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Lombardi Admits He Was Wrong
Speaking of great linebackers, Dick Butkus came into the league in 1965 with a huge reputation, but he wasn’t at all graceful or fluid, and he looked awkward at times.
As we studied film of the Bears before our first game of the season with them, Coach Lombardi noted, “That Butkus guy, number 51, he doesn’t look as good as I’d heard. Looks like he’s just a big stiff that will end up as a defensive tackle.
Coach was right. Butkus didn’t look good on film.
But as the season progressed, we watched Butkus do things like force six turnovers in one game against the Baltimore Colts. And in our second meeting of the year with the Bears, on October 31, we saw him systematically take apart our run game.
The most vivid Butkus moment I recall from that season came as I looked on from the sideline in Wrigley Field. Jimmy Taylor took the hand off on our patented off-tackle play to the weak side. Forrest Gregg and Paul Hornung executed their blocks perfectly, the hole opened just as it should have, and Taylor tore through it, the most punishing runner in the NFL, running to daylight.
Butkus had materialized out of nowhere, as if by magic. He exploded out of the mass of blockers and defenders inside the play and hit Taylor with such force that Jim’s headgear spun off. Butkus stripped him of the ball and in the next instant was running toward our goal line all alone, waving the football over his head in exultant triumph.
It stands to this day as the single most violent, most shocking one-on-one tackle of a great back I have ever seen.
In the film session of the game the following week, Coach Lombardi stopped the film at that play. “I was wrong about that guy.”
No kidding.
Sometimes you just have to see someone play.
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