Frank Butler (American football)

Last updated

Frank Butler
No. 26, 35
Position: Offensive lineman
Personal information
Born:(1909-05-03)May 3, 1909
Bloomington, Illinois, U.S.
Died:October 30, 1979(1979-10-30) (aged 70)
Cook County, Illinois, U.S.
Career information
High school: Tilden (Chicago, Illinois)
College: Michigan State
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:26
Games started:11
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Frank John Butler (May 3, 1909 October 30, 1979) was an American professional football player who was an offensive lineman for four seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers. Prior to his professional football career, he played college football for the Michigan State Spartans, where he was named an All-Big Ten player. He was a member of the Packers' 1936 NFL Championship team.

Contents

Early life and college

Frank Butler was born May 3, 1909, in Bloomington, Illinois. He graduated from Tilden High School before attending Michigan State University. [1] During his time at Michigan State, he played for the football team, where he was named an All-Big Ten player. [2]

Career

Butler joined the Green Bay Packers prior to the 1934 NFL season as an offensive lineman. In his first season with the Packers, he played the first four games of the year. [3] However, he informed head coach Curly Lambeau that he had to resign his spot on the team after he accepted a government job as an inspector. [4] Butler signed with the Packers again prior to the 1935 NFL season after securing a leave of absence from his government job. [3] During the 1935 season, Butler suffered a severe shoulder injury. [5] He would continue playing for the Packers in the 1936 and 1938 NFL seasons, although he missed all of 1937. [1] Butler was on the 1936 team that beat the Boston Redskins in the NFL Championship game. [2] [6]

Personal life

Butler married his wife, Rita, on June 27, 1936, in Chicago. [7] The marriage produced seven children. Butler died on October 30, 1979, at the age of 70. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Michalske</span> American football player and coach (1903–1983)

August Michael Michalske, sometimes known as "Iron Mike", was an American football player and coach. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of its second induction class in 1964. He was also named in 1969 to the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team.

Lyle R. Sturgeon was a professional American football player who played tackle for the Green Bay Packers. He played college football at North Dakota State University before playing professionally. After his career, he worked for the Olson Transportation Co.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lambeau Leap</span> Touchdown celebration popularized by the Green Bay Packers

The Lambeau Leap is a touchdown celebration in American football in which a player leaps into the bleachers behind the end zone after scoring. The celebration was popularized after Green Bay Packers player LeRoy Butler jumped into the Lambeau Field bleachers after scoring a touchdown from a fumble recovery against the Los Angeles Raiders on December 26, 1993. The celebration has remained popular ever since, even as the National Football League tightened rules on touchdown celebrations in the early 2000s. Some safety concerns have been noted by players and staff, including inappropriate touching by fans and the possibility of an injury to the player leaping into the bleachers. Although uncommon, the celebration has been attempted by multiple players from opposing teams at Lambeau Field. The Lambeau Leap is an important component of the history and traditions of the Packers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Murphy (American football executive)</span> American football executive and former NFL player

Mark Hodge Murphy is an American football executive and former player who is the president and chief executive officer (CEO) for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Murphy, a safety, went undrafted in the 1977 NFL draft after playing college football at Colgate University. He was signed by the Washington Redskins, where he played for eight seasons from 1977 to 1984. With the Redskins, Murphy won Super Bowl XVII, played in another Super Bowl and led the NFL in interceptions in 1983, the year he was named to his only Pro Bowl and received his only First Team All-Pro honor. During his last few years in the NFL he received a Master of Business Administration from American University and then, after his career ended in 1984, a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University in 1988. After his playing career, he worked for the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and then as a trial lawyer for the United States Department of Justice. In 1992, he was hired as the athletic director of his alma mater Colgate University. In 2003, he moved to Northwestern University to serve as their athletic director, a position he held until 2007.

Robert Ernest Harlan is an American former football executive who served as the president of the Green Bay Packers for 19 years. Harlan also held the titles of chairman of the board and chief executive officer for the Packers. He was a graduate of Marquette University, where he later served as the Sports Information Director for six years. After his tenure at Marquette, Harlan worked for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team for five years in community and public relations. In 1971, he was hired by the Packers as assistant general manager. For the next 18 years, Harlan worked in different positions in the front office for the Packers before being promoted to executive vice president in 1988. In 1989, after the retirement of Robert J. Parins, Harlan was elected as the Packers' ninth president, a position he held until 2008. Harlan became the first team president whose background was primarily in football; all previous presidents of the Packers were local civic leaders or businessmen in the Green Bay, Wisconsin-area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Mann (American football)</span> American football player (1924–2006)

Robert Mann was an American professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). A native of New Bern, North Carolina, Mann played college football for the Hampton Pirates in 1942 and 1943 and the Michigan Wolverines in 1944, 1946 and 1947. Playing the end position, he broke the Big Ten Conference record for receiving yards in 1946 and 1947. After not being selected in the 1948 NFL Draft, Mann signed his first professional football contract with the Detroit Lions, where he stayed for two seasons. He later played for the Green Bay Packers for parts of five seasons until 1954. Mann broke the color barrier for both teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Lipscomb</span> American football player (1923–1964)

Paul F. "Lippy" Lipscomb was an American football lineman who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL), principally at the tackle position and also at guard and end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Neal</span> American football player (1918–1984)

William Henry Edward Neal was an American football defensive tackle. He played seven seasons for both the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominic Olejniczak</span> American football executive and mayor (1908–1989)

Dominic John Olejniczak was an American real estate broker, politician, and football executive. Olejniczak served as an alderman of Green Bay, Wisconsin, from 1936 to 1944. He was then elected mayor, serving for 10 years from 1945 to 1955. During his tenure as mayor, a number of large infrastructure projects were completed and city administration was streamlined. Olejniczak was also known for his work with the Green Bay Packers. Over a period of almost 40 years, Olejniczak served as a member of the board of directors, a vice president, president, and chairman of the board. His 24 years as president is the longest tenure of any Packers president. During his presidency, he hired Vince Lombardi in 1959, the Packers won five championships, and the team saw its net worth grow over 5,000%. In recognition of his contributions, Olejniczak was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1979 and the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2020. He died in 1989, after a series of strokes.

Kenneth Shawn Patterson is a former professional American football defensive lineman who played for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League (NFL). He was born in Oahu, Hawaii, and after moving to Arizona, graduated from McClintock High School. Patterson then attended Arizona State University where he played college football and was a "standout defensive lineman". He recorded three sacks his senior year at Arizona State.

Mark Steven Murphy is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). After graduating from GlenOak High School near his hometown of Canton, Ohio, Murphy attended West Liberty State College. At West Liberty, he played college football for all four years, with the last three as a starter for the Hilltoppers. In his senior year, he was named All-WVIAC and won the WVIAC championship. He went undrafted in the 1980 NFL Draft, but was subsequently signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent. He played for the Packers for 12 years before retiring in 1991. After his playing career, Murphy coached high school and college football in Ohio. He was elected to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1998 in recognition of his contributions to the team.

Wuert Engelmann was an American professional football player who played back for four seasons for the Green Bay Packers. He played college football at South Dakota State University before playing professional football. After his career, he worked for 36 years for the Northern Paper Mill.

Earl Clinton "Jug" Bennett was an American professional football player who was a guard for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Drafted on the twenty-third round of the 1943 NFL Draft by the Packers out of Hardin–Simmons University, Bennett played in only one season in 1946 after serving in the United States Army as an aerial gunner during World War II. After his football career, he went into the oil drilling business.

Bobby Jack Floyd was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. Floyd was born on December 8, 1929, in Paris, Texas, where he attended Paris High School. After high school, he attended Paris Junior College and then Texas Christian University (TCU) where he played college football. At TCU, Floyd was named to the All-Conference team and played in the 1952 Cotton Bowl Classic.

Paul Rudzinski is a former American football player. He played professionally as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Rudzinski was born on July 28, 1956, in Detroit, Michigan, where he attended Detroit Catholic Central High School. Rudzinski initially desired to attend the University of Notre Dame, but ended up attending Michigan State University where he played college football. He lettered with Michigan State all four years of his college career. He received a degree in advertising.

Francis William "Zud" Schammel was an American professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he was named an All-American. After his brief football career, Schammel went on to own a construction company in Phoenix, Arizona.

Wylie Dewayen Turner is an American former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). Turner was born on April 19, 1957, in Dallas, Texas, where he attended W. T. White High School. In high school, he played football and ran track-and-field. Although he signed a letter of intent with Texas Southern University, he ended up going to Angelo State University so that he could run track-and-field and play for their football team. He started out as a running back, but was converted to cornerback. He was also the team's kick returner, leading college football in return yard average in 1977, which included a 104-yard return for a touchdown. Turner became an accomplished college track-and-field runner, competing in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. He was the NAIA champion at 200-meters in 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">W. Webber Kelly</span> British medical doctor

W. Webber Kelly, born William Webber Kelly, was a prominent medical doctor in the state of Wisconsin known for being the third president of the Green Bay Football Corporation, the non-profit organization that owns the Green Bay Packers. Kelly was a practicing physician in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for almost 50 years and a respected civic leader. During his one year as president of the Packers for the 1929 season, the team went 12–0–1 and won its first NFL Championship. Kelly was identified as part of The Hungry Five, a group of Green Bay businessmen who were instrumental in guiding the Packers through multiple financially challenging periods. In addition to his presidency, Kelly served as the team physician from 1921 to 1943 and as a member of the Packers' board of directors from 1923 to 1949. After a falling out with Packers co-founder, head coach, and general manager Curly Lambeau, Kelly resigned from the Board in 1949. Two years later he died of a heart attack at the age of 75. In recognition of his contributions, Kelly was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1994.

The Instant Replay Game, also known as the Asterisk Game, was a National Football League (NFL) game between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears on November 5, 1989. The Packers defeated the visiting Bears 14–13 on a controversial fourth-down touchdown pass from Don Majkowski to Sterling Sharpe with less than a minute to play in the game. Line judge Jim Quirk initially called a penalty on the play for an illegal forward pass, thus nullifying the potentially game-winning score. Quirk's penalty was based on the belief that Majkowski had thrown the pass after the ball had passed the line of scrimmage.

References

  1. 1 2 "Frank Butler stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on September 15, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Tate, John (November 1, 1979). "Names n' Games". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). p. C-4. Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 "Frank Butler Signs to Play Football on Packer Eleven Again". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). February 2, 1935. p. 11. Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Frank Butler Resigns From Packer Squad". The Journal Times (clipping). Associated Press. October 19, 1934. p. 10. Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Glancing Back". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). January 7, 1937. p. 13. Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  6. Smith, Wilfrid (December 14, 1936). "Green Bay wins title; whips Boston, 21-6". Chicago Tribune (clipping). p. 21. Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Frank Butler Wed to Chicago Girl". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). June 30, 1936. p. 13. Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Butler". Chicago Tribune (clipping). November 1, 1979. p. 23. Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023 via Newspapers.com.