Rest In Peace—Dave Butz

 By John Turney 

"Look at me. I was made to play football. Very rarely do you see a Clydesdale winning a race. I belong in the trenches."—Dave Butz

Today, news of longtime Washington defensive tackle Dave Butz's passing traveled ever the modern wires. No cause of death has been released. He was 72.

Butz was a first-round draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1973 NFL Draft. Butz played two years for the Cardinals and played two seasons in St. Louis before playing out his option after the 1974 season. In August of 1975, he signed as a free agent with Washington and under the Rozelle rule - which required compensation for players who signed with a team other than his current one - gave the Cardinals two first-round picks plus a second-rounder. 

On the signed George Allen said the 6-7, 295-pound Butz was, "the biggest guy I ever had." Butz went on to play fourteen seasons in the nation's capital. 

Along the way, he earned Consensus first-team All-Pro honors in 1983 and Second-team All-Pro in 1984 by AP and Gannett News Services. Also, he was Second-team All-NFC (UPI) in 1979 and received honorable mentions for either All-NFC or All-Pro in 1978 (UPI), 1981 (UPI), 1982 (Gannett), and 1985 (AP).

Butz was also All-Rookie in 1973 (UPI).

He was a Pro Bowler in 1983 and was a Pro Bowl alternate in 1981 and 1984. Twice he earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week—Week 6, 1983, and Week 1, 1986. 

In 1983, in addition to his All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors was second in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year in both the AP and NEA award voting. He was voted the NFC Defensive Player of the Year by the prestigious Kansas City Committee of 101.

It was quite a year for Butz, totaling 69 tackles 11.5 sacks (a career-high), forcing five fumbles, deflecting five passes at the line of scrimmage, and falling on a fumble while anchoring a run defense that was first in the NFL.

he played in three Super Bowls with Washington: XVII, XVIII, and XXII, and emerged with two Super Bowl rings.

Butz retired after the 1988 season and two years later was voted Second-team on the official All-Decade team of the 1980s.

Butz was chosen as one of Washington's 70 greatest players when the team commemorated its 70th anniversary in 2002. He was one of the 90 greatest players when the team announced its 90th anniversary early in 2022. He is also a member of Washington's Ring of Fame.

A John Madden favorite (Butz was All-Madden in 1987) and when listening to a CBS telecast one could hear Madden remarking on a Butz play or even the size of his helmet, 'Dave Butz's helmet is as big a pumpkin.'

Hall of Fame guard Joe DeLamielleure said this, "I played against Dave in college and in the pros. He was a full day's work.  You could never let up.  Every play was a challenge, he never quit. We lost one of the good ones."

At Purdue, Butz was a First-team All-American by UPI, NEA, Walter Camp, AFCA, TSN, and Time magazine. He was also the 1972 finalist for the Lombardi Award. While a Boilermaker he totaled 108 tackles (21for losses) and eight passes broken up. 

In 1987, Butz was chosen to Purdue's All-time team and inducted into the Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004. He is enshrined in the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame, as well. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

Butz was from Alabama (born in Lafayette) but grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois.

In addition to football, Butz played on the Maine South hoops team and received over 100 letters from schools wanting him to play for them. One was from Adolph Rupp, the legendary Kentucky basketball coach.

After his retirement, he moved back to Illinois and worked in real estate and a sales and service company and was involved in many charitable efforts. He enjoyed several hobbies, including carvin wooden duck decoys. 

Career stats—

Source for tackles: NFL play-by-plays