He was cheering for Illinois just last month:
I-L-L
— Dick Butkus (@thedickbutkus) September 3, 2023
He was an Illini basketball…and Maize fan too.
When I was a kid, before I paid any sort of attention to football things, I knew who Dick Butkus was because of his turn as Ed Klawicki on My Two Dads, a restaurant owner who happened to be an ex-football player.
Of course, I know that he is one of our most famous football alums, a Chicago Bears legend, and a college and pro hall of famer. A few of his Illinois Football accomplishments:
- Led the Illini to a 1963 Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl win
- Two-time consensus All-American, three-time All-Big Ten selection
- Big Ten’s Most Valuable Player in 1963
- 1964 American Football Coaches Association Player of the Year
- A member of the first Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame class
- And of course, there’s now a huge statue of him in front of the Illinois’ Smith Football Performance Center
You can read more about his Illinois and career accomplishments here.