 Butler at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee in 2005 | |||||||||||
| No. 36 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Safety | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1968-07-19)July 19, 1968 (age 57) Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 204 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville) | ||||||||||
| College | Florida State (1986–1989) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1990: 2nd round, 48th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
LeRoy Butler III (born July 19, 1968) is an American former professionalfootball player who spent his entire 12-year career from 1990 to 2001 as asafety for theGreen Bay Packers of theNational Football League (NFL). He was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.[1]
Butler was born inJacksonville, Florida, where he was challenged by physical problems which forced him to wear leg braces and use a wheelchair at times during his childhood.[2] However, he overcame his disability and was able to excel at high school football; Butler was named one of the 33 best Florida High School football players of all time in 2007. He went on to be a three-year starter playingcollege football for theFlorida State Seminoles, and after a successful college career, he was selected in the second round (48th overall) of the1990 NFL draft by the Packers.
In his 12 seasons with the Packers, Butler was a four-time first-teamAll-Pro. Butler recorded a sack in the Packers'Super Bowl XXXI win over theNew England Patriots, and he is recognized as the creator of theLambeau Leaptouchdown celebration. Butler was named a member of theNFL 1990s All-Decade Team and was enshrined in theGreen Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
Butler attendedRobert E. Lee High School inJacksonville, Florida, and played under the direction of the all-time wins leader for a high school football coach in the state of Florida's history,Corky Rogers. Rogers coached at Robert E. Lee High School from 1972 to 1988, where he coached Butler and fellow NFL starEdgar Bennett, and from 1989 to 2016 atThe Bolles School in Jacksonville, having won a total of 8 football State Championships. Before moving onto Florida State, Butler was an astounding player for the Robert E. Lee High School Generals football program.
Butler played under head coachBobby Bowden atFlorida State University from 1986–1989. He was ineligible to participate during his freshman year due to his academics failing to meet standards, disqualifying him due toProp–48. He played safety during his first two seasons at FSU and was a only moved to cornerback in for his third season in order to replaceDeion Sanders. His transition from safety to cornerback caused issues for him during the draft process, as teams were conflicted on which position he would play in the NFL. On September 2, 1989, theNo. 6 FSU lost 30–26 in a huge upset in their season-opener toSouthern Miss, led byBrett Favre.
He was a three-year starter, collecting 194 tackles and 9 interceptions, but he's most remembered by FSU fans for his role in the "puntrooskie."[3] In 1988, against rivalClemson, FSU was backed up to its own 21-yard line, on fourth down, with a minute and 30 seconds left to play and the score tied at 21. Bowden called the famoustrick play, a fake punt. The snap went to upback Dayne Williams and he slipped the ball to Butler, who ran 78 yards to set up the game-winningfield goal.
On January 22, 1990, Butler participated in the1990 Senior Bowl as part of the South team, who was led byPhiladelphia Eagles' head coachBuddy Ryan, as they lost 41–0 to the North team led byKansas City Chiefs' head coachMarty Schottenheimer.[4] He performed well, earning Top Player honors, along withRichmond Webb,Bryce Paup, andTerrance Mathis.[5] He attended theNFL Scouting Combine and performed all of the positional and combined drills. The majority of NFL draft analysts projected Butler to be a late first to second round pick. Due to Butler playing free safety for his first two seasons and switching to cornerback in his third season in order to replaceDeion Sanders, many teams were conflicted on which position Butler would play professionally. This had a possible effect on his draft stock due to teams preferring to draft players with a set position.[4]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 193 lb (88 kg) | 29+3⁄8 in (0.75 m) | 9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) | 4.56 s | 1.61 s | 2.68 s | 4.29 s | 32 in (0.81 m) | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) | 9 reps | ||
| All values fromNFL Combine[6] | ||||||||||||
TheGreen Bay Packers selected Butler in the second round (48th overall) of the1990 NFL draft.[7] He was the fourth cornerback drafted in 1990.[8] While following the 1997 NFL Draft amongst family, friends, and coaches at his mother's apartment in Jacksonville, Butler became visibly discouraged after hearing the 44th overall selection by theNew Orleans Saints was for cornerbackVince Buck from unknownCentral State, a smallHBCUNAIA Division I located inWilberforce, Ohio.[4] Central State is virtually unknown in reference to theNFL Draft, as Vince Buck was only the fourth player ever selected(since 1967) and the first since1979.[9]
On July 26, 1990, theGreen Bay Packers signed Butler to a three–year, $970,000 rookiecontract that included asigning bonus of $270,000.[10]
He entered training camp his rookie season as a cornerback and, at the time, there had been no plans for him to play safety. He provided depth following the departure ofVan Jakes.[11] On July 26, 1990, the Packers placed No. 1 starting cornerbackDave Brown on the physically unable-to-perform list duetendinitis in hisAchilles tendon.[12] Defensive coordinatorHank Bullough was tasked to name replacements for both starting roles, with candidates including Butler, Jerry Holmes, and Mark Lee. He considers Dave Brown and Mark Lee as his mentors.[13] Head coachLindy Infante named Butler a backup and listed him as the third cornerback on the depth chart to begin the season, behind starting cornerbacksJerry Holmes andMark Lee.
On September 9, 1990, Butler made his professional regular season debut in the Packers' home-opener against theLos Angeles Rams and had three solo tackles and one pass deflection during a 36–24 victory.[14] On October 28, 1990, Butler made one solo tackle, two pass deflections, and set a season-high with two interceptions on passes thrown byRich Gannon during a 10–24 win against theMinnesota Vikings.[15] In Week 16, he set a season-high with six solo tackles, had one pass break-up, and intercepted a pass byRodney Peete as the Packers lost 24–17 to theDetroit Lions.[16][14] He finished his rookie season with (24 solo), six pass deflections, and three interceptions in 16 games with zero starts.[17][14]
TheGreen Bay Packers selected cornerbackVinnie Clark in the first round (19th overall) of the1991 NFL draft, after they traded their original 1991 first round pick (8th overall) to thePhiladelphia Eagles for their 1991 first round pick (19th overall) and 1992 first round pick (17th overall). This decision, to draft Vinnie Clark, became one of the main catalysts to set in motion events that would result in their upcoming success. With two cornerbacks selected in the first round of back-to-back drafts, would result in Butler moving to strong safety. The 1992 first round pick would be traded to theAtlanta Falcons in exchange forBrett Favre.[18]
Throughout training camp, Butler competed against rookie Vinnie Clark, Jerry Holmes, andRoland Mitchell to be the No. 1 starting cornerback following the departure of Mark Lee. Head coach Lindy Infante named Butler and Jerry Holmes the starting cornerbacks to begin the season.
On September 1, 1991, Butler earned his first career start in the Green Bay Packers' home-opener against thePhiladelphia Eagles and intercepted a pass byJim McMahon during their 3–20 loss. In Week 13, Butler had his third interception of the season on a pass attempt thrown byJeff George during a 10–14 victory against theIndianapolis Colts. He started all 16 games throughout the season and recorded a total of 63 combined tackles, had three interceptions, and made one fumble recovery.[17] On December 22, 1991, the Green Bay Packers' new General ManagerRon Wolf announced his decision to fire head coachLindy Infante after the1991 NFL season concluded with a 4–12 record after a 27–7 win at theMiami Dolphins the previous day. This also included Infante's entire coaching staff. Wolf has officially taken over as General Manager the previous month, replacingTom Braatz.[19]
On January 11, 1992 theGreen Bay Packers hiredSan Francisco 49ers' offensive coordinatorMike Holmgren to be their new head coach.[20] Holmgren hired 49ers' defensive backs coachRay Rhodes as defensive coordinator. The Packers selected cornerbackTerrell Buckley in the first round (5th overall) of the1992 NFL draft and planned for him to start alongside 1991 first round pick Vinnie Clark.
With both starting cornerback roles already planned for, defensive coordinator, Ray Rhodes, presented Butler with the idea of moving him to free safety. He was open to it, but amended the change to switch to strong safety instead.[18] On May 8, 1992, the Packers released long-time starting strong safetyMark Murphy after he requested it after he was informed of Butler's transition to strong safety and expected to probably lost his starting role.[21][22] Head coach Mike Holmgren named Butler the starting strong safety to begin the season alongside free safetyChuck Cecil.
On October 13, 1992, the Green Bay Packers signed Butler to a two–year, $1.36 million contract extension that kept him under contract throughout the1995 NFL season.[10] On November 15, 1992, Butler helped lead the Packers to a 24–27 comeback victory against thePhiladelphia Eagles by recovering a fumble with around five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter after running backHeath Sherman carried the ball to the 12–yard line before linebackerRon Noble tackled forced a fumble by Sherman as he attempted to tackle him, causing them to collide withChuck Cecil andRoland Miller. Butler returned it 17–yards and a field goal on the ensuing drive would tie the game 24–24.[23] In Week 12, Butler had his lone interception of the season on a pass by backup quarterbackPeter Tom Willis in the second half of a 17–3 victory at theChicago Bears.[24] On December 10, 1992, the NFL issued a one–game suspension to Butler for delivering a leaping forearm blow to the helmet of Lions' quarterbackAndre Ware after he had already passed the ball in Week 14.[25] He ended the season with 71 combined tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one interception in 15 games and 15 starts.[17]
Following the departure of1993 Pro Bowl starting free safetyChuck Cecil to thePhoenix Cardinals, the Packers acquiredMike Prior as a free agent and selectedGeorge Teague in the first round (29th overall) of the1993 NFL draft. Butler returned as thede facto starting strong safety under defensive backs coachDick Jauron and began the season alongside Mike Prior.
On September 5, 1993, Butler started in theGreen Bay Packers' home-opener against theLos Angeles Rams and made five combined tackles (four solo), set a season-high with four pass deflections, and had his first interception of the season on a pass byJim Everett during a 6–36 victory.[26] In Week 5, he set a season-high with nine solo tackles during a 14–36 loss at theDallas Cowboys. On October 31, 1993, Butler made nine combined tackles (eight solo), one pass deflection, an interception, and sealed a 3–17 victory against theChicago Bears by making his first career sack onJohn Harbaugh in the fourth quarter and forcing a fumble that he recovered as they led the Bears 10–3.[27] In Week 11, he had six combined tackles (five solo), two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byWade Wilson during a 17–19 last second fourth quarter comeback at theNew Orleans Saints.[28] In Week 15, he made three solo tackles, two pass deflections, and set a career-high with his sixth interception of the season on a pass attempt thrown byStan Humphries during a 20–13 win at theSan Diego Chargers. He started all 16 games for the first time in his career and finished with 90 combined tackles (73 solo), 23 pass deflections, six interceptions, one sack, and scored one touchdown.[17][29] He was selected to the1994 Pro Bowl, marking the first of fourPro Bowl selections of his career.
TheGreen Bay Packers finished the1993 NFL season in third place in the NFC Central division with a 9–7 record to clinch a Wild-Card position. On January 8, 1994, Butler started in the first postseason appearance of his career and recorded nine combined tackles (seven solo) during a 28–24 victory at theDetroit Lions in the NFC Wild-Card Game.[30] On January 16, 1994, Butler started in the NFC Divisional Round atTexas Stadium and recorded seven solo tackles, made two pass deflections, recovered a fumble byEmmitt Smith, and intercepted a pass thrown byTroy Aikman as the Packers lost 17–27 to theDallas Cowboys.[31] The Dallas Cowboys would winSuper Bowl XXVIII to mark back-to-backSuper Bowl championships as they were in the midst of theirdynasty.
On December 26, 1993, Butler recorded five combined tackles (three solo) and forced a fumble that led to the first touchdown of his career as the Packers routed theLos Angeles Raiders 0–28. His touchdown led to his celebration known as the "Lambeau Leap". During the fourth quarter, running backRandy Jordan caught a short shuffle pass from quarterbackVince Evans and was immediately met with a hit by Butler, to force a fumble, that bounced into the hands of defensive tackleReggie White. After recovering the fumble, White turned to head towards the endzone, but was met with a tackle by guardSteve Wisniewski, who attempted to take White down, forcing him to fall out-of-bounds. Reggie White would spot LeRoy Butler in time to toss him the ball, leading to Butler returning it to the endzone for a touchdown. Excited by the turn of events, Butler ran towards the cheering crowd behind the endzone to celebrate and leapt into the embrace of the Packers' fans.[32][33]
The move was later popularized by wide receiverRobert Brooks, who carried it a step further by leaping completely into the stands. This move is called the Lambeau Leap and now is used after most Packer touchdowns scored atLambeau Field.[34] Butler originated the touchdown celebration known as theLambeau Leap.
On June 13, 1994, theGreen Bay Packers signed Butler to a three–year, $5.40 million contract extension that included a signing bonus of $800,000.[10] The Packers hiredFritz Shurmur to be their new defensive coordinator afterRay Rhodes accepted the head coaching position with thePhiladelphia Eagles. Fritz Shurmur would change the base defense from the normal3-4 defense to a base4-3 defense. The new defensive approach sharply increased the number of blitzes and began using Butler in numerous different positions to blitz or provide pressure to the quarterback. Head coach Mike Holmgren named him the starting strong safety to begin the season and paired him with George Teague. The defense this season also featuredReggie White,Steve McMichael,Sean Jones, andBryce Paup.
On September 11, 1994, Butler made six combined tackles (five solo) and he had his first and only sack of the season onDan Marino for an eight–yard loss as the Packers lost 24–14 to theMiami Dolphins.[35] He was inactive for the next three games (Weeks 3–5) after he was hospitalized with viralpneumonia.[36] In Week 10, he made three combined tackles (one solo) and picked off a pass byScott Mitchell to wide receiverHerman Moore as the Packers defeated theDetroit Lions 30–38.[37] In Week 12, he set a season-high with 13 combined tackles (ten solo) during a 20–29 loss at theBuffalo Bills. He finished the season with 63 combined tackles (47 solo), five pass deflections, a forced fumble, one sack, and three interceptions in 13 games and 13 starts.[38]
He returned as the starting strong safety to start the season and was once again paired withGeorge Teague. In Week 6, Butler set a career-high with 13 solo tackles as the Peckers lost 24–34 to theDallas Cowboys. In Week 11, Butler made seven combined tackles (five solo), one pass deflection, a sack, and helped secure a 28–36 victory at theChicago Bears by intercepting a pass byErik Kramer to tight endRyan Wetnight with about two minutes remaining.[39] The following week, Butler recorded four solo tackles, had a single pass deflection, and helped secure a 31–20 victory at theCleveland Browns by picking off a passVinny Testaverde threw to wide receiverAndre Rison as Green Bay led 24–13 in the fourth quarter in Week 12. He returned is for a season-high 76–yards and it would lead to a four–yard rushing touchdown by quarterbackBrett Favre two plays later.[40] He started all 16 games and led the team with 100 combined tackles (82 solo), while also recording 13 pass deflections, five interceptions, a forced fumble, and a sack.[41]
TheGreen Bay Packers finished the1995 NFL season first in theNFC Central with an 11–5 record, clinching a playoff berth. They would defeat theAtlanta Falcons 37–20 in the NFC Wild-Card Game and follow up with a 27–17 win at theSan Francisco 49ers' in the Divisional Round. On January 14, 1996, Butler started in theNFC Championship Game for the first time in his career and recorded seven combined tackles (four solo) as the Packers lost 27–38 at theDallas Cowboys, marking their third consecutive playoff elimination to Dallas.
On June 27, 1996, the Green Bay Packers traded defensive endMatt LaBounty to theSeattle Seahawks in return for ×2 Pro Bowl free safetyEugene Robinson, who started in 152/160 games for them over the last ten seasons.[42][43] On July 17, 1996, the Packers subsequently traded safetyGeorge Teague to theAtlanta Falcons for a conditional1997 late-round draft selection.[44] Entering training camp, Butler and Robinson were slated as thede facto starting safeties and would remain the starting pair throughout the season.[45]
On September 1, 1996, Butler started in the Green Bay Packers' season-opener at theTampa Bay Buccaneers and made five combined tackles (three solo), two pass deflections, and set a season-high with two interceptions on pass attempts byTrent Dilfer as they won 34–3.[46] In Week 3, Butler made four combined tackles (three solo), set a season-high with three pass deflections, had two interceptions, and returned one of the interceptions byStan Humphries 90–yards for a touchdown during a 10–42 win against theSan Diego Chargers.[47] In Week 7, Butler made four combined tackles (three solo), two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byElvis Grbac to fullbackTommy Vardell during a 23–20 overtime victory against theSan Francisco 49ers. In Week 9, he set a season-high with 11 combined tackles (four solo), made 1.5 sacks, and had a pass deflection during a 13–7 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On November 6, 1996, the Green Bay Packers signed Butler to a five–year,$15 millioncontract extension that includes asigning bonus of $5 million.[48][49] In Week 13, Butler had six combined tackles (four solo) and set a career-high with two sacks onTony Banks during a 24–9 win at theSt. Louis Rams. He started all 16 games throughout the season and finished with 87 combined tackles (65 solo), 14 pass deflections, set a career-high with 6.5 sacks, had five interceptions, and scored a single touchdown.[17] The addition ofEugene Robinson allowed defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur to use Butler to shoot gaps on blitzes and also provide pass coverage over the top if any of the cornerbacks were beat in coverage as Robinson had impressive coverage ability that complemented the entire secondary. This combination earned Robinson six interceptions to tie for second in the NFC and Butler to record 6.5 sacks for the second most in a season by a defensive back in NFL history, finishing only behindDave Duerson with seven in1986.[43] His performance earned him First-team All-Pro and a selection to the1997 Pro Bowl.
TheGreen Bay Packers finished the1996 NFL season with a 13–3 record, which was the best record that season and earned them a first round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. They would easily defeat theSan Francisco 49ers 35–14 in the NFC Divisional Round and theCarolina Panthers 30–13 in the NFC Championship Game. On January 26, 1997, Butler would start inSuper Bowl XXXI against theNew England Patriots and had a stellar performance, recording seven solo tackles and a sack onDrew Bledsoe as the Packers defeated the Patriots 35–21 in theLouisiana Superdome. This would earn Butler his first and onlySuper Bowl ring.[50]
The Green Bay Packers selected safetyDarren Sharper in the second round (60th overall) of the1997 NFL draft. Although Sharper arrived to the Packers, head coach Mike Holmgren chose to retain Butler and Eugene Robinson as the starting safeties to begin the season.[51] In Week 3, Butler made six combined tackles (three solo), two pass deflections, and set a season-high with two interceptions off passes thrown byBrad Johnson as the Packers defeated theMinnesota Vikings 38–32.[52] On October 27, 1997, Butler had six combined tackles (four solo), one fumble recovery, a sack, and intercepted a pass by Drew Bledsoe to wide receiverVincent Brisby during a 28–10 win at theNew England Patriots. The following week, he recorded eight combined tackles (six solo), had two pass break-ups, and also intercepted two pass attempts by Scott Mitchell during a 10–20 win against theDetroit Lions in Week 10.[53] In Week 11, he set a season-high with nine combined tackles (eight solo) and sacked Tony Banks during a 7–17 win against theSt. Louis Rams.[54] He finished with a career-high 103 combined tackles (71 solo), made ten pass deflections, five interceptions, two sacks, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.[17][54] He earned his third Pro Bowl of his career, but was unable to participate in the1998 Pro Bowl due to the playoffs.
TheGreen Bay Packers finished atop the NFC Central for the second season in-a-row with a 13–3 record to clinch a first-round bye. On January 4, 1998, he made five combined tackles (four solo) and had one sack during a 7–21 victory over theTampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Round.[55] They followed it up with a 23–10 victory at theSan Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. On January 25, 1998, Butler started inSuper Bowl XXXII and recorded nine combined tackles (seven solo) as the Packers lost 24–31 to theDenver Broncos. TheDenver Broncos would repeat asSuper Bowl Champions the following season in 1998.[56]
After two seasons alongside 13-year veteranEugene Robinson, Butler was paired with Darren Sharper after Robinson departed to theAtlanta Falcons in free agency after he was informed the Packers planned to demote him to backup behind third-year player, Darren Sharper.[57]
"With LeRoy Butler, you never know. There's an awfully good football player, and Fritz uses him in any role he can. Sometimes he lines up as a linebacker. Sometimes he's strong safety, sometimes he blitzes. He'll come at you from any direction."[58]
(December 7, 1998)
On September 6, 1998, Butler started in the Packers' home-opener against theDetroit Lions and made six combined tackles (five solo), a pass deflection, and returned a fumble recovery that linebackerBrian Williams forced by quarterback Scott Mitchell for a 32–yard touchdown as they won 19–38.[59] In Week 9, he recorded six combined tackles (five solo) and set a season-high with two sacks onSteve Young as the Packers defeated theSan Francisco 49ers 22–36. In Week 11, Butler made five combined tackles (three solo), set a season-high with three pass deflections, and intercepted two passes byDanny Kanell during a 37–3 victory at theNew York Giants. In Week 16, he set a season-high with ten combined tackles (eight solo) and had one pass break-up during a 30–22 win against theTennessee Oilers.[60] He started all 16 games for the third consecutive season and finished with 89 combined tackles (64 solo), 17 pass deflections, four sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three interceptions, and scored one touchdown.[17][60]
TheGreen Bay Packers finished the1998 NFL season with an 11–5 record to finish second in the NFC Central. On January 3, 1999, the Packers lost the NFC Wild-Card Game 27–30 at theSan Francisco 49ers.
On January 8, 1999, theSeattle Seahawks announcedMike Holmgren as their Vice President of Operations and Head Coach after he chose not to return to the Packers.[61] Defensive coordinatorFritz Shurmur accepted the same role with the Seahawks, but would be diagnosed with cancer in May.
On January 11, 1999, theGreen Bay Packers announced their former defensive coordinatorRay Rhodes as their new head coach after he was fired after four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles that concluded with a 3–13 record in 1998.[62]Emmitt Thomas would accompany Rhodes from the Eagles to the Packers as the defensive coordinator. The Packers selectedAntuan Edwards in the first round (25th overall) of the1999 NFL draft as Butler's probable replacement.[63]
On October 7, 1999, the Green Bay Packers signed Butler to a three–year, $21.50 million contract extension that includes a signing bonus of $1.63 million.[64]
Nearing the end of the season, Butler openly voiced his displeasure with his different role under defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas, due to the immense change in the play calling that limited time to only one sack in 1999. Under Fritz Shurmur, Butler was used to blitz and would constantly line up in different spots along the line of scrimmage to cause confusion. Under Emmitt Thomas, he saw his role being limited to only pass coverage with few plays using him to blitz the quarterback.[65]
On January 3, 2000,Green Bay Packers' General ManagerRon Wolf fired head coach Ray Rhodes after one season with an 8–8 record.[66] On January 19, 2000, the Packers announced their decision to hireSeattle Seahawks' offensive coordinatorMike Sherman as their new head coach.[67] Defensive coordinatorEd Donatell retained Butler andDarren Sharper as the starting safeties to begin the season.
On September 24, 2000, Butler made three combined tackles (two solo), set a season-high with two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byJake Plummer during a 29–3 victory atArizona Cardinals.[68] In Week 10, he set a season-high with 11 combined tackles (seven solo) and made one pass deflection during a 26–20 victory against theMinnesota Vikings. He started all 16 games and made 92 combined tackles (66 solo), seven pass deflections, two interceptions, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.[17]
A broken shoulder blade sustained while tacklingAtlanta Falcons running backMaurice Smith in the 2001 season forced him into retirement just before the 2002 season when it was discovered it had not healed properly.[69] In 2007, he was inducted into theGreen Bay Packers Hall of Fame.[70]
On June 12, 2002, the Green Bay Packers and Butler agreed to restructure his base salary for the from $2.25 million to $725,000 for the2002 NFL season.[71]
He played in 181 games, earned aSuper Bowl ring, forSuper Bowl XXXI, following the1996 season, was selected as anAll-Pro four times and was selected to thePro Bowl four times (1993, 1996, 1997, and 1998). He was named to the 1990sNFL All Decade Team, by thePro Football Hall of Fame, and was later inducted into theGreen Bay Packers Hall of Fame, in 2007.
On January 2, 2020, he was announced as one of the modern-era finalists for the 2020 class of the Hall of Fame. It was his first time being named as a finalist. He joined 14 other modern-era finalists for the class of 2020.[72] On February 10, 2022, Butler was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
During his 12 seasons with the Packers, he recorded 953 tackles, 38 interceptions, 553 return yards, 12 fumble recoveries, 3 defensive touchdowns and 20½ sacks. He led or tied for the team lead in interceptions in five different seasons. He was the first defensive back inNFL history to gain entrance in the 20 Sack/20 Interception Club.
On November 21, 2017, Butler was announced as one of 27 semi-finalists for the 2018 class of thePro Football Hall of Fame.[73] The nomination was not Butler's first to the Hall of Fame, but marked the first time he was named a semi-finalist for the honor.[74]
He grew up on the west side of Jacksonville, Florida in the Blodgett Homes projects. When he was born, he had severepigeon-toed feet that doctors performed a procedure intentionally breaking his feet at 8-months old. He struggled to walk and spent most of his early childhood in leg braces and a wheelchair until he learned to walk at 8-years old. His parents divorced when he was four–years old and his mother, Eunice, moved him and his four siblings into the Blodgett Homes projects. His mother supported the family as a single mother, working three jobs at some points, but mainly worked as a secretary and as a nurse later on. She died in 2016 from cancer. He has a sister, Vicki, as well as two older brothers, Michael and Darion. During the first two years of his career, Butler built and designed a home located in a country club community on the Southside of hometown,Jacksonville, Florida. He also had homes built earlier in his career for his mother and each one of his three siblings.[4]
During his first two years in the NFL, Butler built himself a home on the Southside of Jacksonville and also built one for his mother and one for each sibling.
He considers his father figure and male role-model growing up as his uncle, Charles "Von" Durham. His uncle convinced his mother to let him begin playing organized youth football when he was 12–years old in aYMCA league.
He married Rhodesia Lee, whom he met as a senior at Florida State where she was a majorette. He has three daughters, LoReal and Gabrielle Butler were conceived with Lee, while Sharon Goldson was from a previous relationship, but were raised by Lee and Butler.[75] They are now divorced.
In 2022, Butler was residing in a modest home inMilwaukee with his current wife Genesis and still works as a radio show co-host on 1250AM The Fan in Milwaukee. He has a son named Leroy Butler Jr. (14 as of 2025) and six daughters that are all grown.[76]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won theSuper Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sacks | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | ||
| 1990 | GB | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 42 | 14.0 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 | GB | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 2.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | GB | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | GB | 16 | 16 | 89 | 73 | 16 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 6 | 131 | 21.8 | 39 | 0 | 23 |
| 1994 | GB | 13 | 13 | 63 | 47 | 16 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 68 | 22.7 | 51 | 0 | 5 |
| 1995 | GB | 16 | 16 | 100 | 82 | 18 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 105 | 21.0 | 76 | 0 | 13 |
| 1996 | GB | 16 | 16 | 87 | 65 | 22 | 6.5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 149 | 29.8 | 90 | 1 | 14 |
| 1997 | GB | 16 | 16 | 102 | 70 | 32 | 3.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0.8 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 1998 | GB | 16 | 16 | 86 | 61 | 25 | 4.0 | 3 | 2 | 32 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
| 1999 | GB | 16 | 16 | 67 | 49 | 18 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2000 | GB | 16 | 16 | 92 | 67 | 25 | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 22 | 0 | 7 |
| 2001 | GB | 9 | 9 | 40 | 31 | 9 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Career | 181 | 165 | 726 | 545 | 181 | 20.5 | 13 | 10 | 76 | 2 | 38 | 533 | 14.0 | 90 | 1 | 95 | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
