Chicago Bears: Top 25 players in franchise history

3. MLB Dick Butkus

To cap off this trio of beasts in the middle, taking the top spot among Chicago linebackers is none other than Dick Butkus. While his time in the NFL was somewhat short, Butkus made a lasting impression on the league in his nine years.

Butkus is and always has been a Bear through and through. A native of Chicago, the linebacker spent his college days at the University of Illinois and was fortunate enough to stay in his hometown when the Bears drafted him in 1965.

Butkus was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and a eight-time All-Pro, with six of those selections being to the First Team. Butkus also won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1969 and 1970.

Off the field, Butkus was known to be a gentle giant — a real nice guy. On the field, however, he was a different story. Known as one of the meanest, unruly linebackers to ever play the game, Butkus was not a guy you wanted to go up against.

He had his jersey retired both at the college and professional level and of course ended up in the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.