Dick Butkus, NFL Hall of Fame Linebacker and the ‘Ultimate Bear,’ Dead at 80

Dick Butkus, the legendary Chicago Bears Hall of Fame player, has passed away. He was 80 years old.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE that Butkus was pronounced dead Thursday. TMZ Sports first reported his death. His family also confirmed his death in a statement released by the Bears, adding that Butkus “passed away peacefully in his sleep overnight.”

Paramedics responded to a 911 call at Butkus’ Malibu residence at 12:52 p.m., a Los Angeles County sheriff’s spokesman said. Butkus was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Dick was the ultimate Bear and one of the greatest players in NFL history,” Bears president George H. McCaskey said in a statement Thursday. “He was a son of Chicago. He exuded what our great city is all about and, not coincidentally, what George Halas wanted in a player: toughness, smarts, instincts, passion and leadership. He refused to accept anything less than his best, or from of his teammates.”

Butkus was born Richard Marvin Butkus in Chicago on December 9, 1942. He attended the University of Illinois from 1962 to 1964, where he played middle linebacker. In 1964, he finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Dick Butkus poses for photos at the NFL Throwbacks retail merchandise collection.

Paul Spinelli via AP

“All I ever wanted to do was play football. It was the human factor that made me come here to Illinois,” Butkus said in 2016 after the University of Illinois retired his number. “I’m very proud to be a former Illini. I’ll always be an Illini.”

The Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos drafted Butkus for the 1965-66 season. He decided to play for his hometown team and soon after was selected to the first of eight consecutive Pro Bowls. He intercepted five passes during his freshman season.

Over the next eight seasons, he became known for his ability to strip the ball on offense, which eventually earned him various nicknames, including Maestro Mayhem, The Enforcer, The Animal and Robot of Destruction.

In 2019, Butkus told the Bears’ website that he was in a “unique position” having played his entire career for his hometown team. “I feel very lucky,” he said. “My parents saw probably 95 percent of the games that were in Chicago, so it was good for my family and I loved it.”

The linebacker played for the team until his retirement in 1973, amassing 1,020 tackles, 22 interceptions and 27 fumble recoveries during his career. Five years later, in 1979, in his first year of eligibility, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Butkus was also named to the league’s All-Decade Teams during his career, and was also named to the NFL’s 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams.

Although Butkus did not play on the 1985 Super Bowl-winning Bears team, he was in the radio booth.

“I loved doing it. The Bears were so good when we went to the Super Bowl, too,” Butkus told WGN last year. “It was a great year for broadcasting because you knew they were going to win and you just make it exciting. They were something else. That team was really something, man.”

After his retirement, the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando began honoring college athletes with the Butkus Outstanding Linebacker of the Year Award. Eventually, the Butkus Foundation took control of the award in 2008 and then expanded the honors to recognize college, high school and professional players. The player’s foundation has also worked to discourage the use of steroids among teenagers and has continuously contributed to various charities.

Dick Butkus.

Tony Tomsic via AP

IN USA Today interview in 2021, Butkus said he wanted to be remembered more for what he did after retirement.

“I just think about the things I’ve done since then with the Butkus Award,” Butkus said. “I tell the kids, ‘First, you’re recognized as the best of the best quarterbacks in the country. And secondly, and probably more importantly, it takes the responsibility that you have to give back and serve others.’”

After hanging up his No. 51 jersey, the linebacker starred in several TV shows and movies, including Any Sunday, Waiting timeand The last scout. He also appeared in commercials for Miller Lite, Prestone, Schick and Visa. During his retirement he worked as an analyst for CBS.

In recent years, Butkus has thus gained new followers Twitter feed, where he continued to commentate on the Bears and the NFL. In his 2022 interview with WGN, Butkus said his son got him interested in it.

Butkus is survived by his wife Helen and three children, Ricky, Matt and Nikki.

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