Bears players honor Dick Butkus wearing No. 51 patches on gameday

CHICAGO - He was regarded as one of the greatest and toughest linebackers of his time, but Dick Butkus' family says how he acted on the field doesn’t tell his whole story.

"Our tailgate is dedicated to the late and great Dick Butkus today," said a group of tailgaters. 

It was a time to feast, cheer, and reminisce about the legendary number 51. It's been years since Butkus stepped on the field, but it feels like yesterday for Martin Winkelman.

"Dick Butkus was the player that lit the fuse of football in my life," said Winkelman. "He was my hero, and Dick Butkus was Chicago."

Chris Camp also remembers how rough and tough Butkus was.

"When you think of Dick, you think everything about Bears Football epitomizes. Grit, just toughness, and a true team name," said Camp. 

"He was such a humble guy, that kind of, I think, bled over into us," said Matt Butkus.

Matt says he never felt pressured, even having a defensive player of the year as a dad.

"He would sit up in the corner of the stadium with my mom," said Matt. "He wasn’t like, ‘you should do this, and you should do that,’ and he had my sister, brother, and I do all the sports."

Matt says he can’t help but get emotional thinking about how many people care just as deeply about his late father as he does. 

"I mean, I knew, seeing the 51 jerseys inside Soldier Field every Sunday speaks for itself. It’s a big outpouring, you know," said Matt.

Matt says his dad’s legacy will never end in his hands.

The Butkus family hopes to have more events to celebrate Dick and to support the Butkus Foundation. 

You can find information at TeamButkus.com