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Aug. 30, 2007
OXFORD, Ohio -
Miami University football's Joey Hudson (Jr., Piqua, OH) has been included on a preliminary list of 66 candidates for the Dick Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation's premier collegiate linebacker. He is one of only three Mid-American Conference players on the list released by the sponsor of the award, the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando.
The award-established in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando in its first year of existence-each year is presented to the nation's best collegiate linebacker. The recipient of the award is chosen by a selection committee whose members are familiar with the collegiate football scene. It was only natural that DAC-Orlando chose to name the award in honor of the former Chicago Bears linebacker. In nine years in the professional ranks, Mr. Butkus gave his own definition and nuance to the term "linebacker," and his play established a role model that every man who has played the position since has attempted to emulate.
Mr. Butkus was drafted in 1965 by the Bears in the first round of the pro draft after earning All American honors two years at the University of Illinois. He quickly earned a reputation among the world's best players as a no-nonsense, tough competitor who gave no quarter on the field. Opposing offensive players came to fear the times when the menacing 6'3", 245-pound frame of Dick Butkus came into view, and he played well enough his first season to be named NFL's Rookie of the Year.
Mr. Butkus played for the legendary "Poppa Bear," George Halas, early in his career with the Bears. One of the founders of the NFL, Halas must have liked the unsophisticated, hell-bent-for-leather play of Butkus, a style that was prevalent in the early days of the league. It wasn't pretty, but it got results, which is probably why Halas drafted Butkus in the first place.
It was also the reason why Dick Butkus was named to the NFL All Star team seven times and played in eight Pro Bowls before retiring from professional football in 1973. In nine seasons, Dick Butkus gained the respect of his peers as one of the game's all-time greats. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility. In 1994, he was selected as one of only a few players to represent the NFL in its 75th Anniversary Celebration.
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After Mr. Butkus' retirement from professional football, he moved into the entertainment industry, where the same dedication and perseverance he exhibited as a player led to a successful acting career.
In 1995, he was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame at ceremonies in Pasadena. Mr. Butkus and his wife Helen live in Malibu, California. They have three children: Rick, Mathew, and Nikki.
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