The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best 100 players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number.
No. 80: Jack Butler
Jack Butler was born in Pittsburgh, he played all of his pro football career in Pittsburgh, and he died in Pittsburgh.
When Butler was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame eight years ago, he cited Pittsburgh in his enshrinement speech.
“When I was a kid, I dreamed about being a football player,” Butler said. “And here I am, Jack Butler from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, going into the Hall of Fame. I can’t believe it.”
A member of the Steelers’ all-time team and honored by the NFL as part of its all-1950s team, Butler was chosen by the Tribune-Review as the most prominent athlete to wear No. 80 in Pittsburgh.
A four-time Pro Bowl honoree and four-time All Pro, Butler had 52 interceptions during the 1950s; only Emlen Tunnell had more. Butler retired as the Steelers’ career leader in interceptions; only Hall of Famer Mel Blount has since passed him.
Only two players have more than Butler’s four interception-return touchdowns, and none has had a four-interception game like Butler did Dec. 13, 1953, against the Washington Redskins.
#Steelers Hall of Fame defensive back Jack Butler dieshttp://t.co/DP7E39HXjl
— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) May 11, 2013
It would be difficult to top Butler’s credentials, but three wide receivers who played for Pittsburgh teams have strong résumés. Plaxico Burress spent six of his 11 NFL seasons with the Steelers. Though his greatest fame came as Eli Manning’s top target during their run to the Super Bowl after the 2007 season, Burress had more catches and yards for the Steelers than the New York Giants.
Two who wore No. 80 for Pitt achieved All-America honors: Julius Dawkins and Antonio Bryant. Dawkins caught 16 touchdown passes from Dan Marino during the 1981 season. That might have been enough to earn him the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best wide receiver — if such an award had existed yet.
It did not until 1994. The seventh such award went to Bryant, who had 1,302 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games that season. In three years with the Panthers, Bryant had 26 touchdowns.
Check out the entire ’Burgh’s Best to Wear It series here.
