A look at the career of Dick Butkus, one of hardest hitters and most feared players in NFL history. We dive into his unmatched intensity, brutal tackles, and lasting legacy.
Greatest LB ever by a country mile, hardest hitter too, and while skill sets and responsibilities vary on Def, it wouldn't be a stretch to say Dick was the greatest defensive player, period, ever - as Howie Long said after he died, "It was like he was immortal, too tough for death to dare to come for him!"
Recently heard on NFL network a commentator describe Aaron Donald as the greatest defensive player in league history. That 'expert' must not have known about Dick Butkus.
I think that at least part of it was he was oversized for the position he played. Most middle linebackers were around 220 pounds at the time, more or less, but Butkus was around 250. And he'd just charge into a runner with everything he had and knock him down because he outweighed them by 30-40 pounds.
He was my idol when I played HS football. Later in life, I met him at a meet & greet in Vegas. When I shook his hand, It was like shaking huge sausages!!
Probably the players of the modern era hit harder. For 51's era weight training was optional, but since the 80's the players have gotten bigger and faster and that translates to more force and harder hits.
@@nflunveiled Absofuckenlutly It's a known fact that the best way to run against LT was to run right at him. No one ever ran at Butkus. All LT's tackles were made from behind pulling guys down. Watch the highlight reels of Butkus it's text book form tackling. Butkus had way more fumble recoveries and interceptions. If they kept tract of forced fumbles he would be in a league of his own. Lt did it on a super bowl team and Butkus was on the worst team in the league .🍻
@@ldfreitas9437 A lot of teams have had big stars who had HOF careers and never won a championship. So what's your point? All I mentioned was what a great draft getting those two. Can you pick a team that drafted two future HOF players in the first round?
Butkus was a monster, no doubt. But in my humble opinion, the hardest hitter will always be Dick "Night-Train" Lane! Night-Train was a menace on the field. A destructive missile just waiting for pass catchers to get the ball so he could demolish them! The NFL had to change rules because of his hitting style. Abolishing the clothesline. Abolishing the forearm to the face. Abolishing the facemask tackle. All those rules were created because of Dick "Night-Train" Lane!
The best comment ever made about Butkus. Came from Steve Sabol.. him and his dad. Ran nfl films. And seen everthing. On ever player. For all those years. Over 60 yrs. And before. Steve. Die. He said. No one play harder or better than Dick Butkus and he seen them all. Period. !
I grew up in St. Louis, and never saw Butkus play, either in person or on TV. What I remember is after he retired he spent an appreciable time on TV, and he always seemed to be a soft-spoken, jovial man. Acted like he wouldn't hurt a flea. I guess he just had one personality for being out in public, and then a second personality for when he was playing football.
And as far as Paul posting players in the modern error, lifting weights and hitting harder, just not remember the oldest rule the pork I have had three pit bulls and a Doberman and I love them all they all love the whole family. None of them were attacked dogs but the one thing you learn the litter, she pound American pitbull terrier with bloodlines to go back three generations, so is the point of the story is, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight the size of the heart
During oj Simpson’s first season they played the bears in preseason, someone on the team told him if he sees number 51 coming at to get out of bounds, Simpson said on one play he was running down the sideline and he saw number 52 coming so he ran out of bounds, he said Butkus nailed him anyway
In high school, all of his buddies would pile in one of those huge steel monsters of a car, and Butkus would push them around the neighborhood while they were partying.
As a kid when Monday night football began on ABC, Dick Butkus was one of, but the biggest reason I began to understand and love pro football. In my book he's the greatest player of all time, if I could only pick one. Rest in Peace bro....always loved, admired and never forgotten.
Defensive player of the year on a 1-13 team. Or, how about if when asked if he ever tried hurt another player and he said something to the effect of “not in preseason.”
I started out small, and I'm still going slow on my channel. I've been watching these videos to help build my channel more and more! Keep up the great work and thanks for inspiring me!
Cam Chancellor was a ferocious hitter at strong safety and one of the best ever in the NFL. Ditto Steve Atwater of Denver, another great at strong safety.
Sorry, but I disagree ... the HARDEST hitter in NFL history was Slammin' Sam Mills ... elected as the OLDEST non-kicking starter EVER to the Pro Bowl, and the ONLY TRUE-USFL inductee into Canton (the others with USFL tenure were ALL drafted in some fashion and/or pursued by the NFL - Sam was NEVER EVER drafted by an NFL team) ... In the 2017 episode of "A Football Life" on ESPN that was about Sam Mills, Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson stated matter-of-factly that Sam Mills was the greatest with whom he ever played ... seven years after Jackson made Canton, and five years before Sam Mills was FINALLY inducted. To THIS day, former coach of the original USFL Philadelphia Stars, Saints & Colts Jim Mora says that Sam Mills was the greatest, and Coach Mora helped induct Sam into Canton with Sam's widow, Melanie. No shade towards Butkus, but Sam Mills EARNED EVERY BIT of HIS cred ON THE FIELD ... AND PROVED that height isn't all that matters ... all the while, Sam Mills JUST KEPT POUNDING.
A friend of mine was missing his front teeth and I asked him one day how he lost them. Playing Pop Warner football, Butkus was a mean bad ass even as a kid.
My all time favorite sports figure. I loved Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and few others in different sports but no one rose to the level of Butkus in my eyes. When we played sandlot football and I was on defense, I WAS Dick Butkus.
