My AC fraternity buddy Cliff Brooks nervously texted me yesterday.
He had picked against the hapless Chicago Bears in my AC NFL Pool and was watching in frustration as the winless Bears put up 40 and broke a 14-game winning streak.
I told him to keep the faith and root for a comeback. But I knew it was not gonna happen. And I knew why too. Chicago was summoning the spirit of Bears legend Dick Butkus.
Dick Butkus passed away yesterday. Bears players learned of his passing just before kickoff, when the news was shared on the big board at FedEx Field in Maryland. “We played for him tonight,” said Chicago QB Justin Fields. “Glad we got the W.” DJ Moore, who had a lights-out game for Chicago, shared the following: “RIP Dick Butkus. Was looking over us tonight.”
NFL Hall of Famer Dick Butkus was an All-American in 1964, receiving the 2nd most votes (2,355) in the nation.
Y’all might be interested in who received the 4th most votes for All-American in 1964. With 1,611 votes, that honor went to a running back from Kansas: future Chicago Bear Gale Sayers.
Y’all might also be interested in who received the 20th most votes for All-American in 1964. With 827 votes, that honor went to a running back from Wake Forest: future Chicago Bear Brian Piccolo.
The smash made-for-TV movie “Brian’s Song” tells the story of the relationship between Sayers & Piccolo, before Piccolo’s untimely death due to cancer. It’s considered one of the best sports movies ever, as it checks off a lot of boxes: deep friendship, race relations in a turbulent era, the bonding sport can be bring, and the institution that is Chicago Bears football.
It’s also one of my earliest, vaguest memories, the kind of memory one can only have as a toddler. Americans couldn’t get enough of Brian’s Song in the early 1970s, and even I was not immune from that theme song despite my tender age.
Dick Butkus played a small role in “Brian’s Song,” the first in a long line of acting jobs. Butkus and Gale Sayers were pallbearers of Piccolo in 1970 and teammates in 1969. The 1969 team won just a single game and is considered the worst Bears team in history. That record may still intact, because of the motivation provided by the passing of a Bears legend yesterday.
Hey Cliff, you had a good run. And your pick was solid! A winless team on the road is usually a sure bet. How were you to know that the Papa Bear Halas ghosts of Sayers, Piccolo, & Dick Butkus would rise to boot you out of Marc’s pool? There’s no shame in that. Having said that Cliffy, when you pick against the Bears next year, perhaps do a quick checkup on Mike Ditka’s health. 
Oh, one last thing.
Y’all also might be interested in who received the 3rd most All-American in 1964 votes. With 1,705 votes (right between Butkus & Sayers!), that honor went to an offensive tackle from Nebraska: future Austin College Head Coach Larry Kramer (h/t Sandra Kramer).
Hey, there’s always a Roo tie.
https://deadspin.com/dick-butkus-chicago-bears-green-bay…