David Roy Butz (June 23, 1950 – November 4, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Washington Redskins in a 16-year career from 1973 to 1988. During his time with Washington, as the team's defensive "anchor", he helped the Redskins reach the Super Bowl thrice, winning twice. He was named as one of the 70 Greatest Redskins in franchise history and a member of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team. Before turning professional, he played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014. Early life Butz was born in LaFayette, Alabama, on June 23, 1950, and soon moved with his family to Illinois. He played high school football at Maine South High School in Park Ridge, Illinois, where he was two-time high school All-American. He also played basketball and was the Illinois High School discus champion, setting a state record. He was the nephew of Earl Butz, a Purdue University professor who later served as United States Secretary of Agriculture. College football Butz played college football at Purdue University, where he was a 1972 finalist for the Lombardi Award. He was a first-team All-Big Ten member and played in both the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl, where he was named the Defensive MVP. Butz was named to the Purdue Boilermakers' Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004. He was later also named to Purdue's All Time Football team and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014. Professional football Butz was drafted in the first round (fifth overall) of the 1973 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, where he would play for two seasons. In 1975, Butz was granted free agency due to a mistake in his contract that he had signed as a rookie in 1973. Redskins coach George Allen quickly signed him, but the NFL ruled that the Redskins had to compensate the Cardinals with two first-round draft picks (1977 & 1978) and a second-round pick (1978). Butz then played for the Washington Redskins for 14 years, where he had three Super Bowl appearances: defeating the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII, losing to the Los Angeles Raiders in Super Bowl XVIII, and winning Super Bowl XXII over the Denver Broncos. At the victory parade after