NFL Legend Dick Butkus' Cause of Death Confirmed as Stroke, Secondary Causes Include Irregular Heartbeat and High Cholesterol

NFL icon Dick Butkus, remembered as one of the greatest defensive players of all time, passed away in his sleep at home, aged 80; high cholesterol, irregular heartbeat and a 2001 bypass surgery were listed as secondary factors to his stroke-induced death.

Dick Butkus, an NFL Hall of Fame linebacker who played for the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1973, was confirmed to have died in his sleep from a stroke, also known as a cerebrovascular accident, at his home in Malibu.
Several secondary causes contributed to his stroke, including an irregular heartbeat that had manifested in weeks before his death, years of high cholesterol, atherosclerosis which involves the thickening or hardening of the arteries, and a quantifier being that he had undergone coronary bypass surgery in 2001.
Butkus is remembered as one of the greatest defensive players of all time, having spent all of his career of nine seasons with the Bears where he achieved eight Pro Bowl nods and was named Defensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons (1969-1970).
Outside his professional career, Butkus was very involved with the game. He worked as a sports commentator often rooting for his home team, the Bears, and had also pursued acting, starring in the sitcom 'My Two Dads'.
Butkus is survived by his wife, Helen, and his three children, Ricky, Matt, and Nikki.