Hall of Fame
Position: Defensive Tackle
Years: 1970-1972
Place of Birth: Lafayette, Ala.
Date of Birth: Jun 23, 1950
Place of Death: Swansea, Illinois
Date of Death: November 4, 2022
Jersey Number: 62
Height: 6-7"
Weight: 280
High School: Maine South (Chicago)
A member of Purdue's All-Time Team, Dave Butz was a consensus First-Team All-American as a senior in 1972. That same year, he took home the Zipp Award as college football's most outstanding player, and he was named a finalist for the Lombardi Award.
A First Team All-Big Ten honoree in 1972, Butz registered 108 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and eight pass breakups for his career. The senior team captain participated in the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl, where he was named Defensive MVP. He is enshrined in both the Purdue Athletics and Senior Bowl halls of fame. During his time at Purdue, Butz played alongside Hall of Famer Otis Armstrong.
Drafted fifth overall in the 1973 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, Butz played 14 of his 16 seasons in Washington, leading the team to victories in Super Bowls XVII and XXII. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year and was selected to the Pro Bowl after recording a career-high 11 sacks in 1983. Earning a reputation as the NFL's "Ironman," he missed only four games his entire career. He retired in 1989 having played in more games (216) than any other player in Washington franchise history.
Born June 23, 1950, in Lafayette, Alabama, Butz was raised in Park Ridge, Illinois, and he moved to Swansea, Illinois following his playing career. He spent several years in real estate and worked for a successful sales and service company while supporting a wide array of civic, social, educational, health-related and religious activities, many geared towards helping young people.
Butz worked with the Boy Scouts of America and supported fundraising projects for Children's Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House in Washington, D.C. His contributions also benefited the Lions, Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs; American Cancer Society; American Heart Association; Arc; Easter Seals; March of Dimes; Muscular Dystrophy Association; Multiple Sclerosis Society; Special Olympics; United Cerebral Palsy; and the YMCA.
