Richard Marvin "Dick" Butkus is an American former football player for the Chicago Bears. He was drafted in 1965 and he is also widely regarded as one of the best and most durable linebackers of all time. Butkus started as a football player for the University of Illinois and...
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Chicago Vocational High School
Nationality
United States of America
Spouse
Helen Essenhart (m. 1963)
Children
Richard M. Butkus Jr., Matt Butkus, Nikki Butkus
Parents
Emma Butkus, Don Butkus
Nicknames
Richard Marvin Butkus , The Maestro of Mayhem , The Animal , The Robot of Destruction , The Enforcer , Dick
Awards
Chicago Tribune Silver Football-Big Ten's Most Valuable Player (1963), American Football Coaches Association Player of the Year (1964), Sporting News Player of the Year (1964), UPI College Lineman of the Year (1964), Consensus All-American (1963, 1964), Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy
Nominations
Pro Bowl (1965–1972), First-team All-Pro (1965, 1967–1970, 1972), Second-team All-Pro (1966, 1971), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1969, 1970), NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
Movies
The Longest Yard (1974,), Cry, Onion! (1975), Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976), Gus (1976), Superdome (1978), Cracking Up (1983), Johnny Dangerously (1984), Hamburger: The Motion Picture (1986), The Stepford Children (1987), Spontaneous Combustion (1990)
TV Shows
The NFL Today (1988), Blue Thunder, My Two Dads, Hang Time
Star Sign
Sagittarius
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Fact
1
Appeared in a commercial for "FedEx Express". [2009]
Center/linebacker for the University of Illinois football team, 1962-1964.
5
Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
6
Mentioned in the Sublime song "Same in the End".
7
Since 1985 the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Florida has presented the annual Dick Butkus Award to the top linebacker in college football.
8
Was frequently paired up with Bubba Smith in Miller Lite commercials. Also worked with Smith in the Blue Thunder (1984) TV series.
9
Is of Lithuanian descent.
10
Uniform number 51 retired by the Bears.
11
Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
12
Considered to be the meanest linebacker ever to play football.
13
Was a first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears, with whom he spent nine years as a linebacker (1965-1973) and appeared in eight straight Pro Bowls (1965-1972).
14
Has two sons and a daughter
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Teddy Bears' Picnic
2002
Dick Butkus
Hang Time
1998-2000
TV Series
Coach Mike Katowinski
Malibu, CA
2000
TV Series
Uncle Charlie
Any Given Sunday
1999
Opposing Coach - Game 3
Burke's Law
1994
TV Series
Let's Kill All the Lawyers
1992
The Turnkey
MacGyver
1990-1991
TV Series
Earl Dent
Necessary Roughness
1991
Convict Football Player
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
1990
Dick Butkus
Spontaneous Combustion
1990
Lt. General
My Two Dads
1987-1989
TV Series
Ed Klawicki
Crash Course
1988
TV Movie
Ed Konner
Growing Pains
1988
TV Series
Robert
Matlock
1987
TV Series
Vic Garrett / The Annihilator
The Stepford Children
1987
TV Movie
Tom Wilcox
Time Out for Dad
1987
TV Movie
Dick Kowalski
Night Court
1986
TV Series
Stanley
Blacke's Magic
1986
TV Series
Ruston
Hamburger: The Motion Picture
1986
Drootin
Half Nelson
1985
TV Series
Beau
Murder, She Wrote
1985
TV Series
Tank Mason
The Star Games
1985
TV Series
Referee
Johnny Dangerously
1984
Arthur
The Love Boat
1984
TV Series
Ernie Jordan
Blue Thunder
1984
TV Series
Richard 'Ski' Butowski
Cracking Up
1983
Anti-Smoking Enforcer
Simon & Simon
1982
TV Series
Joe Blake
The Greatest American Hero
1982
TV Series
Coach Andrews
Matt Houston
1982
TV Series
Crusher Kawalski
Cass Malloy
1982
TV Movie
Officer Alvin Dimsky
Deadly Games
1982
Joe Adams
Magnum, P.I.
1982
TV Series
Clarence / Dumbo
Vega$
1981
TV Series
Vinnie Trancas
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
1980
TV Movie
Brom Bones
Fantasy Island
1978-1980
TV Series
Derrick Haskell / Moose Maloney
Taxi
1979
TV Series
Party Guy
Wonder Woman
1979
TV Series
Neil
Superdome
1978
TV Movie
Scott Hennerson
Gus
1976
Rob Cargil
Mother, Jugs & Speed
1976
Rodeo
Rich Man, Poor Man
1976
TV Mini-Series
Al Fanducci
The Rockford Files
1976
TV Series
Dick Butkus
Petrocelli
1975
TV Series
Bill Eberly
Joe Forrester
1975
TV Series
The Six Million Dollar Man
1975
TV Series
Bobby Laport
Bronk
1975
TV Series
Roman Manescu
Police Story
1975
TV Series
Selig / Sullivan
Cipolla Colt
1975
Jeff
A Matter of Wife... and Death
1975
TV Movie
Heavy
McMillan & Wife
1974
TV Series
Coach
Emergency!
1974
TV Series
Dave 'The Animal'
Brian's Song
1971
TV Movie
Dick Butkus (uncredited)
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
A Football Life
2014-2016
TV Series
Himself
I Didn't Do It
2014
TV Series
Himself
Mike & Mike
2012-2013
TV Series
Himself - Pro Football Hall of Famer
The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet
2009
TV Series
Himself
Memorial Stadium: True Illini Spirit
2008
Documentary
Himself
Deal or No Deal
2007
TV Series
Himself - Supporter
American Chopper: The Series
2007
TV Series
Himself
The Bernie Mac Show
2006
TV Series
Himself
Bound for Glory
2005
TV Series
Head Varsity Football Coach
ESPN SportsCentury
2000-2001
TV Series documentary
Himself
Inside Schwartz
2001
TV Series
Himself
WWE Raw
2001
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Audience Member
X.F.L.
2001
TV Series
Himself
Early Edition
1997
TV Series
Himself
Coach
1992-1997
TV Series
Himself
Chicago Sons
1997
TV Series
Himself
Charlie Grace
1996
TV Series
Himself
Wheel of Fortune
1993
TV Series
Himself - Contestant
Saturday Night Live
1992
TV Series
Himself
The Last Boy Scout
1991
Himself
Bob Hope & Friends: Making New Memories
1991
TV Special
Himself
Kate & Allie
1988
TV Series
Himself
The NFL Today
1988
TV Series
Himself - Studio Analyst
The 14th Annual People's Choice Awards
1988
TV Special documentary
Himself - Accepting Award for Favourite New Television Comedy