Green Bay Packers great LeRoy Butler earned HOF nod with patience, perseverance

If and when it happened, she wanted her son to be prepared.

A decade ago, LeRoy and his mother sat down and wrote a speech. She died in 2016 so she won't be able to hear it when he's in the Hall of Fame. Most of it had already been said.

"My mom and I prepared for this, and we talked about it," he said. We worked on my speech a long time ago. This may happen in the future. It will happen as you get older. That's what made me very patient.

He is best known for his invention of the Lambeau Leap. He jumped into the south end zone stands for the first time on December 26, 1993 after scoring on a fumbled return.

His Hall of Fame resume wasn't celebrated after the game. It took him 21 years after his career ended to get elected.

When I was a semifinalist, my mom told me to be patient, but she always taught me to be patient. I had braces on my legs like Forrest Gump when I was young. I was Forrest Gump. I've always been a patient.

He was raised in Jacksonville, Florida, with his sisters and brothers. He struggled to walk as a child and couldn't read until after other students in his class. He said he was the kid who wasn't invited to sleepovers or asked to go swimming because he was bullied. His mom and teachers kept him going. He doesn't believe he would have made it to Florida State if it weren't for their help.

It is possible that his generosity comes from that location. He was asked what the playing in the league did for him when he sat on the dais at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It has to be the money, right? "I joked." Someone who is a millionaire could not answer that way. It was enjoyable when I played. After his autograph, we can make more money.

Tony Boselli, a former offensive lineman for the Jacksonville Jags, sat next to Butler on the stage.

"Tony probably didn't think I was joking," he said.

"My biggest problem was, and I still have it to this day, and not just with money, but my time, I have a problem saying no," he stated. There are people who have a hero syndrome. Sometimes you get into trouble for helping people. The majority of people who say no are poor people. I have everything I need to survive and help people.

Even though it never got to the point of bankruptcy, a divorce and years of financial help to those around him took its toll. There is a modest house in Milwaukee whereButler lives. He is a radio host in Milwaukee on 1250AM The Fan. He has six adult daughters and an 11 year old son.

"He always says, 'If I make money, you're going to make money,'" said former Packers running back Gary Ellerson, who co-hosted a radio show with him. He's taking people with him for the ride. Sometimes he forgets about himself, but he's making sure that everyone gets fed that's close to him.

Being a Hall of Fame will allow for more opportunities. He wants to set up a company that helps former players with financial problems get their credit back. Getting into the Hall of Fame will allow him to do his own documentary on his life.

When you're a Packer, a lot of doors open up for you, but when you're a Hall of Famer, every door opens up for you.

My life was not easy. People don't want to talk about it because they think everyone is rich. You can get six figures on one appearance when you're a Hall of Fame player. It's exciting to know that may be an opportunity for a player who's been retired for a long time.

He was a finalist for the Hall of Fame in 2020. Steve Atwater joined the team that year. Safety John Lynch was in the next year. It was as good as or better than those of the other two. Both Atwater and Lynch were not in the 35-sack club. The others are Charles Woodson and Brian Dawkins.

Pete Dougherty, a member of the selection committee, said that it seemed like a given that LeRoy would get in as well.

It wasn't a matter of when, it was just a matter of when. It was difficult to see how they'd be in and he wouldn't. He wasn't on the first team from the '50s through the '90s. It's just an all-around safety. His case was well-suited to the safeties who preceded him.

Twice before his election, he was a finalist and only to get a phone call telling him he didn't make it.

You can meet the class of 2022.

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