Kris Haines joins the show today, a former NFL wide receiver that played for the now Washington Commanders, the Chicago Bears, and the Buffalo Bills. He also won a National Championship playing for Notre Dame back in 1977. In this episode, our hosts Matt Butkus and Matt Amendola talk to Haines about his coaching experience winning the Division III Italian Super Bowl, his upbringing from high school sports to the NFL, and his teammate, Joe Montana, and their long-time friendship. In the infamous “Chicken Soup Game” Notre Dame vs Houston in the 1979 Cotton Bowl, Joe Montana connected with Haines on an eight-yard touchdown pass just as time expired. Haines made a diving catch in the corner of the end zone to tie the score at 34-34. The ensuing PAT finished a remarkable 35-34 comeback victory for the Fighting Irish. This podcast is brought to you by Americaneagle.com Studios. Follow this podcast wherever you listen to them!

We are joined on the show today by Ed O'Bradovich, Chicago Bears Defensive End from 1962 to 1971. O'Bradovich was selected as one of the 100 greatest’s Bears of All-Time, played on the 1963 NFL Championship team with the Bears, and spent his whole NFL career in Illinois. In this episode, Dick Butkus is in the studio, alongside our hosts Matt Butkus and Matt Amendola, to talk to Ed about his journey from high school to the NFL, Ed’s takes on the current NFL, and he shares some memorable moments playing alongside The Enforcer himself. Ed O’Bradovich, better known as “OB”, has spent his whole NFL career with the Chicago Bears. Perhaps the singular memory of O'Bradovich was when he intercepted a short pass in the 1963 NFL Championship game and ran down the field on a key play to help secure the victory for the Bears. This podcast is brought to you by Americaneagle.com Studios. Follow this podcast wherever you listen to them!

We are joined today by former linebackers’ coach for the Dallas Cowboys and the Cleveland Browns. He also previously served as the Indianapolis Colts Defensive Coordinator and is now the new head coach for the Chicago Bears. Matt Eberflus joins the show! In this episode, Dick Butkus joins us in studio alongside our hosts, Matt Butkus and Matt Amendola, to talk to Coach Eberflus about his expectations for this upcoming season with the Chicago Bears. They also break down his coaching influences that helped him become the coach that he is today. Before Matt Eberflus was a coach, he was a linebacker when he played at the University of Toledo. He eventually got submersed in the world of coaching for the University of Toledo and the University of Missouri. Prior to Eberflus landing a spot in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns, he also previously served as the Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator. This podcast is brought to you by Americaneagle.com Studios. Follow this podcast wherever you listen to them!

We are joined today by former collegiate linebacker for the University of Michigan and the 1991 Butkus Award winner. He also played professional football in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Washington Redskins from '93 to '94. Erick Anderson joins the show. In this episode, hosts Matt Butkus and Matt Amendola ask Erick what his life has been like after playing football for many years, how he’s helped develop special-ed programs in Ohio with athletics and social skills, and one of his current roles as the Outside linebacker’s coach for Baldwin Wallace University. Erick Anderson played college football as a linebacker at the University of Michigan from 1988 to 1991. He was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the Big Ten Conference and was selected as a first-team All-American. He is the only player in Michigan Wolverines football history to lead the team in tackles for four consecutive years, and his 390 tackles at Michigan ranks third in school history. This podcast is brought to you by Americaneagle.com Studios. Follow this podcast wherever you listen to them!

In this special episode, we are joined by the fathers of our hosts Matt Butkus and Matt Amendola to celebrate father's day with Dick Butkus and Willie Amendola. Butko and Dola cross interview each other’s dads, to get the perspective of what they were like growing up, how their relationship with their fathers shaped the way they played sports, and they dive into the generation gap between the past and the current high school athletes with the implementation of the NIL. Willie Amendola has been in education for over 40 years. He taught and coached in the Houston, Klein and Aldine school districts. He graduated for Northeastern University in Boston and earned a Master of Administration degree from Sam Houston State University. This podcast is brought to you by Americaneagle.com Studios. Follow this podcast wherever you listen to them!

We are joined today by columnist, radio and television personality who currently co-hosts Kap and J. Hood on ESPN 1000, and the host of “Unfiltered” on NBC Sports Chicago, Dave Kaplan. He is the only person in Chicago media history to host a daily TV show, a daily radio show, and write a regular column in a major newspaper, all at the same time. In this episode, hosts Matt Butkus and Matt Amendola dive into Dave’s career as a broadcaster, head basketball coach, and scout for the NBA. They discuss NCAA student athletes getting paid in college, challenges with social media, his favorite broadcasting moments, and his experience interviewing Johnny Cockran after the O.J. Simpson trial. Originally going into law school, Dave changed his career path when he had the opportunity to be an assistant on head coach John McDougal's staff at Northern Illinois University from 1983 to 1986 for NIU's Men's Basketball Team. He then became a scout for the Indiana Pacers and the Seattle Supersonics.

We are joined by former Butkus Award winner, NFL linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings, and now serves as the Fellow, Office of the Commissioner for the Big Ten Conference, Noor Davis. In this episode, hosts Pete Hassen, Matt Butkus, and Matt Amendola ask Noor, about his early life in football back in his high school days in Florida winning the Butkus Award, to now working directly under Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren managing special projects and assisting in the day-to-day executive processes of the Conference. After winning the Butkus Award back in 2011 while attending Leesburg High school in Florida, Davis continued his playing career at Stanford. As a senior in 2016, Davis earned Academic All-Pac-12 distinctions. Succeeding his college career, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2017. While his time with the Vikings, Noor talks about how he met Kevin Warren, and the journey of eventually working under him for the Big Ten conference.

We are joined today by former NFL Linebacker, University of Illinois alum, and former Dick Butkus Award winner, Dana Howard. Dana has played for a multitude of teams, such as the Dallas Cowboys, St. Louis Rams, Chicago Bears, and the Philadelphia Eagles. In this episode, hosts Pete Hassen, Matt Butkus, and Matt Amendola ask Dana about how the linebacker position has changed overtime since his time playing, how it felt to be apart of the top linebacker group in the nation with the University of Illinois, and what he’s currently up to today. Dick Butkus also makes an appearance relating back to his university days in Illinois. He tells an intriguing story of when his former ex-marine/coach made the team do harsh conditioning drills.

We are joined today by an American football analyst, Charles Davis. Charles is an analyst for NFL on CBS, working alongside Ian Eagle. Along with Brandon Gaudin, he is the analyst for the Madden NFL series since 2017. He is also an analyst for the NFL Network, and has previously worked with Fox Sports, TBS, ESPN, The Golf Channel and Sun Sports (now Bally Sports Sun). Charles played defensive back for the University of Tennessee football team from 1982 to 1986. While at Tennessee, Davis earned a master's degree in history. Davis went undrafted in the 1987 NFL Draft, but signed with the Dallas Cowboys. In this episode, hosts Pete Hassen, Matt Butkus and Matt Amendola ask Charles about his thoughts on the central division with the Green Bay Packers, Davante Adams leaving, what the Bears and Packers might do, and so much more. They also go into all the latest commentary in NFL and college football, and Charles' work on the Butkus Award Committee. This podcast is brought to you by Americaneagle.com Studios. Follow this podcast wherever you listen to them! Connect with: Dick Butkus: Twitter // Instagram // Facebook // Website // The Butkus Award Pete Hassen: Twitter // Instagram Matt Butkus (Butko): Twitter Matt Amendola (Dola): Twitter // Instagram Charles Davis

We are joined today by former NFL player, Ray Crockett, who played for fourteen years in the NFL and earned two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos as a cornerback. He played college football at Baylor, and was inducted into the Baylor athletic hall of fame in 2008. In 2005, he co-starred with Dick Butkus in the ESPN reality show "Bound for Glory", in which they both took on the task of coaching a high school football team. In this episode, hosts Pete Hassen, Matt Butkus and Matt Amendola ask Ray why he wrote his new book, “Bump and Run: It made me. It saved me.” Ray talks about his experience on the show 30 Days where he spent 30 days using a wheelchair to get around after witnessing a paralyzing injury of former Detroit Lions teammate Mike Utley in 1991. He also goes into his Super Bowl experience and everything that went down around it. Ray Crockett who used a unique defensive technique to advance himself to high school, college and into NFL stardom talks about his transition from shut-down cornerback to stay-at-home dad. Struggling with concussion syndrome symptoms, poor mental health and a number of bad decisions sent him on a downward spiral that costs millions. It was his spiritual beliefs and the same 'unique technique' that helped him defeat his demons and breakthrough all the pain and disappointment to once again become a Champion in Life! This podcast is brought to you by Americaneagle.com Studios. Follow this podcast wherever you listen to them!

We are joined today by former American football defensive tackle, Tommie Harris, who played eight seasons in the National Football League. Tommie played college football for the University of Oklahoma, and was recognized as a consensus All-American twice. In this episode, hosts Pete Hassen, Matt Butkus and Matt Amendola ask Tommie about his life right now and why he wrote his new book, “ENDURE Playing Through Life’s Hardest Hits.” Tommie gets into his toughest adversaries on the field and why he is raising awareness on the unspoken reality of football and its effects on the physical body. This podcast is brought to you by Americaneagle.com Studios. Follow this podcast wherever you listen to them!

This episode comes to you from Agua Caliente Resort, the location of the 2022 Butkus Award. We are joined by Dick Butkus and Patrick Willis, a two-time Butkus Award winner and former linebacker who played his entire eight-year career with the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. In this episode, hosts Pete Hassen, Matt Butkus and Matt Amendola talk to to Dick Butkus and Patrick about their adversaries on the field, what it's like to win the Butkus Award, what they are doing these days, and how they moved from their careers after their injuries. This podcast is brought to you by Americaneagle.com Studios. Follow this podcast wherever you listen to them!

Butkus Beyond the Line debuts with special guest, #51 himself Dick Butkus talking about life post football, how his family operated around his lifestyle change, and how the Butkus award came to be. In this episode, hosts Pete Hassen, Matt Butkus and Matt Amendola ask Dick Butkus about his expansive life with so many ups and downs to reminisce and laugh about. This podcast is brought to you by Americaneagle.com Studios. Follow this podcast wherever you listen to them!

Listen at your own risk! We dare you to listen to a podcast focused on a man who has been called: The Animal The Enforcer The Maestro of Mayhem The Robot of Destruction #51, Dick Butkus is the original double threat. He is known for revolutionizing the linebacker position and wreaking havoc on the football field, as well as being a trailblazer for pro athletes finding careers through broadcasting, endorsements, television, and film. Butkus Beyond The Line will brings listeners to the intersection of the world of football and its impact on players and headline grabbers, with the world of entertainment, pop culture, and charitable endeavors through Dick Butkus' own inimitable style. Butkus Beyond The Line is brought to you by Americaneagle.com Studios; follow today for exciting new episodes!