LeRoy Butler | NFL Hall of Famer

We welcome Hall of Fame and longtime Packer defensive back LaRoy Butler. I have to start with a story from last year's embarrassing start to the season for the Green Bay Packers. LaRoy at the time I spoke to my Grammy Helen who was just shy of 100 years old and I asked her if she watched the Packers against the Saints.

So this was last year to start the season and she said to me, I don't think they were trying very hard. This time it's the season opener against the Vikings. LaRoy, what's your assessment of what we saw from the Packers? What's your assessment of what we saw from the Vikings? How long will it take this new group of receivers and the offensive line to get into a rhythm and groove? Also keeping in mind that Allen Lazard didn't play either on Sunday.

A straight goal route and he drops the ball. Come back. Now, you got to understand you got to running back that are very capable.

I said AJ Dillon had a great game. You got to figure out now what we're good at and what are we going to do because for the most part it is what it is at this point. I know it's been some rumors out there about OBJ.

He can't help you until two months from now. These guys have got to grow up. It's on the job training. That's why, you know, Aaron Rodgers kind of went off on these guys and say listen, we don't have time for this. We're trying to get to a Super Bowl. So the growth part in may take the week seven, but his office is still like they're at a in a groove and I don't want to hear Amy from the people say all you didn't play a preseason. Listen, no veteran wants to play in the preseason.

You're going to have a hub set, but for the most part how you lose and who you lose to is very important. That moment with Christian Watson, the rookie could have been a 75 yard grab likely would have been a touchdown that has to be for rookies. The welcome to the NFL moment because it's not quite as easy as you might think. No question about it.

And that's what we were hoping for him to replace MVS deep threat, you know, but even MVS had some drops, but he cleaned that up, you know, even Devontae Adam as a young guy had to drop. So it's part of the game and what was surprising that the Packers never went back to that. And I think these guys got to understand. This is the big league. Now take advantage of your opportunities.

Your opportunities is a difference between being 9 and 8 11 and 6 or 12 and 5 or 13 and 3. As you point out Aaron Rodgers is the two-time defending MVP. So you would expect him and the Packers to rebound coming up in week. Number two. We are so excited to spend a few minutes with Hall of Famer. Leroy Butler haven't spoken to him since his weekend in Canton. So we'll have to get his story about he's joining us from Wisconsin after week.

Number one. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. So Leroy, I have been to a preseason game at Lambeau and I was impressed by the buzz even then for an affair in August. I've never been to a regular season game, let alone a night game against the rival Bears. I will be there on Sunday.

I know you will too. What am I in for? I'll tell you what, when you get 80,000 people who are very upset because they lost to the Vikings who's a borderline state. Now, you got another with Illinois with Chicago. The number one overall in all of sports are the oldest rivalry. Okay, this is a big deal.

Not to mention. Okay, you got another new coach that you're playing. It's a lot of storylines with this group, but these people expect nothing more than a blowout victory. Okay, that's the only way they're going to feel good because most Packers fans think they're going to go 19-0 in the Super Bowl. But realistically, you got two divisional games.

Is this a must game? If you stay in the 9-2-0, the 2-6-2 area close, by the way, they are expecting a big victory on Sunday night. I've actually been invited to a couple of Packers tailgates.

So they're on the property. I was told that people would be out at Lambeau around seven o'clock in the morning. So literally 12 hours before kickoff. Is it crazy there for a game like this? Well, when you have only football there, exactly.

That's it. You got to go to Milwaukee for baseball and for basketball only in this town. That's why they call it title town. It's everything to the economy where the Green Bay Packers play. So tailgating, if the game is at seven o'clock Central Time, they'll be tailgating at noon. They'll be out there barbecuing, playing bags, volleyball, everything. It's just a great time to tailgate. Oh, I'm looking forward to it. I know you will be there too because it's a big weekend for former Packers.

Yes. And that's the one thing we think about is Hall of Fame players come back, the alumni people come back. Any tackle played 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, we all get together on the first home game. That's a big deal. And you know what?

The thing about it, Amy, the active players, they know it too. They see all these guys, these alumni in town. Okay, this is a game we must win.

Well, I'm really excited to meet you and take some photos in person. It'll be fun after all of our radio conversations. Leroy Butler is with us from Wisconsin. Get a chance to see him and other former Packers on Sunday night before the football game against the Bears.

It's after hours on CBS Sports Radio. I've seen photos of you in your gold jacket everywhere. I've seen the bust. What was it like to be in Canton finally, Leroy, for that special weekend? It was truly amazing, Amy. And even our conversations we've had when I was one of the finalists, I just knew the process is difficult.

It's only 362 guys in the Hall of Fame. So being patient, you know, it makes you feel good because in is in. I was happy for my wife, my family, you know, all of my teachers. I mean, it was just so amazing to just step back and talk about my teammates. So I've never been on that platform before.

So it was new to me as well, but I really enjoyed it. And it's something I'll never forget. And you think about it that this is a team that you can't get cut. You can't renegotiate your deal.

You can't, I mean, they can't trade you. This is one is permanent and I'm just so honored to be a part of it. What are a couple of moments that you'll remember from that weekend in the festivities? Maybe a couple people that you cross paths with? Thank you for asking.

Amazing question. I saw Tony Dorsett and I almost fainted. I was the biggest Dallas Cowboys fan in the world.

Two years ago. I got a chance to be Roger Staubach when I was a finalist, but I thought Tony Dorsett who looks like he can still play. I said to myself, God, this is football heaven. If you hear my speech at the beginning, I've referenced that when you're a Green Bay Packer, a lot of doors open up for you when you win a Super Bowl, all the doors open up for you. But when you're in the Hall of Fame, you and football heaven opens up for you. Seeing people like that, Richard Dent and you know, John Randall, I mean these kind of guys, you sit next to them. I was sitting next to Bobby Bell yesterday at a golf tournament and Steve Largent.

You just, you just don't, you just try not to say nothing weird. I want you to know that not only did I hear your speech, but I replayed that snippet about football heaven multiple times on my show because it gave me chills. It was perfect. You are right. This is football immortality and who cares the road it took to get there. Leroy, you're there now.

Yes, and that's just a celebration part of it for my family as well. And then here's something for you. When I first wrote my autograph, I forgot to write H.O.F. And it was a young man.

He was in the ninth grade. He was like, sir, you forgot something. I said, oh, I forgot to say hi and take a picture. No, H.O.F. I said, oh, I've never wrote it before. And we both laughed about it and took a selfie with the pen that I wrote my first, you know, H.O.F.

2022. So it was still kind of new to me. So I'm riding high. Oh, that's amazing. Well, for a fun peek behind the curtain, how much effort did you put into the speech? How much time did it take you to write it?

That's a great question. Me and my mom put my speech together 2009, 2010. She passed away in 2016 and she wanted me to be prepared. And she wanted me to thank people in groups, mostly think that, you know, one thing a lot of people don't know, but I'm very proud of, playing for one team is something that you never hardly see. So playing for the Packers for 12 years and thanking my family, my wife, teammates, Bob Harland and the Packers, my teachers, people. My first shirt was from the Salvation Army.

My first book that I got was from a police officer, from Officer Friendly. These are the stories I can now tell that are very important in my life. LaRoy, how much did it mean to you to share those words that you and your mom wrote together?

Well, I tell you what, my mom always told me this, anytime you think you're going to cry, put your hand over your mouth and it calms you, calms your anxiety. So she said to me, and this was funny, she said, I want you to have, and I agree with her, the shortest speech in NFL history. She said, get up there and get out, keep it tight. And we laughed about it, but she was right.

I wanted to be really short because I wanted people to want more, want more. We didn't get enough. So now you can learn about LaRoy Butler. I'm so happy for that. Oh, that's amazing. LaRoy Butler is now a Hall of Fame defensive back, a longtime Packer, only a Packer, and joins us from Wisconsin here after hours on CBS Sports Radio. You're name dropping here about a golf tournament.

What's the atmosphere been like since? Well, I tell you what, my assistant has an assistant now. And then I was able, I've always wanted to do a podcast, but I said to my wife, you know, maybe I'll wait till one day I'm in the Hall of Fame that I launched the Leap 36 podcast. So I'm developing that.

I'm doing a cookbook with my six daughters and my son. So I'm really excited for some of the things I've always wanted to do, but now I can have people work on other stuff and I can kind of get back to some of the things that really like my Butler vs Bullying campaign. And the biggest thing, Amy, I want to do that now has time to do is develop my story. I really want to get with a nice production company and write my story. I was an African American in the project growing up, single family home, going through bullying, poverty, and to make it into the Hall of Fame. That is a special story that a lot of young men and women, I think they will really value that. And I'm so excited to be a part of putting that together.

Not to mention the physical disability and limitations that you had early. I mean, it's the stuff that movie scripts are made of, Leroy. Yeah. So Disney, if you're listening, PBS, if you're listening, holler at your boy, let's make magic and put together a great story. And we can even have Amy voice over it. It's amazing. I'm doing my best, Amy.

I don't know if they're listening, but it was fun saying it. Who would play you in a movie about your life, Leroy? Jamie Foxx. I love Jamie Foxx. He's the only guy in America that God has ever created that can sing, dance, act, and normally just a funny guy.

Not to mention he's very handsome. You mentioned a podcast and I can only imagine the stories because I know every time we talk, you tell great stories. What will be the focus of your new podcast? Well, the thing about it, it'll be more circle around sports, but it's going to be three days a week. But on Wednesdays, I'm going to be talking about relationships and families when you're in the NFL. So I'm going to have guests on to talk about that, but sometimes we don't bring up our families. I mean, look at what Tom Brady is going through, him and his wife.

You know, it's difficult when your family gives a chance to, you know, they come to the games, but sometimes when you're 11 years old, you want your daddy at home. So we're going to cover that on Wednesdays. The other days will be mostly around sports, the Packers, hopefully winning Packer games. But it'll be for the one person that wants to listen to something for 30, 45 minutes and say, you know, I never knew that about LaRoy Butler or about what's going on in NFL and sports behind the scenes.

I'm very excited about developing that. Yes, I always tell former professional athletes or even coaches when they ask me for advice about broadcasting, I tell them to highlight what is different about you and the rest of the population. You're not just someone who can analyze the game.

You can tell us what it was like to be in the game, which sets you apart. Not to mention, as you point out, what is it, 362 Hall of Famers. That's it. Yes. Yes.

Yes, absolutely. And I think because I was telling Kellen Winslow and Randall McDaniel, I said, God, I'll be very honest with you. If somebody would have said to me, how many guys do you think is in the Hall of Fame?

Before I got in, I would have said a couple thousand. But no, it's only 362. And when you hear that, my number is 357, it does make you feel a type of a way like this is unbelievable.

And I just want guys to know this, though, Amy, that's very important. For the guys who are finalists and who wants to get in, you will get in. So that's the kind of mind frame I had. I never disbarred anybody. I never just tried to rip John Lynch or Steve Atwater. No, because eventually they're going to be on the same team I'm going to be on. So I was happy for those guys. So trust me, if you're a finalist, you will get in. Oh, Leroy Butler, it makes it even better when you are gracious about it and when you're a guy who can appreciate it because the journey wasn't so easy.

It wasn't handed to you. And that's why we always love talking to Leroy. So he's a 2022 Hall of Fame defensive back. He's got the gold jacket, the bust in Canton.

He's a long time iconic Packer starting a new podcast. And I am sure that Grant is permanently imprinted on his face. Leroy, I can hear I can hear you smiling. Yeah, trust me.

They did my boss Blair, the young man who did it. He scoured the Internet. I can only find five pictures of you not smiling. I'm a happy guy.

I'm a happy guy. Oh, fantastic on Twitter at leap 36. And of course, there'll be some info about his podcast there too. I cannot wait to take a photo or do a tick tock or something in person on Sunday night. Leroy, I will see you very soon. Thank you. Well, you got to find me because I got your autograph signed in my hand. So if you don't show up, it's going to your producer.

Oh, Jay would love that. No, no, no, no, that's all mine. All right. I will talk to you soon. Thank you so much. All right. Thank you. Look forward to seeing you.