Playing his entire NFL career for the Chicago Bears between the years of 1965 and 1973, Dick Butkus established himself as one of the best linebackers ever to grace the gridiron. He is our pick for the best NFL athlete to wear the uniform number 51.
Although Butkus' career was cut short by knee injuries, it was a brilliant one. Taken out of Illinois by the Bears in the first round of the 1965 NFL draft, Butkus played in all fourteen regular season games as a rookie. He had five INTs and recovered seven fumbles that year.
During his career, he amassed 1,020 tackles, 22 INTs and 27 fumble recoveries. He was a Pro-Bowler for eight consecutive years (1965 - 1972.)
He was coined by Sports Illustrated as the "most feared man in the game." Wow, that's a mean looking picture!
Did you know......Butkus was also drafted in the AFL in 1965 by the Denver Broncos?
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