Former Packers safety LeRoy Butler belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
For the second consecutive year, Butler is among fifteen finalists who will wait until the end of January to learn his Hall of Fame fate.
Butler was a defining member of the Packers suffocating defense of the mid-to-late 90’s and his resume is outstanding.
Butler is a four-time All-Pro and member of the 1990’s All-Decade team, a two-time NFC champion and Super Bowl champion.
Aside of Reggie White, Butler was THE member of the mid-90’s Packers defense opposing teams were most concerned with.
Most significant: Butler – unlike fellow finalist John Lynch – changed the way safeties play. He is the first safety in NFL history to record 20 interceptions and 20 sacks.
In the deep secondary, or lurking at the line of scrimmage, Butler was an absolute force deserving of a gold jacket.
Voters will select up to five of the fifteen finalists to make up the 2021 class. Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson should be two of the five. But spare me the politics…spare me the can’t-have-two-players-who-played-for-the-same-team-in-the-same-class narrative. Spare me the discussions of balancing offense and defense.
The best of the best belong in Canton, and LeRoy Butler is most deserving.
