XFL star Hakeem Butler has received an NFL camp invite from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The St. Louis Battlehawks wideout was one of the best players of the XFL’s rebirth, and is getting rewarded for it. Butler, 26, suited up in 10 games, hauling in 51 receptions for 599 yards and a league-high eight touchdowns.
Prior to his time in the XFL, Butler had a cup of a coffee in the NFL. The Arizona Cardinals selected him in the fourth-round (103rd overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Iowa State. He was a three-year standout with the Cyclones, declaring for the draft after his junior season. Butler caught 60 passes for 1,318 yards and nine scores.
He missed the entirety of his rookie season after suffering a broken hand. Arizona waived him in September 2020. Butler subsequently signed to the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad, and 11 days later, was picked up off Carolina’s practice squad by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Philadelphia converted him from a receiver to a tight end. He appeared in two games in 2020, making zero offensive contributions. The Eagles waived him in August 2021. Butler bounced around in the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 2022, before the Battlehawks selected him in the fifth-round of the 2023 XFL Supplemental Draft.
Butler’s persistence earned him an opportunity in the XFL. Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht recently revealed a direct message Butler sent to him this past November, asking for an opportunity to “show what I can do.”
“LEFT NO STONE UNTURNED….. glad you DM’d me @410Keem on 11/27/22…. Blessing @XFLBattlehawks @XFL2023,” Becht wrote on Twitter.
Pittsburgh Steelers invite multiple XFL stars to camp including Hakeem Butler
Butler is the latest XFL star to receive a camp invite from the Steelers. Pittsburgh has reportedly invited XFL offensive tackle Chidi Okeke to the team’s rookie minicamp, according to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound tackle is currently a member of the San Antonio Brahmas.
Okeke was a standout at Tennessee State where he became an All-OVC first-teamer. He transferred to Tennessee State from LSU for the 2017 season after playing in 11 games for the Tigers.
Okeke has signed NFL contracts in the past with the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, and, most recently, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He signed a one-year deal with the Buccaneers for $660,000 in 2021 but the team waived him a month later.
More must-reads: