{{Short description|American football player (born 1982)}} {{Use American English|date=November 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Kelly Butler | image = <!-- only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people - see WP:NONFREE --> | number = 68, 71, 79 | position = Offensive lineman | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|6|24}} | birth_place = Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 8 | weight_lbs = 317 | high_school = Union {{avoid wrap|(Grand Rapids)}} | college = Purdue | draftyear = 2004 | draftround = 6 | draftpick = 172 | pastteams = * Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|2004}}–{{NFL Year|2006}}) * Cleveland Browns ({{NFL Year|2006}}–{{NFL Year|2007}}) * Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz ({{Af2 Year|2008}}) * Arizona Cardinals ({{NFL Year|2008}})* * Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz ({{Af2 Year|2009}}) * Winnipeg Blue Bombers ({{CFL Year|2010}}–{{CFL Year|2011}}) | highlights = * ''Sporting News'' Freshman All-Big Ten (2001) | statlabel1 = Games played | statvalue1 = 22 | statlabel2 = Games started | statvalue2 = 21 | aflstatlabel1 = Receptions | aflstatvalue1 = 1 | aflstatlabel2 = Receiving yards | aflstatvalue2 = 10 | aflstatlabel3 = Touchdowns | aflstatvalue3 = 1 | afl = 11059 | pfr = ButlKe21 | cfl-archive = https://web.archive.org/web/20120213015247/http://www.cfl.ca/roster/show/id/3103 }} '''Kelly Don Butler''' (born July 24, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=314666 |title=BLUE BOMBERS SIGN OL BUTLER, RELEASE DE PERRY}}</ref> He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL draft. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers.
Butler was also a member of the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Outside of his involvement with the Blue Bombers, Butler often appears on Winnipeg based radio station ''CITI-FM'', as a guest co-host of Wheeler in the Morning.
==Early life== Butler attended Union High School, 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''.
==College career== Butler then attended Purdue University, 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.
==Professional career==
===Pre-draft=== Butler was invited, and attended the 2004 NFL Scouting Combine.<ref name="combine"/>
{{NFL predraft | height ft = 6 | height in = 7+3/8 | weight = 320 | arm span = 33+3/4 | hand span = 9+7/8 | dash = 5.11 | ten split = 1.77 | twenty split = 2.96 | shuttle = 4.92 | cone drill = 7.96 | vertical = 30+1/2 | broad ft = 8 | broad in = 9 | bench = 19 | wonderlic = | note = Arm and hand spans and bench press from Pro Day, all other values from NFL Combine.<ref name="combine">{{cite web |title=*Kelly Butler, DS #3 OT, Purdue |url=http://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=266&DraftYear=2004 |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=March 14, 2021}}</ref> }}
===Detroit Lions=== Butler was selected in the sixth round (172nd overall) of the 2004 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2004/draft.htm |title=2004 NFL Draft Listing |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en |access-date=2023-05-06}}</ref>
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.
===Cleveland Browns=== Butler was claimed off of waivers by the Cleveland Browns 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.<ref name="Browns waive">{{cite web |url=http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/article.php?id=7480 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070627115152/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/article.php?id=7480 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-06-27 |title=Tucker activated; Butler waived |last=Walcoff |first=Jeff |work=ClevelandBrowns.com |publisher=Cleveland Browns |date=2007-10-06 |accessdate=2009-01-10}}</ref>
===Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz=== In 2008, Butler joined af2, and on May 16, he was assigned to the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.af2.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3525&ATCLID=1471476 |title=Transactions Bulletin #162 |work=af2.com |publisher=af2 |date=2008-05-16 |accessdate=2009-01-10 }}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Stats">{{cite web |url=https://www.thestatguys.com/HTML/OKC.HTM#team.def |title=AF2 - 2008 Season Oklahoma Yard Dawgz |work=TheStatGuy.com |accessdate=2009-01-10}}</ref> His lone start of the season came against the Boise Burn.<ref name="Stats" /> On August 2, he was placed on the Other league exempt list by the Yard Dawgz,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.af2.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3525&ATCLID=1555165 |title=Transactions Bulletin #219 |work=af2 |publisher=af2 |date=2008-08-02 |accessdate=2009-01-10 }}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> after he was invited to training camp with the Arizona Cardinals.<ref name="Invited">{{cite web |url=http://www.af2.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3525&ATCLID=3627261&ISWIDE=1 |title=Yard Dawgz to host final open tryout on Jan. 3; Kicker only tryout on Jan. 4 |work=af2.com |publisher=af2 |date=2008-12-03 |accessdate=2009-01-10 }}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
===Arizona Cardinals=== On July 24, 2008, Butler signed with the Arizona Cardinals.<ref name="Cards">{{cite web |url=http://www.azcardinals.com/blog/post.php?author=1&id=1022 |title=Cards sign OT Butler, cut Coleman |last=Urban |first=Darren |work=AZCardinals.com |publisher=Arizona Cardinals |date=2008-07-31 |accessdate=2009-01-10}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> However, on August 30, he, along with 21 others were released by the Cardinals final cuts of training camp.<ref name="Cards cut">{{cite web|url=http://www.azcardinals.com/news/detail.php?PRKey=2510 |title=Cardinals Make Their Cuts |last=Urban |first=Darren |work=AZCardinals.com |publisher=Arizona Cardinals |date=2008-08-30 |accessdate=2009-01-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080912140642/http://www.azcardinals.com/news/detail.php?PRKey=2510 |archivedate=September 12, 2008 }}</ref>
===Winnipeg Blue Bombers=== On March 19, 2010, it was announced that Butler had signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. After two seasons with the Blue Bombers, he announced his retirement on March 12, 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cfl.ca/article/bombers-kelly-butler-announces-retirement |title=Bombers' Kelly Butler announces retirement |access-date=2017-09-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922121713/http://www.cfl.ca/article/bombers-kelly-butler-announces-retirement |archive-date=2012-09-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110927062531/http://www.bluebombers.com/roster/show/id/3103 Winnipeg Blue Bombers bio] * [http://www.okcyarddawgz.com/KellyButler.aspx Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz bio] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080807083145/http://www.azcardinals.com/team/bio.php?PRKey=209 Arizona Cardinals bio] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080616185214/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/player.php?id=543 Cleveland Browns bio] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071023074648/http://www.detroitlions.com/bio.cfm?bio_id=224&season=6 Detroit Lions bio] * [http://purduesports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/butler_kelly00.html Purdue Boilermakers bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080505005851/http://purduesports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/butler_kelly00.html |date=May 5, 2008 }}
{{Lions2004DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Kelly}} Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:American football offensive tackles Category:Players of Canadian football from Michigan Category:Arizona Cardinals players Category:Canadian football offensive linemen Category:Cleveland Browns players Category:Detroit Lions players Category:Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz players Category:Players of American football from Grand Rapids, Michigan Category:Purdue Boilermakers football players Category:Winnipeg Blue Bombers players