LAKE FOREST, Ill. – In a recent feature on NFL Network’s “Total Access,” former Bears middle linebacker Dick Butkus was named the scariest player in NFL history.

Dick Butkus

Arguably the most ferocious defensive player in NFL history, Butkus was an intimidating and relentless force who possessed an unrivaled mixture of talent, aggression and hostility.

After being selected by the Bears with the third overall pick in the draft, Butkus was voted to the Pro Bowl in each of his first eight NFL seasons. He was also selected as an All-Pro in seven of his nine seasons in Chicago.

Butkus was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979 in his first year of eligibility.

"If I had a choice, I'd sooner go one on one with a grizzly bear," Packers running back MacArthur Lane once said. "I pray that I can get up after every time Butkus hits me."

"He is a legendary football player," former Rams coach Tommy Prothro said when Butkus was in his prime. "I never thought any player could play as well as writers write that he can, but Butkus comes as close as any I've ever seen."

A Chicago native who was an All-American linebacker at the University of Illinois, Butkus recovered 25 fumbles during his career, which was an NFL record when he retired. His 47 takeaways were a team mark until Gary Fencik registered 50 in 12 seasons from 1976-87.

"I wouldn't ever set out to hurt anybody deliberately," Butkus said early in his career, "unless it was, you know, important—like in a league game or something."

Following Butkus, the rest of the top-10 list of the scariest players in NFL history consisted of Lawrence Taylor, Deacon Jones, Mean Joe Greene, Larry Allen, Ronnie Lott, Larry Csonka, Ray Lewis, Dick “Night Train” Lane and Jim Brown.