Who was Dick Butkus married to? Former Bears LB's family explored

Helen Essenberg is the longtime wife of late NFL legend Dick Butkus. Butkus and Helen got married in 1963 while they were students at the University of Illinois.

They had met during their high school days and developed a tight bond.

Helen chose to stay out of the spotlight and instead remained a devoted mother and spouse during their 60-year-long marriage.

---

Who are Dick Butkus' kids?

Their marriage bore three children: sons Ricky and Matt and a daughter, Nikki. Among the children, it was Matt who chose a career path similar to his Hall of Fame father's.

Matt Butkus played collegiate-level football for the USC Trojans as a defensive lineman. He never made the NFL but was a decent college player for a stellar football program at USC.

Dick Butkus was a transcendental talent, and "USA Today" labeled him the "gold standard by which other middle linebackers are measured."

---

Dick Butkus' net worth

According to "Net Worth Club," Chicago Bears icon Dick Butkus had an estimated net worth of $18 million in Oct. 2023 at the time of his death.

The Chicago Bears legend earned his net worth from his NFL career, sports commentary roles and a successful acting career. According to the source, Butkus had most of his net worth in landed assets and made a comfortable living for himself through NFL engagements.

---

Dick Butkus' NFL legacy

Dick Butkus spent his entire nine-year NFL career with the Chicago Bears after being selected by the franchise in the second round of the 1965 NFL Draft. He earned numerous accolades in his brief but stellar NFL career.

The honors include but aren't limited to two NFL Defensive Player of the Year, five first-team All-Pro nods, three second-team All-Pro selections and eight Pro Bowl selections.

Furthermore, he's a member of some key teams in NFL history. They include the NFL 1960s and 1970s All-Decade Team, and NFL 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. He was enshrined in the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1979, in his first year of eligibility after retirement.

The lifetime Chicago Bear has been consistently ranked as one of the greatest players in NFL history despite having a brief career by NFL standards and not winning a Super Bowl.

Butkus was ranked the ninth-best player in league history by The Sporting News in 1999, the 10th-best by the NFL Network and the eighth-best by the New York City Daily News in 2014. He remains the gold standard for middle linebackers in the league even now.