Dawgbeat 06/07/2007
KELLY BUTLER...just a nice guy
by Eric Brown
I had the opportunity to meet Kelly Butler at the Dive Bar in the Warehouse District on the night of the Ohio State Buckeyes National championship game. While I certainly want to forget that massacre, I will not ever forget Butler taking the time to talk with me and buy me a few drinks.
As my friend and I walked inside toward the bar and I gathered up my wallet to buy another round before the game, I looked up from my wallet and ran into a mountain of a person. As I realized that I had just run into someone much larger than I (and I'm about 6 foot 245), I prepared myself for what is common in today's bar scene when running into someone-a fight. But what I got was a pleasant "excuse me', as if my clumsiness were his fault. Being an avid Cleveland Browns fan and football fan in general I immediately recognized the wall I had run into, Kelly Butler. As I acknowledged Butler, he shook my hand and with a polite tone he said, hey how you doing man, you need a drink? Amazed at his easygoing attitude I could only mutter in the affirmative. Still in amazement I told Butler that I had followed his career and was extremely surprised and excited by his release from the Detroit Lions. As he looked at me with the eyes of a puzzled man, I explained that I believed he was an up and coming player and was absolutley looking forward to him manning the right tackle position for the Browns next season. He thanked me and bought me another drink. We talked for a few minutes, which surprised me because of the several beautiful women that lined the corridor of the table he was sitting at waiting to talk to him. I sat talking to my buddy in total shock at the demeanor and professionalism that Butler displayed while talking to me, and just then Butler did one better. On his way out he walked up to me, shook my hand, told me it was nice talking to me and bought me another drink. For the moment any feelings or misconceptions or stereotypes I had had of professional athletes left my mind.
Now today, Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Rep tells us of another nice deed ( http://www.cantonrep.com/printable.php?ID=358727) that Kelly Butler has done. It is really nice to see that some athletes are truly nice people. You may say to yourself, big deal, so what, but in a time when players are fighting dogs, pimping out women, and getting arrested at an alarming rate, isn't it nice to know your team has a player that is genuinely a nice guy.
I have high hopes for Kelly Butler, not just because he has shown acts of kindness, also because he is going to be a helluva right tackle for the Browns or someone else. Phil Savage, in my mind, has proven once again, by acquiring these type of football players and men, he gets it.