Kelly Butler
Encyclopedia
Kelly Don Butler is a Canadian football
offensive lineman for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
of CFL
. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions
in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Purdue
.
Butler has also been a member of the Cleveland Browns
, Arizona Cardinals
and Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz
.
where he played football
as well as basketball. He was a two-time All-City and All-Arena selection as a member of the school's football team. He was named an All-American, All-State and All-Regional selection as a senior
, as well as a member of the city championship winning team. He was ranked as the #24 offensive lineman and #209 player overall in the nation by Prep Football Report.
where he majored in Law and Society. As a true freshman in 2000
, he received medical redshirt
after suffering from shoulder tendinitis. In 2001
, he received the team's Newcomer Award for Offense for the spring season. He was named to The Sporting News Big Ten
All-Freshman team. He started all 12 games at Right Tackle. As a sophomore in 2002
, he started all 13 games at Right Tackle. He graded out at 80% or better in five games, 81% against Minnesota
and on the road against Iowa
. He had a season-high grade of 83% against Indiana
. He also helped Purdue lead Big Ten in total offense with 452.2 yards per game. In 2003
he started every game at Right Tackle and graded at least 80% or better for blocking consistency in every game. He recorded 78 knockdowns, with nine of those blocks resulting in touchdowns. He helped the offense average 372.9 yards per game. He ended his career with 10 knockdowns against Georgia
in the Capital One
Citrus Bowl
as he did not allow defensive end
Robert Geathers
to record any tackles.
(* represents NFL Combine
)
by the Detroit Lions
Butler played two seasons for the Lions, playing in just 16 regular season games during those two seasons. As a rookie
in 2004
he was inactive for all but one game of the season. He was active for the Lions' season finale game against the Tennessee Titans
, however he did not play in the game. The following year, he earned the starting role at Right Tackle, and made his NFL
debut against the Green Bay Packers
, he then started every game of the regular season, recording a recovered fumble to help continue a third quarter scoring drive against the Pittsburgh Steelers
. However, his career in Detroit ended when he was waived by the Lions at the end of training camp the next season.
on September 3, 2006. He began the season as the backup to starter Ryan Tucker
. Butler appeared in seven games, including five starts at Right Tackle. He made his Browns debut, a start in place of an ill Tucker, against the New York Jets
on October 29. He started his second game the next week against the San Diego Chargers
. He then replaced Tucker (illness) as the starting Right Tackle between November 26 through December 17, he was however played on Injured Reserve
on December 20 with an injured foot
. However, on October 6, 2007, he was waived by the Browns, after Tucker returned from a league suspension.
, and on May 16, he was assigned to the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz
. As a rookie in af2, he played in just seven games, with one start. For the season, he recorded one reception
for four yards, against the Iowa Barnstormers
. His lone start of the season came against the Boise Burn. On August 2, he was placed on the Other league exempt list by the Yard Dawgz, after he was invited to training camp with the Arizona Cardinals.
. However, on August 30, he, along with 21 others were released by the Cardinals final cuts of training camp.
.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
offensive lineman for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
of CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
.
Butler has also been a member of the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz
Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz
The Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz was a member of the new Arena Football League. The team began play as a 2004 expansion team of the original Arena Football League's now-defunct minor league af2...
.
High school career
Butler attended Union High SchoolUnion High School
Union High School may refer to:*Union High School , Modoc, Indiana*Union High School , La Porte City, Iowa*Union High School , Grand Rapids, Michigan*Union High School , Union, Missouri...
where he played football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
as well as basketball. He was a two-time All-City and All-Arena selection as a member of the school's football team. He was named an All-American, All-State and All-Regional selection as a senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
, as well as a member of the city championship winning team. He was ranked as the #24 offensive lineman and #209 player overall in the nation by Prep Football Report.
College career
Butler then attended Purdue UniversityPurdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
where he majored in Law and Society. As a true freshman in 2000
2000 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Oklahoma Sooners claiming their first national championship and their first conference championship since the departure of head coach Barry Switzer....
, he received medical redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
after suffering from shoulder tendinitis. In 2001
2001 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the University of Miami winning the national title for the fifth time.The Hurricanes were led by Larry Coker, who was in his first year as head coach after five years as Miami's offensive coordinator under Butch Davis...
, he received the team's Newcomer Award for Offense for the spring season. He was named to The Sporting News Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
All-Freshman team. He started all 12 games at Right Tackle. As a sophomore in 2002
2002 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season ended the season with what most consider an exciting double overtime national championship game. Ohio State and Miami both came into the Fiesta Bowl undefeated. The underdog Buckeyes defeated the Hurricanes 31–24, ending Miami's 34 game winning...
, he started all 13 games at Right Tackle. He graded out at 80% or better in five games, 81% against Minnesota
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
and on the road against Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. He had a season-high grade of 83% against Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
. He also helped Purdue lead Big Ten in total offense with 452.2 yards per game. In 2003
2003 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with an abundance of controversy, resulting in a split national championship. This was the first split title since the inception of the BCS, something the BCS intended to eliminate....
he started every game at Right Tackle and graded at least 80% or better for blocking consistency in every game. He recorded 78 knockdowns, with nine of those blocks resulting in touchdowns. He helped the offense average 372.9 yards per game. He ended his career with 10 knockdowns against Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
in the Capital One
Capital One
Capital One Financial Corp. is a U.S.-based bank holding company specializing in credit cards, home loans, auto loans, banking and savings products...
Citrus Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
as he did not allow defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Robert Geathers
Robert Geathers
Robert Geathers is an American football player who currently plays defensive end and linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals. Geathers played at Choppee High School and later at Carvers Bay High School. As a senior, he recorded 100 tackles and nine sacks on defense and played quarterback on offense...
to record any tackles.
Pre-draft
Butler was invited, and attended the 2004 NFL Combine. He was rated the 3rd best tackle out of 79, and was projected to be selected in the second round of the draft.| Pre-draft measureables | |||||||
| Ht. Height Height is the measurement of vertical distance, but has two meanings in common use. It can either indicate how "tall" something is, or how "high up" it is. For example "The height of the building is 50 m" or "The height of the airplane is 10,000 m"... |
Wt. Weight (disambiguation) Weight is a measurement of the gravitational force acting on an object. In non-scientific contexts it may refer to an object's mass... |
40 yd. 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
20 Shut. 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vertical Jump Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
Bench Reps. Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Broad Jump Standing long jump The standing long jump is an athletics event. It was an Olympic event until 1912.In performing the standing long jump, the jumper stands at a line marked on the ground with their feet slightly apart. The athlete takes off and lands using both feet, swinging their arms and bending their knees to... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *6'8" | *324 lb. | *5.11 | *4.96 | *7.97 | *30½" | 19 | *8'9" |
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
)
Detroit Lions
Butler was selected in the sixth round (172nd overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
Butler played two seasons for the Lions, playing in just 16 regular season games during those two seasons. As a rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
in 2004
2004 Detroit Lions season
The 2004 Detroit Lions season began with the team trying to improve on their 5–11 record in 2003.-Staff:-Final roster:-Schedule:-References:...
he was inactive for all but one game of the season. He was active for the Lions' season finale game against the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
, however he did not play in the game. The following year, he earned the starting role at Right Tackle, and made his NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
debut against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, he then started every game of the regular season, recording a recovered fumble to help continue a third quarter scoring drive against the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. However, his career in Detroit ended when he was waived by the Lions at the end of training camp the next season.
Cleveland Browns
Butler was claimed off of waivers by the Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on September 3, 2006. He began the season as the backup to starter Ryan Tucker
Ryan Tucker
Ryan Tucker is a retired offensive tackle who played for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft...
. Butler appeared in seven games, including five starts at Right Tackle. He made his Browns debut, a start in place of an ill Tucker, against the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on October 29. He started his second game the next week against the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He then replaced Tucker (illness) as the starting Right Tackle between November 26 through December 17, he was however played on Injured Reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
on December 20 with an injured foot
Foot
The foot is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made up of one or more segments or bones, generally including claws...
. However, on October 6, 2007, he was waived by the Browns, after Tucker returned from a league suspension.
First stint with Yard Dawgz
In 2008, Butler joined af2Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
, and on May 16, he was assigned to the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz
Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz
The Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz was a member of the new Arena Football League. The team began play as a 2004 expansion team of the original Arena Football League's now-defunct minor league af2...
. As a rookie in af2, he played in just seven games, with one start. For the season, he recorded one reception
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
for four yards, against the Iowa Barnstormers
Iowa Barnstormers
The Iowa Barnstormers are an arena football team based in Des Moines, Iowa. They are currently members of the Arena Football League , which they joined in 2010 following the organization's restructuring...
. His lone start of the season came against the Boise Burn. On August 2, he was placed on the Other league exempt list by the Yard Dawgz, after he was invited to training camp with the Arizona Cardinals.
Arizona Cardinals
On July 24, 2008 Butler signed with the Arizona CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. However, on August 30, he, along with 21 others were released by the Cardinals final cuts of training camp.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
On March 19, 2010 it was announced that Butler had signed with the Winnipeg Blue BombersWinnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
.