Butler a Hall of Famer?

[Farley Face]

I see Leroy Butler made the NFL Hall of Fame nominee list. It is a list of a whopping 111 candidates right now, and I doubt he will ever make it to Canton, but I was happy to see he is at least recognized as a potential HOF quality player. Not bad for a kid who like Forrest Gump had to walk with leg braces in his early childhood.

Always a team player, I can remember Leroy taking a few paycuts in his day to help the Pack out. I wish they would have put his #36 on ice for a few years out of respect before slapping it on a rookie last year. I'm not saying they should retire it, but at least let it go unassigned for a decade or so as a sign of gratitude. He invented the Lambeau Leap for Pete's sake!!

[MJZiggy]

I saw that too. Made me smile. I don't know if he'll make it this year, but I think he'll get there...

[MadtownPacker]

I read where one point in his favor is that he is was very close to being the only player with 40 sacks and 40 INTs. Can't remember which one he fell short on, thiking it was the INTs.

[Bretsky]

Leroy Butler is one of my all time favorite players; I doubt if he ever gets to the Hall of Fame; he needed another year or two to pad those stats, but he's a all of famer in my mind.

B

[pacfan]

Re: Butler a Hall of Famer?

I wish they would have put his #36 on ice for a few years out of respect before slapping it on a rookie last year. I'm not saying they should retire it, but at least let it go unassigned for a decade or so as a sign of gratitude. He invented the Lambeau Leap for Pete's sake!!

Amen.

[MadtownPacker]

Yeah giving away his #36 so soon, maybe even at all, was kinda baffling to me as well. Who makes the call on those decisions? TT?

[HarveyWallbangers]

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss his chances... eventually. He was part of a championship team, he is well-respected and well-liked around the NFL, and the media liked him. He was one of the few 20 sack/20 interception guys at safety. He just might make it, but likely not in the first several years.

[mraynrand]

LeRoy wanted to be the first D back with 40 INTs and 20 sacks. He finished with 38 and 20.5 respectively. There will only be 3 GB Packers from two Superbowl teams and three straight NFC championship games (6 straight playoff appearances) to make the HOF - White (already there), Favre (shoo in), and Butler (will be close). Guy was a terrific player, and knew what it meant to be/create an elite team as far as performance was concerned.

My 3 favorites (other than the Leap):

Recognized the flea flicker at Chicago in '95, and intercepted Eric Kramer on the 1. Three plays later, Brooks was scoring the longest TD reception in Paccker history (99 yard). What a great turnaround.

Sacked Bledsoe in SB 31 with Dave Meggett draped around him. Fritz Shurmer said after the game that if Parcell's was going to pass on every down, he was going to "Turn Butler loose." Believe it folks, the momentum shifted with that decision and that play by Butler. After that, the Pats linemen had their heads on swivels trying to locate Butler and block White.

Guy played with his arm in a brace against Minnesota in 1997, and made plays all over the field. he would have had two picks if not for the brace.

Finally, I was at the Atlanta game when he was injured (his last game). This was before the player exit was changed and I was sitting in a seat above the tunnel in the endzone. I got about twenty guys to get up and start cheering him off the field because I had this bad feeling that it was the last time he'd play. You could see he was in a lot of pain, and I was a bit disappointed that more people weren't standing and cheering him as he went into the lockerroom.

I hope he gets the HOF - he earned it.

[Fritz]

Yes, he's a hall of famer. Hell yes.

[Packnut]

Butler

He had the intangibles that you can't teach. He belongs in Canton.