- published: 11 Jun 2015
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Richard Marvin "Dick" Butkus (born December 9, 1942) is a former American 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 the Chicago Bears. He became a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979. He played nine seasons in the NFL for the Chicago Bears. Billed at 6 ft 3 in, 245 lbs., he was one of the most feared and intimidating linebackers of his time.
The youngest of eight children, Lithuanian American Richard Marvin "Dick" Butkus grew up in the Roseland area of Chicago's south side. He played high school football for coach Bernie O'Brien at Chicago Vocational High School.
Despite growing up in Chicago, Butkus was not a Bears fan, preferring to attend Chicago Cardinals games at Comiskey Park and watch Thanksgiving games between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.
Butkus played center and linebacker from 1962 through 1964 at the University of Illinois. He was twice a unanimous All-American, in 1963 and 1964. He won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football in 1963 as the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player, and was named the American Football Coaches Association Player of the Year in 1964. Butkus finished sixth in Heisman Trophy balloting in 1963 and third in 1964, a rare accomplishment for both linemen and defensive players.
Actors: Dean McDermott (actor), Ben Gazzara (actor), Craig Zadan (producer), Richard Marvin (composer), Elise Neal (actress), Scott Vickrey (editor), Shawn Lawrence (actor), Neil Meron (producer), Aidan Devine (actor), Mekhi Phifer (actor), Craig Eldridge (actor), William Blinn (writer), Tony Meyler (actor), John Gray (director), John Gray (writer),
Plot: American football players Brian Piccolo, of Italian descent with the gift of the gab, and Gale Sayers, black and a social cripple, both join the Chicago Bears. They don't get along, but coach's plan to mix races as roomies forces them to do so. When Gale is about to give up with a knee injury, Brian kicks and helps him till he gets back, and they become friends. Just when Brian gets off the bench in a new position, he's diagnosed with embryonal carcinoma, and when that's cured other dangerous cancers: his career is over, and his life a painful struggle for survival at best...
Keywords: american-football, based-on-book, character-name-in-title, fatal-illness, football-player, friendship-between-men, integration, sports-teamActors: David Huddleston (actor), Michel Legrand (composer), Shelley Fabares (actress), James Caan (actor), Jack Warden (actor), Buzz Kulik (director), Bernie Casey (actor), Billy Dee Williams (actor), William Blinn (writer), Paul Junger Witt (producer), Ji-Tu Cumbuka (actor), Tony Thomas (producer), Dick Butkus (actor), Bud S. Isaacs (editor), Mario Machado (actor),
Plot: Gale Sayers joins the Chicago Bears and is befriended by Brian Piccolo, an over-achieving running back. Although they compete for the same spot on the team, and despite the fact that Sayers is black and Piccolo white, they become roommates on the road and very close friends, especially when Sayers is injured and Piccolo helps his recovery. Later, they and their wives must both deal with the harsh reality of Piccolo's cancer.
Keywords: 1960s, abc-movie-of-the-week, african-american, american-football, archive-footage, athlete, banquet, bare-chested-male, based-on-book, basement