| No. 22, 20 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Safety | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | (1937-07-10)July 10, 1937 (age 87) Berlin, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 189 lb (86 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Berlin | ||||||
| College: | Chattanooga | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 1959: 19th round, 217th pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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William R. Butler (born July 10, 1937) is a formerAmerican footballsafety in theNational Football League (NFL) for theGreen Bay Packers,Dallas Cowboys,Pittsburgh Steelers andMinnesota Vikings. He also was a member of theSaskatchewan Roughriders in theCanadian Football League (CFL). He playedcollege football at theUniversity of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Butler attendedBerlin High School. He accepted a football scholarship from theUniversity of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
In 1988, he was inducted into the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame.[1]
Butler was selected by theGreen Bay Packers in the 19th round (217th overall) of the1959 NFL draft. Although he was initially waived in training camp, he was re-signed after the team cut fellow rookieTim Brown.
He led the team in kickoff (21 returns - 22.5-yard avg.) and punt returns (18 returns - 9.1 average).[2] He returned a punt for a 61-yard touchdown in a 28–17 loss against theChicago Bears.
Butler was selected by theDallas Cowboys in the1960 NFL Expansion Draft and was moved to defense, becoming the first startingfree safety in franchise history.[3] He ranked second in the league in punt returns (10.1-yard avg.) and also had 20 kickoff returns with a 19.1-yard average.[4]
On December 21, he was traded along withoffensive tackleDick Klein to thePittsburgh Steelers in exchange for safetyDick Moegle.[5]
In1961, he had 3 interceptions, while playing 10 games as a backup safety. On April 7,1962, he was traded to theMinnesota Vikings in exchange for a sixth round draft selection, completing a previous transaction.[6]
In1962, he started 12 games at safety and posted 5 interceptions (second on the team), returning one for atouchdown. He also led the team in kickoff (26 returns - 22.6-yard avg.) and punt returns (12 returns - 14.1-yard avg.).
In1963, he repeated as the team leader in kickoff (33 returns - 21.6-yard avg.) and punt returns (21 returns - 10.5-yard avg.). In1964, for the third season in a row, he led the team in kickoff (26 returns - 23-yard avg.) and punt returns (22 returns - 7.1-yard avg.).
On August 20, 1965, Butler signed with theSaskatchewan Roughriders of theCanadian Football League (CFL).[7] He was a two-way player and appeared in 12 games. He registered 44 carries for 138 yards (3.1-yard avg.), 16 receptions for 139 yards, one touchdown and 9 kickoff returns for 206 yards (22.9-yard avg.). He announced his retirement the following year.[8]
In 1967, Butler was hired as an assistant football coach at Lakeland College—known now asLakeland University—inPlymouth, Wisconsin to serve underJohn Thome, head football coach.[9]
Butler lives inBerlin, Wisconsin and is thedefensive coordinator for theRipon High School football team and an assistanttrack and field coach.[10]
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