Tag: dick butkus

The best defensive player of all time for all 32 NFL teams

Who has terrified quarterbacks and coaches the most for every team?

The modern NFL game is not built for defenses to thrive. Heck, even in times of “three yards and a cloud of dust,” it’s arguable the league never actually wanted defenses to win. At least, once the powers that be learned that offense sells like hotcakes.

Suffice it to say, playing defense in the NFL can be an impossible job. So the men that have courageously taken on the assignment of slowing down high-flying attacks stand out all the more.

In pro football lore, the best defenders ever are those who made offensive coordinators lose countless hours of sleep as they game-planned. They are the players who made quarterbacks quite literally see ghosts when standing in the pocket. They are pictures of reliability and dependability and are the preeminent warriors of the West’s favorite gladiator sport.

The below list examines the greatest defender in the history of all 32 NFL teams. My criteria was simple and rooted around these questions: What was their production like? Did they have a high intimidation factor? How available were they for their teammates? Did they pioneer a new way of playing their position?

It’s not easy playing defense in the NFL. But these fine gentlemen sometimes made the impossible seem like a casual task.

Also, check out:

50 legends who could be inducted into National High School Football Hall of Fame

Here are all 50 of the potential inductees.

The National High School Football Hall of Fame will soon be settling into Canton, Ohio – per Josh Weir at the Canton Repository.

In five days’ time, 18 players will be inducted into the inaugural class. That group will be narrowed down from a group of 50 legends of the sport who are eligible to be inducted. The induction ceremony will take place on July 30 at the Timken Auditorium at the Timken Career Campus in Canton.

Here are all 50 of the potential inductees.

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2023 NFL Draft: Devin Hester to announce one of the Bears Day 2 picks

Bears legendary return specialist Devin Hester will announce one of the team’s second-round picks on Friday evening.

A Chicago Bears legend will introduce one of the team’s newest draft selections on Friday night. Former All-Pro return specialist Devin Hester is set to take the stage in Kansas City to announce one of the Bears’ second-round picks.

Over the last decade or so, the NFL has brought former and active players from each organization to the draft to make selections on Day 2. The Bears have had players such as Matt Forte, Dick Butkus, Rashied Davis, and Olin Kreutz in recent years as representatives. Now it’s Hester’s turn as he hopefully introduces another star second-round selection, just like he turned out to be back in the mid-2000s.

The Bears selected Hester out of the University of Miami with the No. 57 pick in 2006. He immediately became a star, setting the NFL world on fire with his electric returns his rookie season, culminating in one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history when he ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLI against the Indianapolis Colts.

Hester finished his  NFL career with multiple NFL records, including the most career return touchdowns of all time and has been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame each of the last two years. He’s considered the greatest return specialist in NFL history.

Hester will surely receive a warm reception from the Bears fans in attendance when he gets ready to announce the pick. The question is, will the NFL let him walk out to his signature song “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” by Soulja Boy when he enters the stage? We won’t have to wait too long to find out.

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51 years ago, No. 51 Dick Butkus caught a pass on a PAT to give the Bears a victory

A Dick Butkus catch on a PAT gave the Bears a 1-point win on Nov. 14, 1971

It was one of the weirdest games in NFL history and the ending was more bizarre.

Washington and Chicago played at Soldier Field on Nov. 14, 1971. The first 8 scores came on field goals.

The Bears finally scored a TD on Cyril Pinder’s 40-yard run to tie the game at 15.

The PAT — remember there was no 2-point conversion in the NFL then — turned into an odyssey. A game that had 8 field goals kicked saw the snap botched on the PAT.

However, the holder was Chicago QB Bobby Douglass. He managed to collect himself and the football.

Douglass threw a pass to the end zone, where Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus snagged it to give the Bears a 16-15 win.

Butkus actually scored another PAT in 1972 and wound up with 10 points in his career, adding a safety and a TD.

 

Bears legend Dick Butkus paid an emotional goodbye to the now-traded Roquan Smith

The Hall of Fame linebacker seemed very sad to see Smith go.

You know you’ve made a mark on a sports franchise when one of its biggest names is sad to see you leave.

On Monday, roughly a day before the 2022 NFL trade deadline, the Chicago Bears traded All-Pro level linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens. And while there was a lot to parse through from an on-field football sense, it didn’t seem like Chicago linebacking legend Dick Butkus was quite ready to see Smith leave just yet.

Why it’s almost as if one great Bears linebacker loved to see a player like Smith live up to that long-established Chicago tradition:

Oh, man. Is someone cutting onions?

It’s obvious Butkus — a Chicago native, a former University of Illinois graduate, and Bears Hall of Famer — still has an affinity for his favorite football franchise. And it looks like he really appreciated what Smith brought to the table for as long as he wore the Bears’ uniform.

Bears legend Dick Butkus reacts to Roquan Smith trade

Bears Hall of Famer Dick Butkus said it was a “bummer” to see Roquan Smith traded to the Ravens.

The Chicago Bears made a blockbuster trade sending star linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for 2023 second- and fifth-round draft picks.

Bears legend and Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus took to Twitter to share his reaction to the trade, which involved his friend and former Butkus Award winner.

“Bummer to see my friend, Roquan, traded today,” Butkus wrote on Twitter. “Thanks for giving it your all for my Bears. Best of luck in Baltimore.”

Butkus has been a fan of Smith since his college days at Georgia, when he won the Butkus Award (given to the nation’s top linebacker) in 2017. Butkus has praised Smith for his physicality — and he even said Smith reminded him a lot of himself.

“He’s a great kid. He won our college award, and he’s just a go-getter,” Butkus told Bears Wire in Nov. 2021. “I like the way he tackles. When he has the opportunity, he likes to hit high and wrap these guys up and put them on their back. I think he’s kind of a quiet – reminds me of myself – just a quiet guy. But when he’s on the field, his play really comes out. I’m happy for him. Plus, he’s a good kid.”

Smith has a league-leading 83 tackles, including four for a loss, as well as 2.5 sacks and two interceptions in 2022.

Now, Smith gets an opportunity play for a playoff-contending Ravens team, where he’ll have a chance to build on what’s been an impressive five-year career.

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The Bears gave 79-year-old Dick Butkus access to their Twitter account and it went exactly how it sounds

This was hilarious from Butkus.

The Bears are 2-1 and in a solid position to start their 2022 season. Though, with how the hopeful future of the franchise Justin Fields has played, the surprise start might feel more ominous than optimistic.

To seemingly try and boost the morale of their fans, the Bears had a special guest — NFL legend and Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus — take over their Twitter account on Tuesday night. But it didn’t go as smoothly as they had planned. When Butkus initially introduced himself with a cryptic “hello” that built anticipation for an announcement.

His very next post appeared to be the legend accidentally filming at Halas Hall out of his hand? Out of his pocket? Who knows for sure, but it was hilarious:

Butkus would then reveal himself with a proper video while standing inside Halas Hall — the Bears’ headquarters:

Butkus would engage with fans, asking what his first order of business should be inside the Bears’ main building:

It appears he went with “picture by my number” first, though the number wasn’t visible in a perfect selfie encompassing the entire Twitter chaos:

Not long after, Butkus tweeted a note that he had made a mistake and wasn’t sure how to delete it. Of course, given the spate of tweets and fumbling beforehand, it wasn’t clear which specific tweet he was referring to:

Classic stuff. I can’t tell if that’s a message from my parents or a legendary NFL figure. No notes.

And if it’s any consolation, he did get a great photo next to his customary No. 51:

In fairness to Butkus, this was the sort of havoc he used to wreak on offensive players all the time. But this is probably the first time it happened to the Bears as one of their greatest-ever players tried to figure out their social media.

Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe on preseason watch list for Butkus Award

Oregon’s linebacker duo of Justin Flowe and Noah Sewell are on the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award.

One of the bigger disappointments of the 2021 Oregon Ducks football season is that we weren’t able to watch one of the highest-ranked recruits make is mark on the field and play alongside fellow linebacker Noah Sewell.

But now Justin Flowe is 100 percent healthy from that foot injury that took him out of last season and is ready to create some havoc for opposing quarterbacks.

Sewell and Flowe might be the best linebacker duo in the conference and according to those that make out the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award, they are two of the best linebackers in the nation.

The list of 51 (the uniform number of Dick Butkus) is made up of the best linebackers college football has to offer. The Ducks are the only team to have two on the list.

Sewell was a semifinalist for the award last season and Flowe was the 2019 high school Butkus Award winner.

Now playing under Dan Lanning, considered one of the best defensive minds out there and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, it’ll be exciting to see how Flowe and Sewell progress throughout the season.

Dick Butkus talks Huddle Up challenge, building a winning roster and Justin Fields

We caught up with Dick Butkus to discuss the “Huddle Up: Let’s Talk Obesity” campaign, Justin Fields and building a winning roster.

Bears great Dick Butkus needs no introduction. He’s one of the toughest guys to ever play in the NFL, and his impact on the game has extended beyond the playing field.

Butkus spent his entire career with the Bears from 1965-1973, where he established himself as one of the best to ever play linebacker. He’s a 5-time First-Team All-Pro, 8-time Pro Bowler, 2-time Defensive Player of the Year, a member of the 1960s and 1970s All-Decade Team and the list goes on.

We had a chance to catch up with the legendary linebacker during Super Bowl week about his work with the NFL Alumni Association’s “Huddle Up: Let’s Talk Obesity” campaign, as well as Justin Fields and how the Bears should be aiming to replicate what the Rams did.

Football Hall of Famer Dick Butkus has immediately become Twitter’s biggest troll

What a troll!

A riddle: When does a linebacker morph into a troll?

The answer: When Dick Butkus joins Twitter.

The legendary Chicago Bear was verified on Twitter last month and got in quite a zing on Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. Since then? The trolling has continued, and no NFL franchise or player is safe.

There are New York Jets jokes. Detroit Lions ribbing. So much more. And it’s endlessly entertaining, isn’t it?

To help you catch up in case you’re not following him, I’ve put together a roundup of some of his greatest hits. Here they are, in no particular order: