This year, he’s taken things a step further. Spikes will play in all 16 games despite a knee ligament injury that has limited him in practice for about two months (a league source said Spikes will require surgery when the season ends). Asked about the knee and how much pain he’s been dealing with, Spikes grimaces a bit, but then gives an answer that would probably make his linebacking idol, hard-nosed Hall of Famer Dick Butkus, smile. “It’s pretty banged up, but this deep in the season, everybody’s banged up,” Spikes said. “I’ve been able to deal with the pain and stuff like that. “And when I’m out there, my adrenaline is pumping and the thrill of it, but it’s part of the game. That’s what makes this game so good — you’ve got to be able to play through pain.