Dick Butkus, a Corridor of Famer who was among the many most feared and revered gamers in NFL historical past and likewise had a protracted appearing profession in TV, movie and commercials, died in a single day in his sleep at his Malibu residence. He was 80.
His household confirmed the information on social media.
After back-to-back All-America seasons at Illinois College, Butkus was picked No. 3 general by his hometown Chicago Bears in 1965. A fearsome drive on the sphere and quite mild large off of it, he spent his total injury-shortened nine-season profession with the membership, redefining the linebacker place within the course of.
Energetic from 1965-73, Butkus was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Group for each the Nineteen Sixties and ’70s and was chosen for the All-Time NFL Group in 2000. A six-time All-NFL choice, two-time Defensive Participant of the Yr, he performed in eight consecutive Professional Bowls and was enshrined within the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame in 1979. He additionally was a coloration analyst for Bears radio and appeared on CBS‘ pregame present The NFL In the present day within the late Nineteen Eighties.
“There’s only one thing I’ve ever wanted to do: Play pro football,” he advised the Corridor of Fame. “Everyone seems to be made for something, and I’ve always felt that playing football was the thing I was supposed to do. I love the game.”
Born on December 9, 1942, within the Windy Metropolis, Butkus additionally has a protracted profession onscreen that started throughout his taking part in days. He performed himself within the memorable, multi-Emmy-winning 1971 telefilm Brian’s Music and later started to land visitor spots on such TV collection as McMillan & Spouse, Police Story and Emergency!
By the mid-Nineteen Seventies, Butkus was showing alongside different athletes and in a number of fashionable and enduring Miller Lite TV commercials. Together with his hulking body and profitable smile, he continued to land roles by way of the Nineteen Seventies and past on such fashionable TV exhibits as The Six Million Greenback Man, The Rockford Information, Marvel Lady, Taxi, Vega$, Magnum P.I., Simon & Simon, Matlock, Rising Pains, Kate & Allie and The Love Boat.
In 1987, Butkus landed a series-regular function on the NBC sitcom My Two Dads, taking part in an ex-football participant who ran a restaurant within the constructing the place leads Paul Reiser and Greg Evigan lived. The present made the primetime Prime 20 in its 1987-88 rookie 12 months, and he stayed with the collection for its first two seasons.
Butkus additionally made a number of big-screen appearances, together with Disney’s 1976 soccer romp Gus; reverse Invoice Cosby, Raquel Welch and Harvey Keitel in Mom, Jugs & Velocity; and later with Michael Keaton in Johnny Dangerously.
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