Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick Butkus has reportedly died at the age of 80, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to TMZ Sports on Thursday (October 5).
The Chicago Bears legend reportedly suffered a medical emergency at his Malibu home at around 12:51 p.m. local time and was pronounced dead at the scene. Butkus, a Chicago native, spent his entire football career in his home state, playing linebacker and center for the University of Illinois Fighting Illini before being selected by the Bears at No. 3 overall in the 1965 NFL Draft.
Butkus is widely regarded as one of football's greatest linebackers at both the professional and collegiate levels as a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, five-time First-team All-Pro, three-time Second-team All-Pro, eight-time Pro Bowler, a member of the NFL's 1960s and 1970s All-Decade Teams and 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams and the namesake for the Butkus Award given to college football's best linebacker.
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