Best college football players of all time from every state

Illinois – Dick Butkus

Where does one begin to talk about the football talent that has come out of Illinois? In all areas of sports, talent comes out of places like East Saint Louis and Chicago, as well as the surrounding suburbs.

A similar discussion—where does one begin to talk about Chicago-native Dick Butkus?

Butkus was a two-time consensus All-American in his time with his home-state Fighting Illini, spending time at center, fullback and linebacker thanks to an impressive physique and dedication, as well as a mind for the game.

His junior season was one to remember, when he had a gigantic performance in a 23-tackle game against Ohio State, on the path to the Illini going on to win the Big Ten, before also winning the Rose Bowl in the same season.

Moving into his senior year, Butkus once again earned the nod as an All-American and was a dark horse to win the Heisman Trophy, finishing in third place in the voting.

A member of both the Collegiate and Pro Football Halls of Fame, Butkus comes in as a likely top-25 college football player of all time and is one of two players to have their jersey retired at Illinois, alongside one other star who may appear later.