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5 reasons Dick Butkus will forever be an Illinois football GOAT

By Rees Woodcock

Oct 12, 2019; Champaign, IL, USA; A statue of former Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Dick Butkus is seen outside of the Henry Dale and Betty Smith Football Center adjacent to Memorial Stadium before the game against the Michigan Wolverines. Mandatory Credit: Michael Allio-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 12, 2019; Champaign, IL, USA; A statue of former Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Dick Butkus is seen outside of the Henry Dale and Betty Smith Football Center adjacent to Memorial Stadium before the game against the Michigan Wolverines. Mandatory Credit: Michael Allio-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Butkus Award at the UGA Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall in Athens, Ga., on Tuesday, May 17, 2022.News Joshua L Jones
The Butkus Award at the UGA Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall in Athens, Ga., on Tuesday, May 17, 2022.News Joshua L Jones /

1. The Butkus Award

There are many reasons why Dick Butkus will forever be an Illinois football GOAT. I have named four above, and honestly, this list could go on for days.

I would say, to know that you are not just a GOAT of a program but a GOAT of an entire sport is when you have an award named after you.

Butkus was a legend with the Illinois football program, and he was always looked at as one of the best players to ever suit up in the college game. In 1985, college football honored Butkus and everything he brought to the field by creating the Butkus Award.

No, this isn’t just an award given out all willy-nilly. Each season the Butkus Award is handed out to the best linebacker in the college game. They could have named this trophy after any of the great linebackers in the history of football, but they chose Butkus as the name.

Some of the greatest linebackers have won the award as well. Brian Bosworth was the first to earn the honor, and he won it in 1985 and 1986. Illinois had Dana Howard and Kevin Hardy win it in 1994 and 1995. Most recently, Iowa’s Jack Campbell took home the honor in 2022.

When college football honors the best linebacker in the game, and the award that is handed out is named after you, that is how you know you are the best to ever do it. Butkus will forever be an Illinois football GOAT.

Next. The legend of Dick Butkus will never be forgotten. dark

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