Dave Butz

David Butz (born June 23, 1950) is a former American Football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Washington Redskins in a 16-year career from 1973 to 1988.

Dave Butz
No. 62, 65
Position:Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1950-06-23) June 23, 1950
Lafayette, Alabama
Height:6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Weight:295 lb (134 kg)
Career information
High school:Park Ridge (IL) Maine South
College:Purdue
NFL Draft:1973 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Sacks:35.5
Games played:216
Interceptions:2
Player stats at NFL.com

Early career

Butz played high school football at Maine South High School in Park Ridge, Illinois, where he was two-time high school All-American.[1] He also played basketball and was the Illinois High School discus champion, setting a state record.[1] He then played college football at Purdue University, where he was a 1972 finalist for the Lombardi Award.[1] He was a 1st team All-Big Ten member and played in both the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl, where he was named the Defensive MVP.[2]

At the victory parade following the Redskins win in Super Bowl XXII, Butz famously shouted to the crowd, "We came, we saw, we kicked their butz."[3]

Butz was later named to Purdue's All Time Football team[1] and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.[4]

Professional career

Butz was drafted in the first round (fifth overall) of the 1973 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, where he would play for two seasons. Redskins coach George Allen gave the Cardinals two first-round draft picks and a second-rounder for the right to Butz.[5] Butz then played for the Washington Redskins for 14 years, where he had three Super Bowl appearances. He ranks third in franchise history in sacks (59.5).[5] He was a one time Pro Bowler in 1983 in a season in which he got eleven sacks, a career-best. He only missed four games in his entire 16-year career.[1] Butz was among the largest players in the NFL when he played standing 6'8" and routinely weighing around 300 pounds. When he retired, he was the oldest starting player in the NFL.[6]

Butz was selected to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team and was named one of the 70 Greatest Redskins. In 1975 Butz was granted free agency due to a mistake in his contract that he signed as a rookie in 1973. George Allen quickly signed him, but the NFL ruled that the Redskins had to pay the Cardinals 2 first-round picks (1977 & 1978) and a second-round pick (1979).

After football

Butz has recently served as a consultant and board member for the National Rifle Association.[1]

Family

Butz lives in Fairfax, Virginia.[1]

He is the nephew of Earl Butz, a former United States Secretary of Agriculture under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford; his uncle held the Cabinet post during Butz's first season in Washington.[1]

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References
  1. "Eight Former Boilermakers To Be Inducted Into Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame". Purdue's Official Athletic site. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  2. "College Football Hall of Fame". www.footballfoundation.org.
  3. "'King for a Day' Set for a Premiere". Los Angeles Times. 1988-02-05. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
  4. National Football Foundation (2014-05-22). "NFF Proudly Announces Impressive 2014 College Football Hall of Fame Class". FootballFoundation.org. Archived from the original on 2014-05-29. Retrieved 2014-05-22.
  5. Richman, Michael (2008). The Redskins Encyclopedia. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. pp. 277. ISBN 978-1-59213-542-4.
  6. "No More Ifs for Butz". New York Times. 1989-05-19. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
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