB ever!
@hal warner the Ravens won a super bowl, it's a team sport. Players can't help it if they are put on sorry teams, especially in Butkus's era, pre-free agency. Butkus won defensive player of the year even though the Bears only won one game. Lewis had a great supporting cast, which helped him immensely, Butkus was the only one Offenses had to worry about, and they still couldn't stop him.
ed polk Butkus was the greatest player ever, not just linebacker. but there is no need to disparage Ray Lewis. there is no need to put down other players just to pump up others.
@@halwarner3326 mark rypien won a super bowl. does that make him better than dan marino? saying lewis is better because his team was better is just plain stupid.
Watch him at 0:53, vaulting over blockers to make the play. You can see why his peers always brought up animals when trying to describe Butkus. He wasn't graceful, but there was something perfect and predatory about him.
The greatest defensive player ever to walk on a football field. He was a son of Chicago and a giant of the game. Rest in eternal peace, #51. 🐻⬇️🏈
Rest In Peace Dick Butkus...The greatest Linebacker to ever play the game...
I have a book with an awesome Butkus quote. "I never deliberately tried to hurt anybody, you know, unless it was important, like a league game or something."
Absolutely classic!
Yes he wanted that player back in the game so he could inflict more pain.
At least he didn't kill his teamates in practice lol
It's really difficult to pick one person as the best in pro football, but Dick BUTKUS gets my vote
😂😂😂😂
I'm 72, and I've seen many great players thru the years. But Butkus was in a class all by himself.
Ray lewis is the best though don't get it twisted. Dick is definitely #2 in my opinion. Fuck lambert
Lewis played 8 years longer than Butkus. Lewis had 51 career takeaways. Butkus had 49 career takeaways. Lewis 13 Pro Bowls. Butkus 8 Pro Bowls. Lewis 7 time 1st Team All Pro. Butkus 6 time 1st Team All Pro. Lewis 41 career QB sacks. Butkus reportedly had 18 sacks in 1 season( They didn't keep track of QB sacks when Butkus played). Lewis had 1568 solo tackles in his career. Butkus had 1020 solo tackles in his career. Lewis played on mostly winning teams throughout his career. Butkus played on only 2 winning teams in 9 years. Butkus played his last 2 1/2 seasons basically on 1 leg because of knee/leg injury. Remember, Lewis played 8 more years than Butkus. I'd say Butkus was the better MLB.
@@carlweaver3243 I got to watch Butkus' career, and I couldn't agree more. He was also, twice, NFL Defensive Player of the Year. I wonder how many know what he did in college? There were 2 reasons to watch the Bears: Butkus and Sayers. Sayers had, only, 4 1/2 healthy seasons; Butkus had 6 1/2. There's no Lewis Award.
@@billj8148 '69 and '70. DP of the Y. '69 on 1-13 team. My 2 All Time favorite Bears. Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus. The Very Best Ever. I'm 60 years old and I've watched a lot of football. And those 2 dudes were THE Greatest. Imagine if both had been able to play longer.
@@carlweaver3243 I started watching the BEARS, in late '64, after we moved to Rockford. Hasn't changed; all these years later. Some will think there's a bias, but their play eliminates that, because their play said it all.
"He was the meanest SOB I ever saw play pro football. He played like he hated you from his old neighborhood." -- Paul Hornung
Lyle alzado
@@onyxtytanium964 not even close.
I've been watching this clip since 1985 - 51 will be missed. God Bless!
Dick Butkus is and always will be the benchmark to which all future linebackers should aspire to be. No one has, or ever will, come close. Thank you, Mr Butkus for teaching us all how to play.
As a Baltimore Colt season ticket holder, we had the opportunity to see this man play......baddest cat ever, and not one to mess with.....
He'd never have to hit me - I'd probably die of a massive stroke seeing head my way.
LT
@@johnjp5883 nope, different position, no doubt LT was fun to watch. BUTKUS was feared.
He once called a timeout with 2 seconds left when they were losing by 20 so that he could hit the center one more time.
I think he called 3 time outs once when the other team was trying to run out the clock for the same reason. He wanted to hit them a few more times.
It's two in the morning and I've got work in a few hours and I'm in bed laughing like an idiot at the quote, thank you
Heroes get remembered,LEGENDS NEVER DIE!!
Best quote ever by Deacon Jones,"everytime he hit you he tried to put you in the cemetery not the hospital
T
When I heard Deacon Jones say that I feel out of my chair laughing that was classic line
Lashawn Barber Barber
Yes he did , Deacon Jones also said roses are red violets are blue if you have any sense at all you’ll keep Butkus away from you.
RIP Deacon Jones. A real class act .
Deacon Jones belongs in the Hall of Fame.
"Football is hitting....Butkus was the ultimate hitter"-Jim Brown.
Did you see the Super Bowl commercial of old former NFL types beating the crap outta each other, and Jim Brown goes ' Great Party ! '
No but I am going to look for it.@@xzqzq
DB was an absolute wrecking ball and nobody inflicted more damage/devastation. +The only player who reminded my of the great DB in terms of hitting was the BOZ in college - who did win the DB award. LT was the greatest Defensive player in history - not bad - what he could do while ingesting in human amounts of cocaine is otherwordly
What a shame that with all his talent and drive he didn't have the good fortune to be on a winning team. But he's still remembered for being perhaps the greatest ever at MLB.
As devastating as his hits were, that was if you had the ball. He had no peer when it came to shedding blockers, who were just an annoyance to him. He was fantastic at reading keys, but had an animal instinct too that you can't coach. Best ever. No. 2 isn't even in sight.
When football was football. Go out, work hard, play hard and hit harder and don't embarrass yourself, your team or your family.
Big Raider fan here. Just saying, I can watch clips of Butkus all day. God, how I wish he played for Oakland!
he about damm near did
When they name an award after you and it's the most prestigious award a linebacker can receive in college (equivalent to the Heisman for linebackers), you know you were something.
Butkus actually finished 3rd in the Heisman Trophy race in '64.
Dick Butkus passed away today, I'm so sad to hear that. I grew up watching the bears with my dad and brothers and loved watching him play.
You played with total abandon, gotta love that!
There was a game where he recovered a fumble and was at the bottom of the pile. The referee who tried to get the ball got his hand bitten.
With anyone and I mean ANYONE else, I might think "right". With Dick, I simply think, it figures.
From a life long Packer fan. Rest in peace Dick Butkus.
He never played on a winning team, never played in the post-season, but is still considered one of, if not the best linebacker ever to suit up in the NFL. I heard from one of his former teammates on a video that Chicago had a loosing season of 1-13 or something, but Butkus was nominated as defensive player of the year that season. That says it all.
He won Defensive Player of the Year in '69 and '70. Bears won a total of 7 games in those 2 years. Special Football Player #51.
I always thought of Butkus as a violent, old-school, thumper, which he obviously was, but seeing him in the slow-motion made me realize what an athlete he was. Man was he explosive, great with his hands, well balanced, he was a lot more than I thought.
Pic no
Uu. My bad l thout it was other Chanel
Butkus averaged 113 Solo Tackles a year. He had 49 Takeaways in his career. Consider Ray Lewis had 51 Takeaways in his career but played 8 more seasons than Butkus.
@@carlweaver3243 5.5 takeaways a year, 14 game season, in a ball-control Era. Had at least a pick and a FR every year. Thats insane. Thanks for pointing that out.
@@smeagolmazurenko5238
What I'm trying to get across in all of his highlight reels is how dominant Butkus really was, while only playing 9 years or 119 games. If you compare his stats to other HOFers, like Nitzsche, Lambert, Taylor or Lewis, you'll find Butkus' stats are as good, or better than all the other four I mentioned, while playing way fewer games/years. That he won Defensive Player of the Year award in '69 and '70, but the Bears record was 1-13 in '69 and 6-8 in '70, tells you how great he really was.
Unfortunately he couldn’t play today, he’d be suspended constantly, he played when real me played football
U took the words out of my mouth these pansies today would by crying to the leauge he to ruff he hurt me
Loop p
Truth
Not only would he be kicked out of most games but also most practices. He intimidated his teammates, bullied officials and opposing coaches. His enemies fared worse. He literally hated everyone on the opposite side of the line.
@Milton Holley A shariah?
BEST LB to ever play the position!!! 1965-1973...
He was a beast. Especially being on losing teams, he played hard every down
Butkus had speed and he was a great athlete. He is still the greatest Middle Linebacker in history, which is amazing.
They named the trophy after him.
He had little in the way of running speed but he had quickness going to the left and to the right.
This makes me think of Detroit. They had Barry Sanders and Megatron. Both retired early because the Lions are losers.
@@robertmasina4610 Butkus wasn't slow by all means.
All of us have seen his highlights. What's crazy is he has a ton of unseen plays from games played in black and white. You can find them on UA-cam. The man was a legit monster when you start watching his full games. His play was simply ferocious.
Butkus was indeed one of the greatest and fiercest to ever play the game. Rest in the Football Heavens to Dick Butkus.
A classmate of mine was D's daughter's Resident Advisor at Notre Dame. She told me that #51 is a complete gentleman off the field, and that she got to shake two of his fingers.
Butkus was a Beast! A Line Backer that called plays like a Quarter Back...just on the Defense. Respect like a Lion in the pride...or A Bear In the forest! Man!!! That's football!!!
Hall of Fame! Pro Bowler! 51! 9 Years NFL! Extraordinary! On field Fearlessness! Relentless!
RIP Dick Butkus. A Chicago Bears Icon.
Alot of players were relieved when Butkus quit playing. He brought the hurt.
I'm sure.
"a lot"
And who but the great John Facenda to narrate this. First time I've seen this clip and it made my day.
Yep, grew up in Philly listening to John Facenda. Amazing voice and with all the intonation and subtlety of a great actor or singer.
Facenda will always be the voice of the NFL for me.
I00% agree .....John Facenda narration , Keith Mansfield. Soundtrack there nothing to not like about this . This is the shit!!! And always will be the shit!!
Facenda did the news here in Philly when he was older. I was a kid then. It was a pleasure having him here. That voice yo!
RIP. This is like watching poetry in motion. What a mean MFer, a pure SOB on the gridiron. Noone will ever play MLB like him. Noone ever has since. I'm a Lions fan, and my mom told me about his ferocity, I've watched many clips of him. He's a complete beast, stud. A total complete football player. Not enough players like him anymore. No showboating, just mean hard play. A beast, intimidating. Just look at him, he is fearsome. He once said "I love to hear bones crack." Total stud. RIP, Dick, you are why we watch football today. You will always be the greatest.
I'm a huge Dolphins fan and this gave me the chills. LOVE IT!!
Maybe the most intimidating defender ever. Could you imagine him playing on a winning team his entire career??
Makes his accomplishments all that more impressive. It's a huge reason I consider him the greatest ever. I mean he was D P of the Y in 1969 and 1970 and the Bears only won 7 games in those 2 seasons; 1-13 in '69. Bob I've often thought the same as you. Him and Sayers both, and without the injuries. It's a shame. IMO they were the Greatest players at their position in NFL history.
This is the type of football I grew up watching this is the way football is so pose to be played .Football was always a rough sport way back when it began.
I'll give the NFL another chance, if there are more Dick Butkus's playing the game.
Sorry, not in today's 2-hand touch league where even breathing on QB's in frowned upon. Ever wonder why QB records are constantly being set...rules favor QBs so much so that players like Butkus wouldn't be allowed to play.
If players disrespected our National Anthem & Flag in Butkus' day, they would regain consciousness in a hospital intensive care ward out for the rest of the season.
My dad told me you could hear Butkus’ yelling up in the stands at Yankee Stadium back when the Giants played there. Paul Hornung: “He played like...he hated you from his old neighborhood.”
We saw Butkus play a few times-- Never had good seats but we always could hear the gasps of air that the players let out after being hit and ground into the turf!!!! Time out was called many times when the player couldn't get back up!!!!
Can you imagine Butkus, Nitschke, and Taylor on the same defense. YIKES!
3:33- I saw this play live. It was a failed extra point kick that turned into a conversion pass to Butkus. I still remember it vividly.
he probably would have gotten a penalty for taunting lol
BEST MLB who ever played the game!!! 1965-1973.
He set the bar pretty high.
A monster of a man.
Good on him and his.
Way ahead of his time. 6'3 245-250 pound linebacker, he was as big as a D-lineman that can run and hit like that, and seems like he could cover pretty good. i never saw him play live. I'm 54 and it was before my time but he was always the standard bearer of linebackers, and of course Lawrence Taylor.
Remember, Butkus played ironman at Illinois, going both ways, and winning a Rose Bowl.
I like how number 35 doesn't fight back when he realizes who pushed him.
Butkus could play in any era, he'd be a high #1 draft choice today. Huge, fast, hit like a truck and had great instincts.
And surprisingly great hands for a LB, did you see those interceptions?
He was great at every level he played. They named the college and NFL linebacker awards after him, which is just the start of the respect that guy earned.
Mike Griffin - Remember, he also played FB in HS and a little at Illinois - iron man style.
Yeah, surprising a guy that big with such soft hands...
When I was a kid my dad took me and some cousins down to St. Jos college in Rensselaer, IN where the Bears used to practice pre-season. In those days, you could get any autograph you wanted. I even got George Halas', Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo's autographs! My cousin asked Butkus to sign a miniature football which he did. While he was signing it, he put his cleated football shoe on my cousin's foot and held him there. After he signed, he just smiled at my cousin for a second until he raised his foot to release the kid. After he left, we all went Whoooaah! My cousin looked down and said, "Look, you can still see the cleat marks!" It was awesome!!!!
You got the four important autographs, very very cool.
Dick Butkus greatest defensive NFL player ever ! 🖤 no question.He intimidated everyone 😵 😱 ☠ 🔥🔥🔥
He got the job done every time .Nine years of glory without winning 👽 ,Butkus was the best past,present, future 😎
Met him in Louisville, Ky. in about 1988. Intimidating. And I am a huge bears fan ! His shoulders were about three feet wide !
Liked the clip where the former NFL player admitting Butkus intimidated him, even though they were on the same team.
patriots fan here, Jim Brown and butkus are best pure football players ever
Leo Durocher Brown was the most dominant player ever. He’d star today.
Walter Payton,Gayle Sayers..another unbelievable bears Ayers with pure undeniable talent.
@slip satch legendary players
@slip satch interesting fact is that Jim Brown and Dick Butkis were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.
Jim Brown class of 1971, Dick Butkis class of 1979
I have seen comments here that he was dirty. Watch again, how many times did he hit with his helmet? A lot more with his shoulders. REALLY big shoulders.
Butkus was a fundamentally talented tackler.
Fury unleashed upon humanity ! The most vicious hit I've ever laid my 59 year old eyes upon at 2:45. The receiver for the Lions never moved and he land on his right side. Never, ever have I seen anything close to that. No one hit like this man.
What I love about Dick Butkis is he made a play and didn't make a big deal about it
Waaay back in 1970 I read a piece in Pro magazine called "Beware the Linebacker". Illustrated by the great Marvel artist John Buscema, it equated NFL linebackers with Marvel heroes and villains. Guess who was "The Hulk"?
What I love the most about this guy is he was never really probably going to get to a superbowl but his heart was never told that what a tremendous football player absolutely fearless
Dick Butkus and Ray Nitske could not play today, because they were used to hitting a player and grinding him into the ground. They stop you today when you touch a QB, and they blow the whistle before you can grind a player into the ground. Different world!!
Dick butkus the dean of mean the gold standard of what a middle linebacker is suppose to be simply the best of all time nobody is even anywhere near him The best ever
What an icon, the epitome of spirit integrity, effort, and inspiration. You were and always will be the ultimate badass. Thank you and bless you.
Dick Butkus was the best NFL defensive player ever!!
I was a kid when he played but I still remember his dominance, Baddest tackler in the NFL...
3:23 is one of the best taunts ever! I can just hear him saying, "Is this what you're looking for?"
I liked Butkus and how he played the game so much I took his #51 and wore it threw out my football playing days in high school and in college ! Nothing I enjoyed more than sticking my face into a Fullback,Tailback or Quaterback's numbers and driving him into the ground !
There was none better. He was a true warrior. GOAT!!!
As bad as the bears were when you played them you better get ready because Butkus is coming for you. He hated you like you were from his old neighborhood. He bullied and intimidated coaches and officials, his enemies fared worse. Everytime he hit you he tried to put you in the cemetery not the hospital. If there was a heaven or a hell to a running back, he was satan. He was the only person to ever intimidate me on the football field. Roses are red and violets are blue you better keep Butkus away from you. These are saying of people that played against him. The greatest of all time! Dick Butkus
Butkus was the closest thing that football had to a Bear because he didn't just tackle people, he mauled them! The game of football will never have another Dick Butkus because of the NFL changing the game so much that LBs are now discouraged from laying hits like Butkus did back in his time! With Ray Lewis's retirement, I don't know if any LBs going forward will ever match the fear and intimidation that LBs like Lewis, Lambert, Butkus, Singletary, and Taylor had because of them not being allowed to hit like they did. In summary, I fear that the NFL is almost ensuring that the chances of a LB being remembered for being a hard-hitter will almost cease to exist if things keep going the way they are.
Yeah this season was a prime example of how the NFL has turned so much on the offensive side because each of the top defensive teams in the playoffs (Giants, Texans, Seahawks, and Chiefs) were out by the first round while the Broncos didn't even make the playoffs this year.
u forgot alzado
so your entertainment is worth their brain trauma huh?
Well they didn't know about the effects of brain trauma then when it came to hits like back then. I am just simply saying that because of the rules enforced to avoid more brain trauma. I just simply saying that I don't think a LB will ever be able to reach the same intimidation level that guys like Butkus, LT, Lewis, Lambert, and others achieved in their careers because of the game making sure to keep track of how tackles are done today.
Ty Louis absolutely, they signed up for it they know what they are getting into, they knew about all the concussions. I did too.
Hats off to Dick Butkus and let’s give John Facenda credit for being a great narrator.
Linebackers..... they are everything the NFL stood for. Thank you NFL films for allowing me to watch highlights of men like Butkus, Nitschke, Lambert and L. Taylor. In my opinion, the Mount Rushmore of linebackers.
My Mt. Rushmore of Linebackers: George Butkus Singletary Urlacher
Hes not only the best linebacker ever but hes the most dominating defender the nfl has ever seen.
Lawrence Taylor comes to mind
So does Kevin Greene
Ray Lewis
The only guy who can be mentioned in the same sentence is LT. Jesus someone just said Kevin Greene. Next to Dick fucking Butkus?
Most sacks by a linebacker in NFL history... ijs
He was the best. Playing with a not so good bears team. Could you imagine how great he would have been playing with a championship caliber team.
I'm a Packer fan but I love to watch Butkus kicking ass on the gridiron. There's no such thing as an NFL uniform that looks good when it's clean.
The best football video ever.this is the real way to play football.he would bully anyone anywhere anytime.easy hands down.😊
A kid growing up in the 70's, he was my childhood favorite player!
By far the greatest LB ever anywere, anytime
I've seen them all 93 years old butkus and singletary were the best!! Taylor was the best pass rusher in history!!
Singletary was a great player and leader but Butkus defined the position. Agree about LT and pass rushing.
Jar of Smegma - Yet he was voted the best of his era by his contemporaries.
Most people do not know what a nice person Dick was off the field, even back in his playing days.
The greatest! From a Steeler !
And I live in Illinois!
Left the game with nothing more than giving your best, perhaps thats everything!
Just the name Dick Butkus sounds like a great football name. RIP
Great upload! Dick Butkus was feared by both the opponents and his teammates. Butkus: a wholesome mauler.
Deacon Jones said it perfectly....Butkus didn't want to put you in the hospital but the cemetary. That's all you need to know about him. Football wasn't fake when he was on the field. Hard to say how good he really was because he played for a horrible team.
Deacon also said that Butkus was "stone crazy."
bthvnyt And Dick played half his career with the worst knees imaginable.
Coming from the Deacon, that is the ultimate compliment. How good was Butkus? Well the Bears never had a winning season in his 9 seasons with them and yet he was a Pro Bowler 8 times, a first team All Pro 6 times, and was twice selected as the league's defensive player of the year.
As with Super Bowl III, Colts - Jets, I never get tired of watching Butkus videos.
He was definitely an intimidating presence. Got in a tussle with an Atlanta Falcon lineman around 73 and the benches cleared at Atlanta Stadium. I think this game in Atlanta might have been one of his last, because Don Rives came in at middle linebacker during that game. The Falcons beat them badly that day.
There will never be a football player linebacker like Dick butkus he is the greatest linebacker second to no one if he played in this era he would still dominate the football league.
There are some tackles where I'm thinking "Wait, where did he come from? And how did I not see that big dude?!?"
I saw this Fucker hit a golf ball 340 yards at Shadow golf course in Simi Valley about 5 years ago. Came in his BADASS 1970 Big Block Vette he owned since new.
Butkus must be close to 80.
74
Suuuure.
I worked at the course. Like the third hole. I was by the green when the ball rolled right up to the front of it. He knew the right place to put it. Hole 18 on this course, if you put the ball in the right spot you might get more than 400 yards rolling down the hill. @@lestergreen1190
Butkus was one bad ass football player.
2:42; that hit on Charlie Sanders. Good Lord that was brutal.
Was Butkus really an alien? Would make sense. He moved (correctly) on the snap, like he knew the play. A friend said, "Well, he read his keys." Sure, he read his keys, but there was more. It was an animal predatory instinct, and you can't coach that. By far the greatest MLB ever!
my dad always said the Ground would shake when ran across the football field. lol
I grew up in Chicago I'm 58 & I remember Butkus. He was Godzilla on a football field. he ate you.
Saw him play at CVS and Illinois - you knew he was special.
He was a human tornado.
Nicholas Latsaras What happened to the guard on that play?
I dunno, I think Butkus ate him!
BUTKUS is the Greatest!
Ray Lewis? Don't make me laugh.
Never played on a winner. Ray Lewis won a super bowl.
@hal warner the Ravens won a super bowl, it's a team sport. Players can't help it if they are put on sorry teams, especially in Butkus's era, pre-free agency. Butkus won defensive player of the year even though the Bears only won one game. Lewis had a great supporting cast, which helped him immensely, Butkus was the only one Offenses had to worry about, and they still couldn't stop him.
INDIVIDUAL STATS IS WHAT COUNTS NOT TEAM KNOW I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING BAD ABOUT RAY LEWIS BUT DICK BUTKUS BADDEST MLB EVER
ed polk Butkus was the greatest player ever, not just linebacker. but there is no need to disparage Ray Lewis. there is no need to put down other players just to pump up others.
@@halwarner3326 mark rypien won a super bowl. does that make him better than dan marino? saying lewis is better because his team was better is just plain stupid.
Dick Butkus- the GOAT of NFL LB’s
One of my earliest idols!!!
I liked what Butkus said about the New Orleans Saints, "Are kidding me, this team has a Flower on its helmet".
Watch him at 0:53, vaulting over blockers to make the play. You can see why his peers always brought up animals when trying to describe Butkus. He wasn't graceful, but there was something perfect and predatory about him.
My favorite beast.
You just had to see it to actually believe it. Absolutely the best middle linebacker I have ever seen.
THE BEST MIDDLE LINEBACKER EVER 🏈 Rocky named his dog BUTKUS !!!
Rest in peace, Dick! 100% was never enough for you. Words to live by!
He didn't want to put someone out of the game...he wanted them back in the game so he could inflict more PAIN!!!
100% nonstop, no quit.