Illinois - Dick Butkus

Illinois - Dick Butkus

The state of Illinois doesn't play when it comes to their football heroes, especiialy when it comes to their Chicago Bears. The Bears franchise has had some of the most dominant defensive personalities on their roster since the team's conception, but their hometown hero in Dick Butkus will most likely be the state's undisputed king of Illinois for decades to come. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Butkus attende the University of Illinois where he led the team to a Rose Bowl victory in 1963 playing both center and linebacker for the institution.

Dick Butkus was selected with the third overall pick in the 1965 NFL Draft by his hometown Chicago Bears where he spent his entire nine season career. Throughout his career, Butkus he was a 8x Pro-Bowler, 6x All-Pro First Team selectee, and 2x NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1969, 1970). Butkus was the most-feared linebacker of his era racking up 22 interceptions and recovering 27 fumbles in 119 played games. Long live the Bears legend.

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Did You Know...

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Chefs made their way into celebrity land a while ago. But how many celebrities that weren’t trained as professional cooks are actually whizzes in the kitchen? Here are several that come to mind.

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Actress Julia Roberts is confident about her cooking skills. “I’m quite a good cook,” she told E! News. “I’m like a closet home ec teacher…I can really cook anything.” Roberts has said she often cooks fish for herself and her kids. And speaking of her three children, “They think that I’m a good cook,” Roberts told People. “They actually told me that I should open a restaurant.” She also relishes cooking for the holidays, particularly shredded Brussel sprouts. Roberts hasn’t published a cookbook, but we did find recipes attributed to her for peach crisp and banana hemp muffins. Or you can make the same summer salad the actress supposedly eats.

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Chrissy Teigen started off as a supermodel. Then her love of cooking filtered into her professional life too. At this point, she’s created recipes for a limited Blue Apron release and also just launched her own home and cooking line at Target named “Cravings,” after the two cookbooks she’s released. Teigen describes cooking as “a time of peace” for herself. So maybe peace out to her tuna melt sandwich or the fried chicken wings that are a favorite of her husband, John Legend.

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Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, comes from a cooking Italian family. Her father started his own restaurant in New York and also published a cookbook. And apparently, Lady Gaga has inherited the family’s cooking genes. Her Instagram account occasionally features photos of her culinary activities. Sure, sometimes it’s topless cooking. But other times it’s more poignant like in the post she shared about her bringing food to the family of her dear friend who passed away. Want to try a Gaga/Germanotta family favorite? Check out her recipe for whole wheat pasta with a sweet fennel sauce.

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