When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately – unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something.
Meaning of the quote
This quote from American athlete Dick Butkus is about how he played football. He says that he never tried to hurt other players on purpose, unless it was an important game like one in the league. This means that even though football can be a rough sport, he didn't want to seriously harm other players unless the game was really important, like a championship or playoff match. He cared about playing well and winning, but not at the cost of seriously injuring someone else.
About Dick Butkus
Dick Butkus was an American football legend who played linebacker for the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1973. Renowned for his fierce tackles and relentless effort, he was considered one of the greatest and most intimidating linebackers in NFL history. Butkus was a dominant player, earning eight Pro Bowl selections, five first-team All-Pro honors, and two Defensive Player of the Year awards.
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I wouldn’t ever set out to hurt anyone deliberately unless it was, you know, important – like a league game or something.
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