Bradley Jay Butler, Jr. (born September 18, 1983, in
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner John Lynch, the city's population was 79,009 at the 2020 census. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mount ...
) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...
guard and
tackle
Tackle may refer to:
* In football:
** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football
** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football
** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking ...
for the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...
. He was drafted by the Bills in the fifth round of the
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with ad ...
. He played
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, partl ...
at
E.C. Glass High School and
college football at the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with College admission ...
.
College career
Butler is one of three Cavaliers in school history to start four consecutive bowl games. He started thirty-one consecutive games at right tackle, the longest streak at the University of Virginia since 1998. As a senior Butler started all eleven games he played. Butler drew attention in 2005 when he hit Boston College defensive end
Mathias Kiwanuka
Mathias Kagimu Kiwanuka (born March 8, 1983) is a former American football defensive end. He was originally drafted 32nd overall in the 2006 NFL draft. He played college football at Boston College. He earned two Super Bowl rings with the Giants ...
with a chop-block in the back of his knees several seconds after the whistle, in what is referred to as "the cheap shot heard 'round the ACC."
[Archived a]
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
Butler was suspended for the following game by his own team as a result of the dirty late hit.
Professional career
Butler started all but two of the 33 career games he played in after being drafted in the fifth round of the 2006 draft. He was limited to just two games in 2009 after sustaining a serious knee injury in Week 2 against Tampa Bay.
Buffalo Bills
Butler was drafted by the Bills in the fifth round of the
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with ad ...
. He played in two games with the Bills in his
rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
season. On September 2, 2007, he was named the starting right guard for the Bills. In 2009, Butler was voted to
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virg ...
's All-Joe Team which honors hardworking and valuable players who are overlooked. He retired from professional football after the 2009 season.
References
External links
Buffalo Bills bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Brad
1983 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Lynchburg, Virginia
American football offensive tackles
American football offensive guards
Virginia Cavaliers football players
Buffalo Bills players
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania alumni
Stanford Graduate School of Business alumni
Harvard Business School alumni