“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16
He was known as the “Monster of the Midway.” Dick Butkus was one of the toughest and most talented people to ever play the game of football. He was the aggressive linebacker for the Chicago Bears. Dick Butkus is a hall of fame linebacker who played the game with such intensity that he was feared and admired by fans and players alike. Richard Marvin Butkus passed away on Thursday at the age of 80. He has not played the game in four decades, but the tributes to his time on the field and his life beyond the field have filled the news and social media.
Dick Butkus is a legendary football player. His jersey has been retired at both the University of Illinois and with the Chicago Bears. He has been inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Each year, the best high school, college, and pro football linebacker receives the Butkus Award, named after one of the greatest to ever play the position. His accomplishments on the football field are remarkable. Few have ever had a career like #51, Dick Butkus.
When he finished playing the game he loved, Dick Butkus dedicated much of his life to helping others. He created the Butkus Foundation to help with causes that he felt would make a difference in people’s lives. He dedicated much of his time to charity because he knew he had a place of leadership in his community and the nation. Football had offered him a chance to do far more than hit running backs and sack quarterbacks. He helped with many causes, including the I Play Clean Campaign. This helped students learn to avoid performance enhancing drugs and to live a healthy life, on and off the field.
The Butkus foundation also helps with the Butkus award program. When asked about the trophy that bears his name, he said, “When a player receives the Butkus Award he will know two things. First, he is recognized as the best of the best linebackers in the country. Second, and in the long run most important, he will understand that this recognition brings a responsibility to serve others by giving back.”
The success that Dick Butkus experienced on the football field would have allowed him to live the rest of his life without working. He could have simply retired to a life of rest and relaxation, but he decided to give back.
We all have the responsibility to give back, to serve others. Our success in life provides us the opportunity to give back. Dick Butkus’ success in football made a difference in his life. He used that success to make a difference in the lives of others. How have you been successful? How has God blessed you? When we understand our success opens the door to help others, we too will make a difference.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
