Green Bay Packers safety LeRoy Butler came a long way from a boy who spent part of his childhood in a wheelchair to a safety who earned admission to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Butler recorded 38 career interceptions and 20.5 sacks in his 12 seasons with the Packers. He earned All Pro honors four times and Pro Bowl honors four times while being named to the All-Decade Team of the 1990s. He is also credited with inventing the Lambeau Leap in 1993. But few people remember the first career interception by Packers safety LeRoy Butler. In fact, he had two picks in that game against a key division rival.

Remembering the First Career Interception by Packers Safety LeRoy Butler: The Leadup

The Packers struggled through the 1990 season. After going 10-6 the previous year, quarterback Don Majkowski held out for a better contract. Majkowski returned after missing the first two games and gradually played his way back into shape.

Butler played mostly cornerback as a rookie under head coach Lindy Infante. He didn’t start any games but did see steady playing time in nickel and dime packages.

The Packers entered their Week 8 game against the Vikings with a 2-4 record and were coming off their bye week. The Vikings were 1-5 and struggling even worse than the Packers. The loser of this game would be all but out of the playoff picture while the winner would hang on for at least another week. The game was played at Milwaukee County Stadium.

The First Half

The Packers got off to a fast start. Halfback Herschel Walker fumbled on the Vikings first play from scrimmage and Packers defensive end pounced on the loose ball. That set up a 35-yard field goal by Chris Jacke. The Packers led 3-0, which remained the score at the end of the first quarter.

The Vikings evened the score in the second quarter on a 20-yard field goal by Donald Igwebuike. Then, the Packers responded with the game’s first touchdown. It came on a 68-yard drive. They key play was a 21-yard pass to Perry Kemp. A facemask penalty added 15 more yards to the drive which ended on a 12-yard run by rookie first-round pick Darrell Thompson. It gave the Packers a 10-3 lead at the half.

This was the first NFL touchdown for Thompson, and it was extra special for the University of Minnesota alum. “It was nice to score my first touchdown against Minnesota because I have strong ties there,” Thompson said. “I was supposed to cut right, but I saw an opening to the left.”

Thompson was only in the game because starter Brent Fullwood was injured. “It’s special because it’s my home state,” Thompson added. “I went to school there and have a lot of friends on the team. It’s funny it came against the Vikings. I was pretty nervous playing for the first time against the Vikings.”

Remembering the First Career Interception by Packers Safety LeRoy Butler: The Packers Extend their Lead

The Packers started to pull away in the final minute of the third quarter. For the game, the team picked off Vikings quarterback Rich Gannon five times. The most dramatic was a pick six by defensive end Shawn Patterson. The Packers put pressure on Gannon, and he threw low and hit Patterson in the face mask. He juggled the ball and finally secured it before running nine yards for a touchdown. The Packers led 17-3.

“It’s my first one, my first touchdown. It was a day of firsts,” said Patterson who had missed five games due to hamstring injuries. “The ball was thrown real hard. And it was thrown so low it almost stuck between my arm and my helmet. I bobbled it a couple of times and then I caught it. I was really surprised the ball was there.”

The Big Moment for LeRoy Butler

In the fourth quarter, the Packers intercepted Gannon on three consecutive drives. Butler made two of those picks, the first two interceptions of his NFL career. One of them helped set up a six-yard touchdown run by Majkowski to extend the Packers lead to 24-3.

For Butler, it was a special moment. “I remember keeping the balls, and I still have them,” said Butler after he retired. “On the first one, I got all excited and I didn’t even know I should keep the ball, so I gave it back to the ref. But Bob Noel, our equipment manager, went and got it, and said, ‘You need to keep this. This is your first pick.’”

The Vikings scored in the final minute and recovered an onsides kick, but Mark Murphy intercepted Gannon with 24 seconds left to seal the 24-10 win for the Packers.

Remembering the First Career Interception by Packers Safety LeRoy Butler: The Aftermath

Butler played cornerback for his first two NFL seasons but moved to safety in 1992 when Ray Rhodes became the team’s defensive coordinator. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Packers forced six Vikings turnovers including five interceptions.

Infante was pleased with the win. “Our young guys are stepping forward. Anytime you get that many turnovers, you have a great chance to win,” Infante said.

The Packers remained competitive until Majkowski was lost for the season with a torn rotator cuff. The Packers lost their last five games and finished the season 6-10.

But for LeRoy Butler, this was a milestone moment and the first of many big plays in his Hall of Fame career. It’s a game he will never forget.

 

 

 

 

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