LeRoy Butler: Here's One Mike Holmgren Story That Never Gets Old

(EDITOR'S NOTE: To access LeRoy Butler's comments on Mike Holmgren, fast-forward to 14:15 of the following link: Ep 97: Hall of Famer LeRoy Butler Joins The Show (spreaker.com)

If you know former Green Bay safety LeRoy Butler, you know a couple of things about him: First, few played the position as well. Second, fewer tell a better story.

A member of the Hall’s Class of 2022, Butler appeared on a recent “Eye Test for Two” podcast (fullpresscoverage.com) and was asked about his former head coach, Mike Holmgren. Naturally, he endorsed him for Canton, saying all the right things that make Holmgren a legitimate candidate.

But then he told a story that should make Butler the official raconteur if/when Holmgren hosts a Hall-of-Fame bash. It goes back to 1992 when then-Packers’ public relations director Lee Remmel called Butler, then home in Jacksonville, Fla., to tell him Green Bay hired Holmgren as its next head coach.

Holmgren was the San Francisco 49ers' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, calling the plays for a unit that included stars like Joe Montana, Roger Craig, Steve Young and Jerry Rice.

But that somehow escaped Butler.

“I said ‘Who?’ “ Butler recalled of the conversation with Remmel. “Who in the hell is Mike Holmgren?’ I said I never heard of him. I mean, West Coast … you heard about the players: Montana, Young, Rice. You never head of coaches. Head coach, of course … Bill Walsh, George Seifert. But that’s about it.”

Not really. Holmgren directed one of the league’s most lethal offenses, was a two-time Super Bowl champion and was in demand, with the Packers finally convincing him to leave the Bay Area. So he was well known … outside of the LeRoy Butler household, that is.

“So I flew back to meet him,” Butler said, “and over time I liked him because he didn’t want to have the headline. He wasn’t a gimmick. He wanted the players to have the headlines.

“I know he’s going to be a Hall of Famer one day. And I agree. He should be a Hall of Famer. He took two franchises to the Super Bowl (Green Bay and Seattle), and that’s hard to do.”

Getting a good story out of LeRoy Butler, however, is not. So, without provocation, he proceeded to launch into one of his favorites about Mike Holmgren.

“I was sitting in my locker, just minding my business,” he said, recalling one of his first encounters with his new head coach. “So Holmgren’s 6-5 ... big guy ... and he walks through the locker room. He looks at me, and he backs up. I was wearing a Michael Jordan shirt ... MJ, the G.O.A.T.

“He says, ‘Why don’t you wear your shirt? Who is that?” I said, ‘Michael Jorden, the G.O.A.T.’ (He says) ‘Why don’t you wear a LeRoy Butler shirt?’ I said, ‘Coach, I don’t have a shirt.’ He says, ‘Exactly. Go do something, and get a damn shirt. Go make some plays. Make some All-Pros and Pro Bowls.’ 

"That was the mic drop before mic drops were out. I said to the guys, 'Did he just give me some therapy?' It was awesome.”