Football Hall of Famer Richard Marvin “Dick” Butkus has a new passion: fighting the use of steroids. The legendary linebacker lead Team Butkus in a program promoting athletic excellence without the use of steroids, but with the use of proper nutrition and positive attitude. The “I Play Clean” program is aimed at high-school students with campaigns at schools coaches’ groups. It also implements actual programs to deter steroid use.

With him on Team Butkus is his son, Matt, who was a former defensive player for the USC Trojans. Butkus has also teamed up with Don Hooton, who founded the Taylor Hooton Foundation for Fighting Steroid Abuse in honor of his son who committed suicide after abusing steroids. Butkus opens the way for the Hooton Foundation to distribute educational materials to more than 10,000 high schools with the help of their sponsor Old Spice. Baseball’s highest-paid player Alex Rodriguez had previously admitted to steroid use. Last month, Rodriguez stated that he had taken the illegal substances while playing for the Texas Rangers from 2001 to 2003. His admission put the spotlight on the use of performance enhancing drugs in professional sports. After Rodriguez had owned up to steroid use, Hooton recruited him to join the Taylor Foundation and to spread the word against steroid abuse.

Hooton told Reuters that “Dick is the guy with the persona and recognition, raising awareness and generating interest.” Football has also had its share of steroids abuse, one of which was Shawne Merriman, a San Diego Chargers linebacker, who was suspended for four games in 2006. Retired player Dana Stubblefield, the 1997 Defensive Player of the Year, was sentenced last month to two years probation for lying about his steroid use.

Butkus and Hooton had worked with Texas lawmakers to pass a law for random drug testing among high school athletes. This is the first such program for high school drug testing in the United States. Dick Butkus played at the Chicago Vocational High School as fullback and linebacker. He went on to play as a middle linebacker for the University of Illinois from 1962-64. He was a starter in the Illinois team that won over the Unversity of Washington, 17-7 in the 1963 Rose owl. He also earned All-America honors in 1963 and 1964. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983. The University of Illinois honored him by retiring his jersey number (#50).

Considered as the most fearsome of defenders, his reputation preceded him in the NFL, where he played for the Chicago Bears. In 1965, as a rookie for the Bears, he intercepted five passes. He played until 1973 when he retired due to injuries. His career stats included 1,020 tackles, 22 interceptions, and 25 fumble recoveries. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979. He has been included in press polls and honors lists rankings by ESPN, The Sporting News and the Associated Press. ESPN ranked him 19th in the list of the Top 25 Players in College Football History.

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