{"product_id":"dick-butkus-signed-chicago-bears-custom-orange-jersey-beckett-authenticated","title":"Dick Butkus Signed Chicago Bears Custom Orange Jersey Beckett Authenticated","description":"\u003cp\u003eSecure one of the permanently finite collection of authenticated \nDick Butkus signatures with this \u003cstrong\u003eDick Butkus Autographed \nChicago Bears Custom Orange Football Jersey — Beckett Authenticated\u003c\/strong\u003e. \nButkus passed away on October 5, 2023, at the age of 80. \nEvery signed piece he ever produced now belongs to a permanently \nclosed universe — no new Butkus autographs will enter the market. \nThe jersey signed and in this catalog was signed during his lifetime \nand represents what it has always represented: \nthe autograph of the player who defined the middle linebacker position \nmore completely than any player before or since. \n\u003cstrong\u003eThe Pro Football Hall of Fame's own assessment — \nshared \"near universally\" by those who evaluated him — \nis that Dick Butkus was \"the person who defined the position \nof middle linebacker.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e \nNot one of the greatest. Not among the best. \nThe definition. The standard. \nThe gold standard by which every middle linebacker \nwho has played before or since has been measured. \nThe custom orange Bears jersey signed by Butkus — \nthe alternate colorway of the franchise whose identity \nhe carried for nine seasons — is the piece \nfrom the player who made that standard permanent, \ncertified authentic by Beckett Authentication Services.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis \u003cstrong\u003eChicago Bears Custom Orange Football Jersey\u003c\/strong\u003e \nwith sewn-in name and numbers has been \n\u003cstrong\u003ehand-signed by Dick Butkus\u003c\/strong\u003e with a bold, \nclean autograph. The autograph has been certified authentic by \n\u003cstrong\u003eBeckett Authentication Services (BAS)\u003c\/strong\u003e — \nthe tamper-proof BAS hologram is affixed directly to the jersey \nand verifiable at Beckett's official website.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eProduct Highlights\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHand-signed by \u003cstrong\u003eDick Butkus\u003c\/strong\u003e — \n\"the gold standard by which other middle linebackers are measured\"; \nPro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1979 (first year of eligibility); \nNo. 51 retired by the Chicago Bears\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChicago Bears Custom Orange Football Jersey \nwith sewn-in name and numbers — \nthe Bears' alternate colorway worn by the player \nwidely considered the greatest middle linebacker \nin NFL history\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBAS Certified\u003c\/strong\u003e — tamper-proof Beckett hologram \naffixed to the jersey, verifiable at Beckett's official website\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSupply permanently fixed\u003c\/strong\u003e — Butkus passed away \nOctober 5, 2023; no new authenticated Butkus signatures \nwill enter the market; this jersey was signed during his lifetime\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCareer: \u003cstrong\u003e5 first-team All-Pro selections; 8 Pro Bowl \nappearances (8 of 9 seasons)\u003c\/strong\u003e; 22 career interceptions; \n27 fumble recoveries (an NFL record at retirement)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNamed to the \u003cstrong\u003eNFL's 75th and 100th anniversary \nall-time teams\u003c\/strong\u003e; Hall of Fame All-Decade Teams \nfor both the 1960s and 1970s\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eButkus Award\u003c\/strong\u003e — established 1985 and awarded \nannually to the nation's most outstanding linebacker \nat professional, college, and high school levels — \nbears his name as the permanent institutional definition \nof linebacker excellence\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBacked by our \u003cstrong\u003eLifetime Authenticity Guarantee\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Gold Standard — Supply Permanently Fixed\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe phrase \"gold standard by which other middle linebackers are measured\" \nis not promotional language — it is the specific language \nthe Pro Football Hall of Fame uses to describe Dick Butkus' \nplace in the sport's history. \nJim Porter, the Hall of Fame's president, said in a statement \nupon Butkus' death in October 2023: \n\"Near universally, Dick Butkus, a hometown hero in Chicago, \nwas considered the person who defined the position of middle linebacker.\" \n\u003cstrong\u003eNot one of the players who helped define it. \nThe person who defined it.\u003c\/strong\u003e \nIn the nine years Butkus played for the Chicago Bears — \n1965 through 1973, ending at age 31 because a knee injury \nthat the Bears failed to adequately treat had rendered \nthe joint irreparable — he produced five first-team All-Pro selections, \neight Pro Bowl appearances across eight of nine seasons, \n22 career interceptions, and 27 fumble recoveries \nthat set an NFL record at retirement. \nDeacon Jones, the Hall of Fame defensive end \nwho faced Butkus from the other side of the line of scrimmage, \noffered the most vivid available contemporary assessment: \n\"Dick was an animal. I called him a maniac. \nA stone maniac. He was a well-conditioned animal, \nand every time he hit you, he tried to put you \nin the cemetery, not the hospital.\" \nButkus passed away on October 5, 2023. \nThe supply of authenticated Dick Butkus signatures \nclosed that day — permanently, completely, without exception. \nThe orange Bears jersey signed by Butkus \nis a piece from that finite supply: \nthe signature of the player who defined the position, \nnow permanently available only from the pieces \nthat exist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eChicago's Son — The Hometown Choice\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1965, the Denver Broncos of the American Football League \nalso selected Dick Butkus in the first round of their draft, \noffering him money that exceeded what the Chicago Bears were prepared \nto pay. Butkus chose Chicago. \nHe had grown up on the city's South Side, attended Chicago Vocational \nHigh School, played at the University of Illinois, \nand when the NFL and AFL competed for his services, \nhe chose the team founded by George Halas — \nthe team of his home city, in the league he considered \nthe highest available level of the sport. \n\u003cstrong\u003eHis $200,000 rookie contract was worth less \nthan the AFL's offer. His commitment to Chicago \nwas worth more than the difference.\u003c\/strong\u003e \nBears chairman George McCaskey, Halas' grandson, \nsaid upon Butkus' death: \"He was Chicago's son. \nHe exuded what our great city is about — \ntoughness, smarts, instincts, passion and leadership.\" \nButkus played nine seasons and never appeared \nin an NFL playoff game — the Bears did not qualify \nfor the postseason once during his entire career. \nThe individual credential he built despite \nthe absence of team success is among the most specific \navailable arguments for what a player can produce \nindependent of his team's record: \nfive first-team All-Pros, eight Pro Bowls, \nand the most enduring individual standard \nthe middle linebacker position has ever produced — \nwithout a single postseason start. \nThe orange Bears jersey signed by Butkus \nis the piece of the player who made that choice \nand produced that credential in the city \nwhere both began.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Butkus Award — The Credential That Outlasts the Career\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1985, twelve years after Dick Butkus retired \nfrom professional football, the Butkus Award was established \nto recognize the nation's most outstanding college linebacker. \nIt has been awarded annually ever since — \nexpanded in 2008 to include professional and high school linebackers — \nand it bears Butkus' name as the institutional definition \nof linebacker excellence at every level of the sport. \n\u003cstrong\u003eThe Butkus Award is the specific credential \nthat makes Dick Butkus the only player in the history \nof the position whose name functions as an annual measurement \nof what the position requires.\u003c\/strong\u003e \nEvery linebacker evaluated against \"the gold standard\" \nis being evaluated against Butkus. \nEvery Butkus Award winner is being recognized \nas the closest available contemporary approximation \nof what Butkus represented during his nine seasons \nin Chicago. \nThe award has now been given for forty years — \nlonger than Butkus' playing career, \nlonger than the period from his retirement \nto his Hall of Fame induction, \nand longer than any active NFL linebacker \nhas been alive. \nThe orange Bears jersey signed by Butkus \nis the piece from the player the award measures toward — \nauthenticated by Beckett Authentication Services, \nfrom the permanently fixed supply of signatures \nthat closed on October 5, 2023, \nin the alternate colorway of the only franchise \nDick Butkus ever played for.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eBeckett Authentication\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis jersey has been certified authentic by \n\u003cstrong\u003eBeckett Authentication Services (BAS)\u003c\/strong\u003e. \nThe tamper-proof BAS hologram is affixed directly \nto the jersey and is verifiable at \nBeckett's official website.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAuthenticity\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis jersey is certified authentic by \n\u003cstrong\u003eBeckett Authentication Services (BAS)\u003c\/strong\u003e. \nThe tamper-proof BAS hologram is affixed directly \nto the jersey and verifiable at Beckett's official website.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlayer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDick Butkus\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTeam\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eChicago Bears\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eItem Type\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAutographed Custom Football Jersey\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJersey Color\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOrange (Alternate Colorway)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDetails\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSewn-in name and numbers; custom jersey\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthentication\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBeckett Authentication Services (BAS)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTamper-proof BAS hologram\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHall of Fame\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePro Football HOF 1979 — first year of eligibility\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCareer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5 first-team All-Pro; 8 Pro Bowls; 22 INT; 27 FR (NFL record at retirement)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLegacy\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eButkus Award — annual award since 1985; NFL 75th and 100th anniversary teams\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSupply Status\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePermanently fixed — Butkus passed away October 5, 2023\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eExcellent\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAuthenticity Guarantee\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery signed piece at GameDay Sports Memorabilia is backed by our \u003cstrong\u003eLifetime \nAuthenticity Guarantee\u003c\/strong\u003e. If your item is ever determined to be inauthentic, \nwe will replace or refund it — no questions asked.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53291873239339,"sku":"SC-BUTKUS-ORANGE-JERSEY","price":179.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0983\/6124\/5995\/files\/wmremove-transformed_1b922a5e-59c4-4c59-bfb8-0b5959b71566.jpg?v=1776294766","url":"https:\/\/gamedaysportsmemorabilia.com\/products\/dick-butkus-signed-chicago-bears-custom-orange-jersey-beckett-authenticated","provider":"Gameday Sports \u0026 Memorabilia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}