James Butler (running back)
{{Short description|American gridiron football player (born 1995)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox CFL biography
| name = James Butler
| team = BC Lions
| image = 2022, 24, James Butler.jpg
| image_upright = 1
| caption = Butler with the BC Lions in 2022
| status = Active
| import = yes
| position1 = Running back
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1995|02|19}}
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| number = 20
| college = Iowa
Nevada, Reno
| high_school = Bartlett High
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 9
| weight_lbs = 210
| NFLDraftedYear = 2018
| NFLDraftedRound = Undrafted
| playing_years1 = {{NFL Year|2018|}}
| playing_team1 = Oakland Raiders*
| playing_years2 = {{CFL Year|2019}}
| playing_team2 = Saskatchewan Roughriders*
| playing_years3 = {{NFL Year|2019}}
| playing_team3 = Oakland Raiders*
| playing_years4 = {{XFL Year|2020}}
| playing_team4 = Houston Roughnecks
| playing_years5 = {{CFL Year|2021|2022}}
| playing_team5 = BC Lions
| playing_years6 = {{CFL Year|2023|2024}}
| playing_team6 = Hamilton Tiger-Cats
| playing_years7 = {{CFL Year|2025}}–present
| playing_team7 = BC Lions
| career_footnotes =
| career_highlights =
| statweek =
| statlabel1 = Rushing yards
| statvalue1 = 3,195
| statlabel2 = Rushing average
| statvalue2 = 4.9
| statlabel3 = Rushing touchdowns
| statvalue3 = 18
| statlabel4 = Receptions
| statvalue4 = 189
| statlabel5 = Receiving yards
| statvalue5 = 1,526
| statlabel6 = Receiving touchdowns
| statvalue6 = 7
| CFL = james-butler-2/164855/
}}
James Jeremy Butler III (born February 19, 1995) is an American professional football running back for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
College career
Butler played college football for the Nevada Wolf Pack from 2014 to 2016.{{cite web|url=https://nevadawolfpack.com/sports/football/roster/james-butler/399 |title=James Butler |publisher=Nevada Wolf Pack |access-date=June 11, 2022}} He then transferred to the University of Iowa for his senior year where he played for the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2017.{{cite web|url=https://hawkeyesports.com/roster/james-butler/ |title=James Butler |publisher=Iowa Hawkeyes |access-date=June 11, 2022}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 5
| height in = 8 3/8
| weight = 209
| dash = 4.58
| ten split = 1.62
| twenty split = 2.69
| shuttle = 4.49
| cone drill = 6.91
| vertical = 35.5
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 6
| bench = 20
| arm span = 29 5/8
| hand span = 8 3/4
| note = All values from Pro Day{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1006986&DraftYear=2018 |title=James Butler College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=October 23, 2024}}{{Cite web |title=Iowa Pro Day Results |url=https://iowa.rivals.com/news/iowa-pro-day-results-2 |access-date=October 23, 2024 |website=Iowa.Rivals.com}}
}}
= Oakland Raiders (first stint)=
While eligible for 2018 NFL draft, Butler was not drafted and did not immediately sign with any National Football League (NFL) team. However, after attending mini-camp with the Oakland Raiders in May 2020, he signed with the team on July 30, 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.raiders.com/news/oakland-raiders-sign-running-back-james-butler |title=Oakland Raiders sign running back James Butler |publisher=Oakland Raiders |date=July 30, 2018}} He was released during training camp, but spent the 2018 season on the practice roster.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/raiders/raiders-sign-running-back-james-butler-waive-chris-warren-iii |title=Raiders sign running back James Butler, waive Chris Warren III |publisher=NBC Sports |date=July 28, 2019}} After re-signing with the team in January 2019, he was waived on April 30, 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.raiders.com/news/oakland-raiders-announce-transactions-4-30-2019 |title=Oakland Raiders announce transactions - 4.30.19 |publisher=Oakland Raider |date=April 30, 2019}}
= Saskatchewan Roughriders =
On May 13, 2019, Butler signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.{{cite web|url=https://www.riderville.com/2019/05/13/rb-james-butler-signs-riders/ |title=Oakland Raiders announce transactions - 4.30.19 |publisher=Oakland Raiders |date=May 13, 2019}} However, he was released at the conclusion of the team's 2019 training camp on June 8, 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/transactions/2019/ |title=Transactions – Football player trades and signings |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=June 11, 2022}}
= Oakland Raiders (second stint) =
On July 28, 2019, Butler re-signed with the Raiders. He spent time on the team's practice roster again and did not dress in a regular season game. He was not re-signed at the end of the season.
= Houston Roughnecks =
Butler signed with the Houston Roughnecks on January 19, 2020.{{cite web|url=https://xflboard.com/news/running-back-james-butler-is-picked-up-by-the-xfl-houston-roughnecks/ |title=Running Back James Butler is picked up by the XFL Houston Roughnecks |publisher=XFLBoard.com |date=January 19, 2020}} He made his professional debut in 2020 with the Roughnecks where he had 46 carries for 221 yards and four touchdowns with another 11 catches for 42 yards and a receiving touchdown. He had his contract terminated when the XFL suspended operations on April 10, 2020.{{cite news |author=Condotta, Bob |title=XFL suspends operations, terminates all employees, but Jim Zorn says he has hopes league will continue |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/xfl-suspends-operations-terminates-all-employees/ |website=SeattleTimes.com |date=April 10, 2020}}
= BC Lions (first stint)=
With both the CFL and XFL not playing for the rest of 2020, Butler signed a contract with the BC Lions on December 10, 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.bclions.com/2020/12/10/lions-sign-rb-butler-ol-norman-2021-roster/ |title=Lions sign RB Butler and OL Norman to 2021 roster |publisher=BC Lions |date=December 10, 2020}} He made his CFL debut in week 1 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on August 6, 2021, where he had eight rush attempts for 24 yards and four catches for 32 yards and a touchdown. He played in 11 regular season games where he had 101 carries for 497 yards and two touchdowns and 39 receptions for 243 yards and one touchdown.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/players/james-butler/164855/ |title=James Butler |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=June 11, 2022}}
In Butler's 2022 CFL season debut on June 11, 2022, against the Edmonton Elks, he scored four touchdowns, tying Geroy Simon and seven other BC Lions players for the club record for most touchdowns scored in a game.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/games/6214/edmonton-elks-vs-bc-lions/ |title=Rourke, Butler feast in Lions' season opener |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=June 11, 2022}} He played in 17 regular season games where he had 210 carries for 1,060 yards and seven touchdowns along with 53 receptions for 384 yards and four receiving touchdowns. He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 14, 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/transactions/2023/ |title=Transactions – Football player trades and signings |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=February 15, 2023}}
=Hamilton Tiger-Cats=
On February 15, 2023, it was announced that Butler had signed a two-year contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.{{cite web|url=https://ticats.ca/article/running-back-butler-signs-two-year-deal-with-tiger-cats |title=Running back Butler signs two-year deal with Tiger-Cats |publisher=Hamilton Tiger-Cats |date=February 15, 2023}} In 2023, he played in 17 regular season games where he recorded 235 carries for 1,116 yards with seven touchdowns and 61 receptions for 527 yards with one touchdown.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/players/james-butler-2/164855/ |title=James Butler |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=January 9, 2025}} In the 2024 season, he began the season as the starter, but was eventually replaced by Greg Bell. Butler played in 11 regular season games where he had 110 rush attempts for 522 yards and two touchdowns along with 45 receptions for 372 yards and one receiving touchdown. As a pending free agent, he was released early on January 9, 2025.{{cite web|url=https://www.ticats.ca/2025/01/09/tiger-cats-add-two-defensive-linemen/ |title=Tiger-cats Add Two Defensive Linemen |publisher=Hamilton Tiger-Cats |date=January 9, 2025}}
= BC Lions (second stint)=
On the same day as his release from the Tiger-Cats, Butler re-signed with the BC Lions on January 9, 2025.{{cite web|url=https://www.bclions.com/2025/01/09/running-back-james-butler-returns-to-lions/ |title=Running back James Butler returns to Lions |publisher=BC Lions |date=January 9, 2025}}
Personal life
Butler was born in Chicago, Illinois to parents Cornelia William and James Butler Jr.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2022/03/15/getting-to-know-lions-rb-james-butler/ |title=Getting to know Lions RB James Butler |publisher=BC Lions |date=March 15, 2022}}
He also runs a YouTube channel, Kicking It With JB.{{cite web|url=https://youtube.com/@kickingitwithjb |title=Kicking It With JB | website=YouTube}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.bclions.com/players/james-butler-2/164855/ BC Lions bio]
- {{commonscatinline}}
{{BC Lions roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, James}}
Category:American football running backs
Category:Canadian football running backs
Category:Hamilton Tiger-Cats players
Category:Iowa Hawkeyes football players
Category:Nevada Wolf Pack football players
Category:Oakland Raiders players
Category:Players of American football from Illinois
Category:Saskatchewan Roughriders players