John Butler (defensive back)

John Bulter
No. 29
PositionDefensive back
Personal information
Born (1965-04-13) April 13, 1965
San Diego, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High schoolPalos Verdes Peninsula
CollegePrincipia
Career history
Stats at Pro Football Reference

John Damon Butler (born April 13, 1965) is an American former football defensive back[A] in the National Football League (NFL) who played for the San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at Principia College.[5]

College career

Butler played college football at Principia college where he would make the All-Conference as a safety in the Illini–Badger Football Conference in 1985 and 1986.[6]

Professional career

Butler's performances gained the attention of multiple professional football teams, he would sign with the San Francisco 49ers as a free agent becoming the first player from Principia to play in the NFL.[6] Butler would play 1 season for the 49ers, playing 3 games in the 1987 NFL season though he would never record a tackle.[7][8]

Notes

  1. ^ Some sources list him as a defensive back,[1][2][3] while some list him as a safety[4]

References

  1. ^ "John Butler". Statmuse.
  2. ^ "John Butler Stats". The Football Database.
  3. ^ "John Butler". NFL.com.
  4. ^ "49ers ALL-TIME ROSTER" (PDF).
  5. ^ "John Butler Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "John Butler (C'87) - Principia Alumni and Friends". www.principiaalumni.org. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  7. ^ "NFL.com | Official Site of the National Football League". NFL.com. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  8. ^ "John Butler - San Francisco 49ers Defensive Back". StatMuse. Retrieved March 10, 2026.