Dick Butkus, NFL Legend, Dead At 80

MALIBU, CA — Legendary former NFL linebacker Dick Butkus has died at the age of 80, according to a statement from his family.

"The Butkus Family confirms that football and entertainment legend Dick Butkus died peacefully in his sleep overnight at home in Malibu, Calif. The Butkus family is gathering with Dick's wife Helen. They appreciate your prayers and support," his family said in a statement.

TMZ reported that the former Chicago Bears player was found unresponsive at his Malibu home Thursday and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Butkus was drafted by the Bears in 1965 after playing college football at the University of Illinois. After his nine-season NFL career, maintained a prominent public profile in celebrity endorsement, broadcasting, and acting.

Butkus had 1,020 tackles, 22 interceptions and 27 fumble recoveries.

He became known as one of the most intimidating players thanks to his hulking 6-foot-three, 245-pound stature and unique style that earned him nicknames like the Animal, the Maestro of Mayhem, the Enforcer, and the Robot of Destruction.

Butkus was voted to the Pro Bowl in his first eight NFL seasons and was selected as an All-Pro for seven of his nine years, according to the Bears.

"Dick was the ultimate Bear, and one of the greatest players in NFL history," Bears chairman George H. McCaskey said in a statement. "He was Chicago's son. He exuded what our great city is about and, not coincidently, what George Halas looked for in a player: toughness, smarts, instincts, passion and leadership. He refused to accept anything less than the best from himself, or from his teammates. When we dedicated the George Halas statue at our team headquarters, we asked Dick to speak at the ceremony, because we knew he spoke for Papa Bear."

USA Today in 2010 called him the "gold standard by which all other middle linebackers are measured." The same year, the New York Times named him the seventh-best NFL player in history and he came in tenth in the NFL Network's list.

He was indicted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979, the first year he was eligible, USA Today reported.

Trading on his image as the toughest guy in the room, Butkus enjoyed a long second career as a sports broadcaster, an actor in movies and TV series, and a sought-after pitchman for products ranging from antifreeze to beer. Whether the script called for comedy or drama, Butkus usually resorted to playing himself, often with his gruff exterior masking a softer side.

“I wouldn’t ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately,” Butkus replied tongue-in-cheek when asked about his on-field reputation. “Unless it was, you know, important ... like a league game or something.”

He appeared in “The Longest Yard” in 1974 and a dozen feature films over the next 15 years, as well as the sitcoms “My Two Dads” and “Hang Time.” He also returned to the Bears as a radio analyst in 1985, and replaced Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder on CBS’ “The NFL Today” pregame show in 1988.

Through the Butkus Foundation, he helped establish a program at a Southern California hospital to encourage early screenings to detect heart disease. He promoted a campaign to encourage high school athletes to train and eat well and avoid performance-enhancing drugs.
The foundation oversees the Butkus Award, established in 1985 to honor college football’s best linebacker. It was expanded in 2008 to include pros and high school players.

"Dick had a gruff manner, and maybe that kept some people from approaching him, but he actually had a soft touch," McCaskey said in the statement released by the team on Thursday. "His legacy of philanthropy included a mission of ridding performance-enhancing drugs from sports and promoting heart health. His contributions to the game he loved will live forever and we are grateful he was able to be at our home opener this year to be celebrated one last time by his many fans."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.