By S. T. Karnick     The quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers tend to get the glory, but football is really about blocking and tackling, and games are still won or lost at the line of scrimmage. One of the greatest tacklers of all time was football Hall of Fame honoree Dick Butkus, who played for the University of Illinois and then the Chicago Bears in the 1960s and ’70s. Butkus was one of the hardest hitters of all time, and he attacked the game—and opposing ball-carriers—with a savagery extraordinary even for his time. Yet his ferocity as a player was in service of a greater good—team success—and although he had an engaging personality and ultimately had some success as a movie actor, during his playing days Butkus never sought undue acclaim from the press or the fans, going about his job as a true professional who simply loved his work.

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