On the Steelers: '12 class doubly meaningful for Donahoe
Sunday, February 26, 2012
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
It's rare when two men who played their entire football careers with one team enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame together. It's even more unusual for someone like Tom Donahoe, who has such a connection to each.
Former Steelers Jack Butler and Dermontti Dawson earned election to the Hall's Class of 2012, and Donahoe had more than a rooting interest in seeing both make it.
Butler gave Donahoe his first job in the NFL as a scout with the Blesto combine in 1984. Donahoe was part of the Steelers personnel team that drafted Dawson on the second round in 1988.
"People overuse the word 'unique,' but Jack Butler is unique," said Donahoe, who rose to become the Steelers director of football operations and later became president and general manager of the Buffalo Bills. "He's one of the most selfless, ego-less guys I've ever had the privilege of working with in football."
Butler was elected to the Hall for his playing career, which spanned the seasons of 1951-59, as a cornerback with the Steelers. His career -- and nearly his life -- ended abruptly at Forbes Field because of a severe knee injury. He tried coaching and scouting, then was hired as the head of the Blesto scouting combine, which provides information to the Steelers and other teams in the league.
Butler hired Donahoe, then a high school coach and teacher, as a scout after a recommendation from then-Steelers personnel head Art Rooney Jr., who hired local high school coaches in the summer to evaluate pro players for him on film.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12057/1212761-66-0.stm?cmpid=steelers.xml#ixzz1nTD7Q6TC
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