Born on April 4, 1954, in Washington DC, 6’5” 265-pound Mike Butler of Kansas was the ninth overall pick of the 1977 NFL draft in which Green Bay nabbed two starting defensive ends, including Ezra Johnson. Butler and Johnson lived together for their first two years and roomed together on the road for six years. Butler won the starting job at left defensive end from Clarence Williams and held the position for the next six years. He told the Milwaukee Journal early in his rookie season, “I’ve got to outquick them. I just try to get away as quick as possible and into the backfield.”
Tall and rangy, Butler was more quick than strong and could be a disruptive pass rusher at times. He was not a consistent performer, however. His sack totals yo-yoed from five to 10 to three to nine to 10.5 to two in his first six years in Green Bay. Following the 1982 season, Butler signed a four-year $1-million contract with the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits to begin in 1984. Butler offered to play for the Packers in 1983, but Coach Bart Starr thought he would be a distraction and declined the offer.
Butler played for Tampa in 1984 and 1985, but lost his starting job in the second season due to his unproductive pass rush. He returned to the Packers in 1985 but injured his neck in week 10 and was cut in 1986 after having registered the last two of his 41.5 sacks in Green Bay. He scored one touchdown in 1979 on a 70-yard fumble recovery against Minnesota. At times a very good player who even drew second team All-Conference notice in 1981, Butler was much too inconsistent to live up to his draft billing.
(Adapted from Green Bay Gold.)
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