DICK BUTKUS HAS PASSED

[Onomea]

A tribute: #10: Dick Butkus | The Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players (2010) | NFL Films - YouTube

Rest in peace.

 

[STCM(SW)]

He Played when there was Real Football and was one of the greatest of all time. RIP.

Agree...........

 

[ACORN]

I believe it was Paul Hornung that said that if you played against the Bears back then, Butkus hated you. Not JUST hated you, but hated you like he’s hated you for years.
RIP #51.

 

[Grayfox]

I've never really followed team sports, but I do know of Butkus and what a badazz he was on the field.

But he also hailed from the days when athletes took pride in being positive role models for kids. He was a great one.

 

[Bo Rich]

There have been a lot of excellent Middle Linebackers, Sam Huff, Ray Nichski, Jack Lambert to name a few. But 51 was something special. RIP Dick! I don’t watch the NFL anymore. I used to love the game. Ever since the let the offense use there hands to block the game took a different turn. That is why you don’t see two hand shivers, or forearms being used. Nobody wears arm pads any more, because of this rule change. I could add more, but that’s for another time.

 

[mtgianni]

My favorite story is when he went out for High School ball. Two seniors thought he was cocky and wanted to teach him a lesson. The next play one had a broken leg and the other broken ribs. After that the coach refused to let him in on live drills. He had to mirror what the others did on the sidelines.

 

[Chuck24]

DIfferent game, different time, but he was the greatest! Those were the days of forearm shivers, crack back blocks, playing in the rain (%*&^ the lightning), smoking at halftime, gawd I loved it. I played highschool ball in the early 70's remember the techniques they taught, forearm shivers, head slaps, the "bull ring" and so on. remember one kid had a hairline fracture in his forearm, wore a cast rtat was wrapped in foam and tape. You could heat the THONK when he forearmed the lineman across from him. But then again, we could not use our hands like today's linemen. I also remember the defensive tackles (which is what I played) used ot chew tobacco and spit on the ball. Great times-football was a game of three yards and a cloud of dust. We ran traps, counters and the occasional option. Defense was a 4-3. two 2 techniques, two 6 techniques with three linebackers behind.
Offensed were either an I set veer or the T set option. Cleats were the oldfashioned screw in-1/2 or 3/4 depending on field conditions. We gobbled salt tablets like M&M's. Coaches would beat the **&^ out of us and we had a great time!!! We smoked, drank and were the big dogs on campus!
Say what you want about football being a violent game but today's game ain't nothing like it was back in the day.
Dick Butkis, Ray Nitchkie, Larry Wilson, "Dreamer" Tatum, Lester "The Molester" Hayes...gawd those guys were animals
On the offense Jerry Kramer, Fuzzy Thurston Conrad Dobler-my heros. Us short "fire plug build" guys either played guard or 2 techniques. I loved taking out a defensive player on a trap.
RIP DIck-thanks for the memories.

Our defense wasn’t that complicated, there’s a guy with a ball, get him and if he doesn’t get up, all the better.

 

[SPEEDGUNNER]

Butkus quote: "I want them to know that, when they get hit, they don't have to wonder who hit them"

Oh yeah.

 

[ACORN]

Humorous story.
1970’s: Denver RB Floyd Little: “Dick Butkus hit me so hard my body almost liquified. He helps me up and says ‘You Ok?’ I said, ‘Yeah of course.’ He says, ‘Well if you’re ok, why are you in our huddle?’ He’d hit me so hard I’d followed him into the Bears huddle. He turned me around and sent me back”

 

[soFlaNative]

Found a highlight reel of his set to metal band Drowning Pool "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor".
Devastating.
Far cry from him and Bubba Smith hoping the water polo ponies don't drown for Miller Lite.

 

[jrm53]

Thank you Cajun Lawyer for post 18 I had two favorite linebackers I could not think of the other one until I read your post I liked Dick Butkus the second one was Larry Wilson of the St Louis Cardinals BOY they were great!! Jeff

 

[Rustyt1953]

Larry Wilson was a free safety who still holds the unofficial record for broken noses.