Forever In Our Heart: Fighting Illini Football Player Died In A Car Accident And Been Taken To…
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini and Chicago Bears legend Dick Butkus, regarded as the greatest linebacker in football history, passed away at his home in Malibu, California, at the age of 80.
During his time at Illinois, Butkus played center on offense and linebacker on defense for Coach Pete Elliott, leading the Fighting Illini to the 1963 Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl victory over Washington.
A member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame, Butkus was a two-time consensus All-American, three-time All-Big Ten selection, and was named the 1963 Silver Football Award winner as the Big Ten’s Most Valuable Player. He finished third in the 1964 Heisman Trophy balloting before going on to a nine-year Hall of Fame career with the NFL’s Chicago Bears that included six All-Pro selections.
Butkus finished his Illinois career with 374 tackles. His 145 stops in 1963 stood as the school record until 1976. He was named the 1964 Player of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association.
Butkus was named to the Big Ten Diamond Anniversary Team in 1970, The Sporting News College Coaches All-Time Team, and the University of Illinois All-Century Team. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979 and to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983. Butkus’ Illinois jersey, No. 50, was retired in 1986 and he was named to the Walter Camp Foundation All-Century team in 1989. In 2001, Sports Illustrated ranked Butkus as the best middle linebacker ever. The NFL Network named him the most feared tackler of all time and the No. 10 player in NFL History in 2009 and 2010, respectively. In 2010 he was named the No. 6 Big Ten Icon in the history of the conference by the Big Ten Network, and in 2020 he was tabbed as the No. 8 player in college football history as part of college football’s 150th anniversary.
In 2017, Butkus was inducted as a member of Illinois Athletics’ inaugural Hall of Fame Class, and in 2019, a larger-than-life statue of Butkus was unveiled outside the front entrance of Illinois’ Smith Football Performance Center.
The nation’s top linebacker receives the “Butkus Award” annually.
Statement from Head Football Coach Bret Bielema
I am saddened to learn of the passing of Dick Butkus, the greatest linebacker in football history.
As the head coach of his alma mater that he loved, I had the great honor to meet Dick, one of my childhood idols, last September. He was an amazing person, as well as football player, and a loyal Illini.
Dick embodied everything that Illinois football has represented in the past and what we look to represent into the future. His deep love for Illinois football will be honored and remembered forever.
Statement from Director of Athletics Josh Whitman
The Greatest Living Illini has left us.
Dick Butkus was a giant in a land of giants. In a game built on toughness and tenacity, he stood alone. One of the most imposing figures to ever wear a helmet, away from the field, Dick was self-effacing, humble, and generous. A cultural icon, Dick leaves a legacy on Americana that will never be forgotten.
On a personal note, the friendship I formed with Dick is something I will always cherish. I am so grateful for the time I was blessed to spend with him and for the many moments that we shared. I will never forget how touched he was when I told him he was the inaugural member of the newly formed Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame, or how emotional he became in learning that we were building a statue in his honor. Nor will I forget dedicating that statue – on a brittle, windy, rainy day that was tailor-made for a ceremony celebrating the toughest man in football.
We grieve for his loss. We take solace in the many wonderful gifts that Dick gave us, both on the gridiron and in the decades since he left it. On behalf of our entire Illini famILLy, we send our love and condolences to his wife, Helen, and the entire Butkus family, with a reminder that Dick Butkus may be gone, but his memory will live forever at the University of Illinois – a place that he permanently changed with his ferocious heart, his indomitable spirit, and his unshakable loyalty.
Our University is better, our game is better, and our country is better, all because we were graced by the presence of one Dick Butkus.
