Two Bills Drive

‘It would be nice to see his name affixed to the Wall of Fame at Ralph Wilson Stadium some day in the not-so-distant future.’

‘The exact circumstances of his exit from Buffalo and hiring in San Diego are murky.Wilson maintains that Butler had made up his mind to leave and no amount of money would have kept him with the Bills. Members of the front office say he’d have stayed had he been paid a competitive wage rather than being nickeled and dimed. No matter, 27 months ago, Butler, without a contract in Buffalo, signed with the Chargers.’

‘Levy said Butler showed up for his interview in Buffalo with a sheaf of paperwork detailing how he would conduct himself in the post for which he was being considered.’

‘Said Marcellus Wiley, who also played for Butler in Buffalo and San Diego: “Coming into the league, he had tremendous faith in me. He respected my potential and my work ethic and we grew to have a great relationship. I really respected him because he was so passionate. Through the years I’ve grown to love and respect him as a man . . . I’ll always remember John as a guy who wanted you to do your job and do it the right way. It’s going to be a tremendous loss to the football world, but an even bigger loss to humanity.”‘

‘The Butlers knew the end was coming. Tests Monday revealed lymphoma in John Butler’s body more aggressive than doctors had ever seen.’

‘”John was a tough guy,” Spanos was saying yesterday, “but he was a softie, too, especially when it came to his daughter. Andrea was the apple of his eye.”‘

‘Eight months after listing his Medfield home for $9 million, former New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe has yet to sell the house, and recently cut the price to $6.5 million.’

‘What I’ll remember about John Butler is that he was a man who seemed to care most about his family and his football team. And one who was predisposed to fight the good fight. No matter the arena.’

‘While teams like San Francisco and Dallas faded away, Buffalo continued to stay on top through the 1990s – largely because Butler and his scouts were able to replace aging veterans with talent acquired through the draft. There was Eric Moulds. And Reuben Brown. And Peerless Price, Antoine Winfield, Sam Cowart and Marcellus Wiley.’

Sad news for Bills fans as former GM John Butler has succumb to cancer. Butler, was diagnosed with cancer nine months ago was just 56 years old.

Charley Ferguson –

"John will be well missed. He was a good person for talent, a man who really did his job well, got along with the fans and the players and really helped to continue to turn things around here. He believed in the Alumni and was a strong Alumni supporter."

Orchard Park, NY – The Bills organization was saddened today by the news that former General Manager John Butler has passed away at the age of 56. Butler had been diagnosed with cancer last July and died of complications from the disease this morning.

A native of Illinois, Butler had several stops throughout the country during his career but spent 14 years – one quarter of his life – working for the Buffalo Bills.

‘Butler’s first-ever selection for Buffalo and his top choice in 1988 was running back Thurman Thomas, who was chosen in the second round after 27 teams passed on him. Buffalo’s top pick in 1989 wasn’t until the third round and Butler selected receiver Don Beebe, who played for six Super Bowl teams. Perennial Pro Bowl guard Ruben Brown, Pro Bowl receiver Eric Moulds, running back Antowain Smith and cornerback Antoine Winfield were also among Butler’s first-round picks in Buffalo.’

‘Butler’s NFL tenure spanned 18 seasons, including four in San Diego and 14 with Buffalo from 1987-2000, where he had a hand in making the Bills one of the NFL’s most-successful teams of the 1990s. Buffalo went to the playoffs 10 times and had a 140-83 (.628) record during his time with the team, second only to San Francisco’s 156-67 (.699) record during that period.’

‘Chargers General Manager John Butler, who was diagnosed with cancer last July, died of complications from the disease on Friday morning. He was 56.’

Talk about your memories of Mr. Butler on The Stadium Wall.