The NFL Draft takes place in Chicago later this month, and in order to properly celebrate the occasion, the Chicago Bears plan to bring back one of their legends to play a prominent role in the proceedings.
Linebacker Dick Butkus, who was known as one of the fiercest competitors and greatest players the team has ever had, will read the team’s draft pick on the second day of the selection show, the NFL announced on Tuesday night. Butkus himself was taken with the third overall pick in the 1965 NFL Draft, and with the very next pick the Bears selected Gale Sayers, ensuring that the team would have two Hall of Fame-caliber players over the next decade.
The NFL also has announced several other former players that will be making picks on behalf of their teams. Huge ovations can be expected for former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly, whose battle with cancer has inspired millions throughout the country. Ickey Woods of the Cincinnati Bengals, Donald Driver of the Green Bay Packers, and Charles Haley of the San Francisco 49’ers will also be among the players reading picks at the draft.
The Bears currently hold the 39th overall pick in the draft. The first round will take place on April 30, with Butkus reading the Bears’ pick on May 1 at the Auditorium Theatre.
