Highlights
The middle linebacker from Chicago's South Side became one of the signature names and faces of the NFL's charter franchise despite laboring with a succession of teams that managed only two winning seasons in his nine NFL seasons, all with the Bears. Butkus was an All-American center and middle linebacker at Illinois whom the Bears chose No. 3 in the 1965 draft, and he quickly beat out Bill George, considered the originator of the middle linebacker position and himself a Hall of Famer. Butkus' play became a statement of Bears football and he became one of only six Bears to be selected to Pro Bowls in each of his first three seasons. Seven times All-NFL, Butkus was forced out of the game by kn...
The middle linebacker from Chicago's South Side became one of the signature names and faces of the NFL's charter franchise despite laboring with a succession of teams that managed only two winning seasons in his nine NFL seasons, all with the Bears. Butkus was an All-American center and middle linebacker at Illinois whom the Bears chose No. 3 in the 1965 draft, and he quickly beat out Bill George, considered the originator of the middle linebacker position and himself a Hall of Famer. Butkus' play became a statement of Bears football and he became one of only six Bears to be selected to Pro Bowls in each of his first three seasons. Seven times All-NFL, Butkus was forced out of the game by knee injuries and he eventually sued the Bears over their handling of his injuries. The matter was finally settled and his number was retired in 1994 along with Gale Sayers, who was drafted immediately after him.
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Ray Lewis headlines ESPN's 'All Era' team
Last week, ESPN revealed its NFL “All Era” team, which recognized those current players whose attitudes and styles of play would make them successful in, well, any era, whether it is today’s pass-happy NFL or the days when Dick Butkus...Tags: Ray Lewis, ESPN (tv network), Mike Ditka, Jim Brown, Jerry Rice
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Ray Lewis: A gentleman off the field
On a trip to Dallas from BWI last week, to my surprise, I was sitting next to Ray Lewis of the Ravens. He was on his way to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, and I'm sure it was a bittersweet trip for him. Mr. Lewis accommodated anyone and everyone who asked for an...Tags: New York Giants, Ray Lewis, NFL Pro Bowl, Sam Huff, Football
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Finding work as role players
Upon learning of Bubba Smith's death at age 66 this week, football fans may have remembered him as one of most fearsome defensive players of the 1960s, a stalwart in college at Michigan State and a key player in leading the Baltimore Colts to a victory in...Tags: Miami Dolphins, High School Sports, Marilyn Monroe, Athletes, Kansas City Chiefs
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The key to Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis' longevity? Hard work.
About a month after last season ended, Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano received a text from a friend that read: "I'm watching one of your players run in the sand for an hour."
Later that morning, another text flashed on Pagano's phone: "Now, I'...Tags: NFL Pro Bowl, Kansas City Chiefs, Jimmy Smith (football), Tom Brady, Cal Ripken
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Sorry R. Lewis, but Ogden is best Raven ever
It has been the source of a major debate for years. Who is the best Raven - Jonathan Ogden or Ray Lewis?
It's really no contest. The most physical, technically sound and dominating player is Ogden. The player with the most impact on franchise history...Tags: History, Eddie George, Edgerrin James, Ray Lewis, Ray Nitschke
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The good sport
Sun StaffLike all politicians, Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. has them: those authorized tales from youth that - though twisted or embellished over the years - help define the person he is today. There is the humble-beginnings-in-a-rowhouse-in-Arbutus legend. There is the...Tags: Andy Griffith, Hospitals and Clinics, Farrah Fawcett, Chicago Bears, Awards and Prizes
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Readers Q&A: Dan Pompei's Bears mailbag
If Brandon Marshall is cleared of charges in New York, can Roger Goodell still suspend him? Ray Gliwa
I think you can stop worrying about Marshall not being available for the season opener because of a suspension. I have been told it is unlikely Marshall...Tags: Mike Ditka, Earl Bennett, Mike Tice, J'Marcus Webb, Chicago Bears
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Players in mold of Urlacher and Briggs needed
What the Bears really could use in this draft is another Brian Urlacher and another Lance Briggs. That's all. What is another Urlacher? It is not necessarily a middle linebacker. But it is a young player who leads by action that the Bears can build...
Tags: Jerel Worthy, Courtney Upshaw, Luke Kuechly, Trace Armstrong, Melvin Ingram
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The NFL's bounty of trouble
What is it called when football players are given significant sums of money to hurt their opponents on the field? You may think the term is "National Football League." But apparently it's "bounty." That's what the New Orleans Saints allegedly paid for...
Tags: Sports Illustrated, Periodicals, Ray Lewis, Brett Favre, Chicago Bears
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Chris Hays, The Prospector: UM commit Ray Lewis III knows the expectations, and he's not concerned
You’ve got to hand it to Ray Lewis III. People expect things of him. That's what happens when you are the son and namesake of a future Pro Football Hall of Famer. Somehow, though, Ray Lewis III takes most everything in stride.Sure, he’s the...
Tags: College Sports, Ray Lewis, Emmitt Smith, Fred Taylor, Ray Lewis III
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Manteno helps widow, children in ways big and small
Four months after her husband's death, mornings are still the toughest time for Alisa Blanchette.
She feeds and dresses her four small children and whisks them out the door for school. This ritual drives home how alone she feels. It recently was so bad...Tags: Apple iPod, Health Treatments, Cancer, Chicago Bears, Breast Cancer
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Douglass a prototype for Tebow
Before there was Tim Tebow, before there was Michael Vick, before there was Randall Cunningham, before there was Steve Young, there was Bobby Douglass.
If you have a few gray hairs, you will remember old No. 10, who played quarterback for the Bears...Tags: Mike Ditka, Randall Cunningham, Cancer, Broken Wrist, Chicago Bears
Jan 31, 2012
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Aug 6, 2011
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Jun 14, 2008
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Oct 2, 2002
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May 16, 2012
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Apr 21, 2012
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Mar 8, 2012
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Mar 27, 2012
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Mar 4, 2012
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Dec 8, 2011
|Column| Chicago Tribune
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