GOAT Index

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Dick Butkus: the case for the GOAT

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    Dick Butkus: the case for the GOAT

    LB · Bears · Born 9 December 1942, Chicago, Illinois, USA · Died 2023 · Career 1965–1973

    Middle linebacker who played his whole career for his hometown Chicago Bears, renowned for his ferocity and instincts before knee injuries cut his career short.

    Career highlights

    Why Dick Butkus could be the GOAT

    Butkus is the standard every middle linebacker is measured against, so much so that the sport's linebacker award bears his name. He was a Pro Bowler in eight of his nine seasons on mostly losing teams. For sheer intimidation, nobody on this list made opponents more afraid.

    What fans say

    Dick Butkus is #20 of 30 in the fan ranking, with a 2–4 head-to-head record from 74 NFL votes. See the full NFL GOAT ranking

    Dick Butkus head to head

    How the ranking works. Every head-to-head vote is a result, like a game. The standings use a Bradley–Terry model, the same idea behind chess ratings: beating a highly rated legend counts for more than beating a long shot. Ratings are shown on a chess-style scale centred on 1500.

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