Dick Butkus, one of the most celebrated linebackers in NFL history who played eight seasons for the Chicago Bears before turning to a career as an actor and sports commentator, died Thursday in Malibu. He was 80 years old.
The Butkus family released a statement through the Chicago Bears organization, confirming his death.
“The Butkus family confirms that football and entertainment legend Dick Butkus died peacefully in his sleep overnight at home in Malibu, California. The Butkus family is gathering with Dick’s wife Helen. They appreciate your prayers and support,” the statement reads.
A Chicago native, Butkus was drafted by his hometown team in 1965 after a breakthrough college football career that saw him lead the University of Illinois to a Rose Bowl victory in 1963. During his time with the Bears, Butkus twice won defensive player of the year, appeared in eight Pro Bowls and was named to first-team All-Pro five times. A towering 245 lb. linebacker, Butkus was a formidable defensive presence on the field. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979, with his No. 51 jersey retired by the Bears shortly after.
“He was like Moby Dick in a goldfish bowl,” NFL Films’ Steve Sabol told the Los Angeles Times in 1986.
After retiring from professional football due to injuries, Butkus took his considerable celebrity into show business, making guest appearances on shows like “The Six Million Dollar Man,” “The Rockford Files,” “Magnum P.I.,” “Fantasy Island” and “Taxi.” In 1984, he was a main cast member on the ABC cop drama “Blue Thunder,” a TV spinoff from the 1983 helicopter action film of the same name starring Roy Scheider. The program was canceled after airing 11 episodes.
Butkus was also glad to poke fun at his persona with cameos as himself in comedic films like “Gremlins 2: The New Batch” and “The Last Boy Scout” and sitcoms like “The Bernie Mac Show” and “Coach.”
In 1985, Butkus rejoined the Bears organization on the radio broadcast team. He moved to “The NFL Today” in 1988 for pregame coverage. Later in his career, Butkus stuck with Chicago football but jumped to the minor league XFL to serve as its director of competition.
Born Dec. 9, 1942 and the youngest of eight children, Butkus was raised in Chicago and took to football in high school. There he met his wife, Helen Essenberg, whom he married in 1963 while attending the University of Illinois. He was courted by both the Chicago Bears and the Denver Broncos ahead of the 1965 NFL Draft, ultimately electing to stick to his home town.
Butkus is survived by his wife, Helen, and their three children, Ricky, Matt and Nicki.
