Dick Butkus, a famed Bears Hall of Fame middle linebacker and Chicago native who many still regard as the NFL's most fierce defensive player has passed away at the age of 80.
Dick Butkus's family released a statement that football and entertainment legend has died peacefully in his sleep overnight at his home in California.
Dick, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979, was the ultimate Bear and one of the greatest players in NFL history.
Butkus was a prominent linebacker, fullback, and kicker at Chicago Vocational High School before going on to play for the University of Illinois. He was one of the few successful athletes to perform his entire career.
Butkus was the classic Monster of the midway linebacker for the Chicago Bears and set the bar for the position's speed and ferocity in the past.
Butkus was a first-team All-Pro five times and made the Pro Bowl in eight of his nine seasons before quitting at the age of 31 due to a knee injury.