Player of the Year honors in both 1969 and 1970, concluding the second of those campaigns with 132 solo tackles, 84 assists, three interceptions, and two fumble recoveries. But Butkus recorded 182 tackles and three interceptions in 1968, with football researcher John Turney of Pro Football Journal writing in 2016, “after talking to people who studied Butkus, they feel 1968 was his best season overall.” We will not dispute that opinion here.
Memorable Moments/Greatest Performances
Although the Bears lost to the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 52–24 in the opening game of the 1965 regular season, Butkus excelled in his pro debut, recording 11 solo stops.
Butkus once again starred in defeat two weeks later, making 27 unassisted tackles during a 23–14 loss to the eventual NFL champion Green Bay Packers on October 3, 1965.
Butkus recorded the first interception of his career during a 31–6 win over the Los Angeles Rams on October 10, 1965, subsequently returning the ball 11 yards.
Butkus earned NFL Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first of four times by intercepting a pass and recovering a fumble during a 35–14 win over the Giants on November 28, 1965.
Butkus anchored a Chicago defense that allowed just 42 yards rushing and 168 yards of total offense during a 14–3 win over the Detroit Lions on October 15, 1967.
Butkus helped lead the Bears to a 38–7 thrashing of the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 9, 1969, that represented their only win of the year by making 25 tackles and recording a safety when he sacked quarterback Dick Shiner in the end zone, with his brilliant play gaining him recognition as NFL Defensive Player of the Week.
Butkus had another big game against the Steelers in the 1971 regular-season opener, picking off two passes during a 17–15 Bears win.
Butkus gave the Bears a 16–15 victory over the Washington Redskins on November 14, 1971, when, following a 40-yard touchdown run by Chicago’s Cyril Pinder late in the fourth quarter, the linebacker broke a 15–15 tie by making a leaping catch in the end zone of a pass thrown by holder Bobby Douglass following a botched extra-point attempt. Butkus later called the play the favorite of his career.
Butkus carried the ball for the only time in his career during a 38–24 loss to the Lions on October 1, 1972, gaining 28 yards on a fake punt attempt.
Butkus contributed to a 35–14 win over the Houston Oilers on October 28, 1973, by intercepting a pass and scoring his lone career touchdown when he recovered a fumble in the end zone.
Notable Achievements
1 • Recorded more than 100 tackles eight times.
2 • Intercepted five passes in 1965.
3 • Recorded unofficial total of 18 sacks in 1967.
4 • Finished second in NFL with seven fumble recoveries in 1965.
5 • Led Bears in tackles eight times.
6 • Holds Bears career records for most tackles (1,509) and most fumble recoveries on defense (25).
7 • Ranks among Bears career leaders with 22 interceptions (tied-11th).
8 • Four-time NFL Defensive Player of the Week.
9 • Eight-time Pro Bowl selection (1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1972).
10 • Five-time First-Team All-Pro selection (1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, and 1972).
11 • 1966 Second-Team All-Pro selection.
12 • Two-time First-Team All–Western Conference selection (1966 and 1969).
13 • Three-time First-Team All-NFC selection (1970, 1971, and 1972).
14 • Two-time Newspaper Enterprise Association NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1969 and 1970).
15 • NFL 1960s All-Decade Team.
16 • NFL 1970s All-Decade Team.
17 • #51 retired by Bears.
18 • Named to NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team in 1994.
19 • Named to Sporting News All-Century Team in 1999.
20 • Named to NFL 100 All-Time Team in 2019.
21 • Number 9 on the Sporting News ’1999 list of the 100 Greatest Players in NFL History.
22 • Number 10 on the NFL Network’s 2010 list of the NFL’s 100 Greatest Players.
23 • Number 70 on ESPN’s 1999 list of the 100 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century.
24 • Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
His career shortened by a series of devastating injuries to his knees, Gale Sayers failed to compile the lofty career totals one would expect from one of the greatest running backs in NFL history. Nevertheless, Sayers proved to be just that during his relatively brief stay in the Windy City, establishing himself as the most exciting runner of his time in his seven years with the Bears. Blessed with great speed, tremendous acceleration, extraordinary peripheral vision, and exceptional cutback ability, Sayers remains, to this day, arguably the finest open-field runner ever to play the game. Despite playing only four full seasons and appearing in a total of just 68 games over the course of his career, Sayers managed to lead the league in rushing twice and all-purpose yards three times, amass more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage four times, and accumulate more than 2,000 all-purpose yards twice. The Bears’ single-season record holder for most all-purpose yards, rushing touchdowns, and total touchdowns scored, Sayers earned four trips to the Pro Bowl and five consecutive First-Team All-Pro nominations while serving as a member of the team. And following the conclusion of his playing career, Sayers received the additional distinctions of being named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team, the Sporting News All-Century Team, and the NFL 100 All-Time Team, being included on both the Sporting News and the NFL Network lists of the 100 Greatest Players in NFL History, gaining induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and having his #40 retired by the Bears.
Born in Wichita, Kansas, on May 30, 1943, Gale Eugene Sayers grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, where he attended Omaha Central High School. An exceptional all-around athlete, Sayers ran track and played football at Omaha Central, starring on the gridiron at running back on offense and middle linebacker on defense. Heavily recruited as a senior, Sayers initially signed letters of intent with 17 different colleges, including Iowa State, Northwestern, and Notre Dame, before ultimately choosing to enroll at the University of Kansas. He subsequently spent three years starring at halfback for the Jayhawks, concluding his college career with 2,675 yards rushing and 4,020 all-purpose yards, with his brilliant play gaining him consensus All-America recognition in each of his last two seasons. Sayers, whose tremendous speed earned him the nickname the “Kansas Comet,” also excelled in track, competing in the high hurdles, the 100-yard dash, and the long jump, where he set a school record by leaping 24 feet, 10½ inches.
