Butkus, 80, died overnight at Malibu home, according to familyHall of Famer became model of fearsome middle linebacker
A photo of Dick Butkus sneering behind his facemask filled the cover of Sports Illustrated’s 1970 NFL preview, topped by the headline, ‘The Most Feared Man in the Game’. Opponents who wound up on the business end of his bone-rattling hits could testify that wasn’t an exaggeration.
Butkus, a middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears whose speed and ferocity set the standards for the position in the modern era, has died, the team announced Thursday. He was 80.
About Author
More Stories
Calls mount for Macarthur to field A-League Women’s team after Auckland commit for 2025
‘Hard to accept’: Arteta hits out at penalty decision during Inter defeat
Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn retires from competitive breaking after Olympic upset