GREEN BAY – For the third consecutive year, former Packers safety LeRoy Butler is among the 15 modern-era finalists for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Butler, the first player in NFL history to record 20 interceptions and 20 sacks in a career, is the only member of the NFL's 1990s All-Decade Team that has yet to be inducted.
Butler, a second-round pick out of Florida State in 1990, made four All-Pro teams during his 12 seasons with the Packers. He finished his career with 38 interceptions and 20½ sacks in 181 regular-season games.
Synonymous with the Lambeau Leap, Butler was a versatile centerpiece of defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur's defense during the Packers' Super Bowl XXXI championship run. Three other individuals with connections to that team – quarterback Brett Favre, defensive end Reggie White and general manager Ron Wolf – already have been enshrined in Canton.
The 15 modern-era finalists will be presented to the full 48-member Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee next month before Super Bowl LV, along with the Pro Football Hall of Fame's coach, contributor and senior nominees: Dick Vermeil, Art McNally and Cliff Branch, respectively.
While there is no overall set number for any class of enshrinees, the bylaws for the selection committee provide that between four and eight new members will be selected, but a maximum of five can come from the 15 modern-era finalists.
