Every week of the 2015 Chicago Bears season, Chicago Sun-Times Sports will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1985 Bears by speaking with players from the team including Jimbo Covert, Dan Hampton, Dennis McKinnon and Otis Wilson.
After Robbie Gould missed two field goals that would have helped the Bears beat the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday, Hampton says it is time to take a hard look at the 33-year-old kicker. Below, give a listen to a story Hampton tells about Mike Ditka talking to Kevin Butler after some missed kicks in 1985.
“I’ve always detested kickers,” Hampton said. “I liked Kevin Butler. But just like Ditka said when Butler missed a couple kicks up in Denver and we had to go to overtime. Finally in overtime, Butler makes one. After the game Ditka ran up to Butler and said ‘O, that was great. That was great.’ And Butler says, ‘If I would have missed it, would you have still loved me?” And Ditka goes, ‘Yeah, I would have still loved you. I would have missed you. But, I would have still loved you. In other words, I would have gotten rid of your ass.’”
