Finally, the Hall calls for Butler
Finally, the Hall calls for Butler
Posted 16 hours ago
Fifty-three years after his career was ended by a horrific knee injury, 48 years after he first became eligible, Jack Butler finally became a member of a group that has been enhanced by his addition. Butler is a part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2012. He had been on the ballot as one of two nominees of the Hall of Fame’s Seniors Committee, which reviews the qualifications of players whose careers took place more than 25 years ago. This is the same path Dick LeBeau took when he was inducted as a member of the Class of 2010.
Butler joins an impressive number of Steelers who have been elected to the Hall of Fame, but he and Ernie Stautner are the only two from that era who played their entire careers in Pittsburgh. The era in question was the 1950s, a time when professional football was not a glamorous business, especially in Pittsburgh.
Don Joyce was an NFL defensive end for 12 years beginning in 1950, and he started on the Baltimore Colts’ teams that won NFL Championships in 1958 and 1959. As such, Joyce had a first-hand understanding of what it took to thrive during that era of football, and after his playing days his long career as a scout showed he also had a keen eye for talent. The following is a portion of a letter he wrote to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Jack Butler’s behalf:
“Jack played for the Steelers during the 1950s on the worst football field in the NFL – Forbes Field. Covered with soot (no grass) from the steel mills and the coal trains passing by. There were almost no rules in the 1950s and not many officials. With World War II ending, most players were ex-servicemen. These guys were tough! Jack Butler personified this era. I have played with many Hall of Fame players and worked for Hall of Fame coaches, including Curly Lambeau, Joe Stydahar, Weeb Eubank and Norm Van Brocklin. In my 12 years playing, I know who belongs in that Hall of Fame building, and that’s Jack Butler.”
Butler certainly accumulated the statistics to back up Don Joyce’s opinion, and the most eye-popping of them all was this one: In 103 career NFL games – seasons were just 12 games during the 1950s – Jack Butler accounted for 62 takeaways. There were 52 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries.
Think about that for a minute. Fifty-two interceptions in 103 games during an era when 350 pass attempts for an entire team over the course of a whole season was a lot. It was an era when coaches actually believed that whenever a team attempted to pass, two of the three things that could happen were bad, and they tailored the play-calling accordingly.
