Jack Butler (American football)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |||||||
Died: | May 11, 2013 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | (aged 85)||||||
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Career information | |||||||
High school: | Mount Carmel College Seminary (ON) | ||||||
College: | St. Bonaventure | ||||||
Undrafted: | 1951 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Player stats at PFR | |||||||
John Bradshaw Butler (November 12, 1927 – May 11, 2013) was an American professional football player who was a cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). In 2012, he was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Professional career
Butler was an
As a rookie, Butler intercepted five passes for 142 yards. In 1953, he had nine interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns. Four interceptions came in a game against the
Offensively, Butler scored a touchdown against the New York Giants. It was late in the game and Butler had caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Jim Finks.
In 1958, Butler added nine more interceptions to his growing list. During the 1959 season after garnering two interceptions, Butler was forced to retire due to a leg injury he received when tight end Pete Retzlaff of the Philadelphia Eagles rolled into Butler's knee.
Butler never made more than around $12,000 as a player with the Steelers. Following his playing career, Butler spent 46 years with the BLESTO Scouting Combine (44 as its director). During this time, his contributions to the NFL included scouting and evaluating over 75,000 college athletes and starting the Combine scouting process that is still in use today.[1]
Butler was named to four straight Pro Bowls from 1956 to 1959. He had 52 interceptions during his career and 865 yards. At the time of his retirement in 1959, Jack tied for first with Safety Bobby Dillon in career interceptions, garnering 52 in his 9-year career.
In 2004, he was named to the Professional Football Researchers Association Hall of Very Good in the association's second HOVG class.[2]
In October 2008, Butler was named as one of the 33 Greatest Pittsburgh Steelers of all time. The Steelers named players to this team as part of their 75th anniversary season celebration. He was named to the
He was named as a senior nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for 2012 and was elected as a member on February 4, 2012.[3]
Honors
- 1956- Sporting News: 1st Team All-NFL.
- 1957- Associated Press: 1st Team All-NFL; Newspaper Ent. Assoc.: 1st Team All-NFL; Sporting News: 1st Team All-NFL; UPI: 1st Team All-NFL.
- 1958- Associated Press: 1st Team All-NFL; Newspaper Ent. Assoc.: 1st Team All-NFL; Sporting News: 1st Team All-NFL; New York Daily News: 1st Team All-NFL; UPI: 1st Team All-NFL.
- 1959- Associated Press: 1st Team All-NFL; New York Daily News: 1st Team All-NFL; Sporting News: 1st Team All-NFL; UPI: 1st Team All-NFL.
- 2012- Pro Football Hall of Fame
Death
Butler died at
References
- ^ jack-butler.com
- ^ "Hall of Very Good Class of 2004". Retrieved November 29, 2021.
- ^ "Butler & Stanfel named 2012 senior nominees". Pro Football Hall of Fame. August 24, 2011. Archived from the original on September 15, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
- ^ Bouchette, Ed (May 12, 2013). "Steelers great Jack Butler dies at 85 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
External links
- Bouchette, Ed (February 5, 2012). "New class has distinct Pittsburgh flavor". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-05.
- Jack Butler at Find a Grave