Butler's Legacy Lives on in Hall of Fame and Hearts of Fans

Jack Butler, a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee in 2012, passed away last Saturday at the age of 85. (Gene J. Puskar)

Unless you an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan or old enough to have watched football in the 1950s, you probably just ignored Jack Butler as he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year. You did not recognize his name or know how good he really was.

Butler is used to being overlooked by now. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on November 12, 1927. Butler grew up playing football in the many parks ad streets of the city. When he was old enough, he attended seminary to become a priest. After Butler decided the priesthood wasn't for him, he decided to go to college at tiny St. Bonaventure University near Olean, New York. The school's athletic director, Dan Rooney, the brother of the Steelers’ owner, Art Rooney, encouraged Butler to try out for the school's football team.

At 6 foot 1 inch tall and weighing 200 pounds, Butler excelled as a defensive end during his football career at St. Bonaventure. When he was overlooked in the NFL Draft, Dan Rooney encouraged his young budding star to tryout for his brother Art at the Steelers camp in 1951. He made the team as a defensive end, but an injury to another player forced the Steelers to switch him to defensive halfback, the predecessor of today's cornerback position.

“He was the perfect guy for a defensive back in those days,” Ted Marchibroda, the quarterback who played with Butler at St. Bonaventure and with the Steelers before becoming an NFL head coach, told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “He did not have the greatest speed, but he had good speed, good size, good hands, and his instincts were tremendous.”

The Steelers reaped the benefits of Butler's position change. He thrived during his career as a defensive back. In his nine seasons with the Steelers, Butler intercepted 52 passes in 103 games, running four of them back for touchdowns. He retired as No. 2 on the league’s career interception list.

Butler may have intercepted even more passes if it had not been for a career-ending knee injury. He did not miss a professional game until he collided with Philadelphia Eagles end Pete Retzlaff during a game in 1959. Butler was never able to recover from the injury.

After being overlooked for so much of his life, Butler was finally recognized for his accomplishments following his career. He was selected for the NFL’s all-decade team for the 1950s. As I already mentioned, Butler was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.

Last Saturday, Butler passed away at the age of 85. The cause was complications of a staph infection in from the same knee injury that ended his career. Butler's life may be over, but his accomplishments and legacy will live on in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and in the hearts of those who were privileged to watch him play the game he loved.