With a heavy heart and a lot of respect, the Washington Commanders paid tribute to their legendary linemen. Dave Butz, the two-time Super Bowl-winning DL, was 72 years old. The All-Pro star passed away on November 4th. No cause of death was disclosed.

While playing with the Commanders, Butz earned the reputation of a gentle giant. However, he put that notion away in the 1980s as he became a threat to the opposing quarterbacks.

The legend played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers. There, he had a magnificent collegiate career from 1970 to 72. Dubbed the NFL’s ‘Ironman,’ he earned his First-Team All-American honors. Butz was admitted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

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In the 1973 draft, the St. Louis Cardinals selected him as the number 5th overall pick. He played with them for two seasons. Then, with the Washington Redskins (now Washington Commanders), he gave a stellar performance for fourteen long years.

With Washington, Butz won two Super Bowls in the years 1983 and 1988. With a career-high 11.5 sacks in 1983, he was named to the All-Pro team. And the fact that he missed just four games during his whole career is what gave him the nickname ‘Ironman.’ Along with that, Dave Butz played the most number of games (203) in the history of the Commanders franchise.

The unmatched legacy of Dave Butz

The gentle giant played for only two seasons with the Cardinals before his amicable departure. The resentment lasted during his time with the Washington Redskins. At that time, the Redskins faced the Cardinals twice a year as NFC East opponents.

Even though Butz was a free agent when he left the Cardinals and could have signed with any team, the NFL had different regulations. The rule stated that the team that acquired the free agent should compensate his former team. The then-Washington coach, George Allen, did not mind and paid what was the largest compensation for a free agent in the history of the NFL: a second-round pick in 1978 along with first-round picks in the draft in 1977 and 1978.

Former teammate Joe Theismann paid his honor to the late guard. A sweet side to Dave Butz’s imposing presence was his fondness for carving wooden ducks in his spare time. Undoubtedly a man of extraordinary talent who excelled in his sport and won the hearts of many!

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