Luke Butkus
{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1979)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Luke Butkus
| image =
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| current_team = Green Bay Packers
| position = Offensive line coach
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|6|26|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Steger, Illinois, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft =
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| high_school = Bloom Trail
(Chicago Heights, Illinois)
| college = Illinois
| undraftedyear = 2002
| pastteams =
- Chicago Bears (2002)*
- San Diego Chargers ({{NFL year|2002|2003}})*
- Rhein Fire (2003)
- Cologne Centurions (2004)
- Houston Texans ({{NFL year|2004}})*{{cite web |title=Luke Butkus |url=https://www.prosportstransactions.com/football/Search/SearchResults.php?Player=Luke+Butkus&Team=&BeginDate=&EndDate=&PlayerMovementChkBx=yes&ILChkBx=yes&NBADLChkBx=yes&InjuriesChkBx=yes&PersonalChkBx=yes&DisciplinaryChkBx=yes&LegalChkBx=yes&submit=Search |website=Pro Sports Transactions}}
| pastcoaching =
- Oregon (2005–2006)
Graduate assistant - Chicago Bears ({{nfly|2007}}–{{nfly|2009}})
Offensive assistant & assistant offensive line coach - Seattle Seahawks ({{nfly|2010}}–{{nfly|2011}})
Offensive quality control & offensive line coach - Illinois (2012)
Offensive line coach - Jacksonville Jaguars ({{nfly|2013}}–{{nfly|2015}})
Assistant offensive line coach - Illinois (2016–2018)
Offensive line coach - Green Bay Packers ({{nfly|2019}}–{{nfly|2021}})
Assistant offensive line coach - Green Bay Packers ({{nfly|2022}}–present)
Offensive line coach
| highlights =
- Third-team All-American (2001)
- Second-team All-Big Ten (2001)
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Lucas J. Butkus (born June 26, 1979) is an American football coach and former center who is the offensive line coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the Illinois Fighting Illini, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks and the Oregon Ducks.
Butkus played college football at the University of Illinois and was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He has also played for the Rhein Fire, San Diego Chargers and Cologne Centurions.
Playing career
He attended training camp with the Bears in 2002 and the San Diego Chargers in 2003. Butkus also played center for the Rhein Fire (2003) and Cologne Centurions (2004) of NFL Europe. He attended Bloom Trail High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois and the University of Illinois.
Coaching career
=Oregon=
In 2005, Butkus began his coaching career at the University of Oregon as a graduate assistant coach. He would serve in this position until 2006.
=Chicago Bears=
In 2007, Butkus was hired by the Chicago Bears as an offensive assistant and assistant offensive line coach under head coach Lovie Smith.
While the announcement that the tenure of quality control coaches Butkus and Charles London would end came on the same day as the public learned that several Bears' offensive coaches would be fired, leading to speculation that London and Butkus were fired for performance issues, the team would later clarify that the quality control coaches were signed to contracts set to expire after the 2009/10 season, regardless of the team's final standing.{{Cite web|url=http://www.chicagobears.com/news/ChalkTalkStory.asp?story_id=6476|title = News | Chicago Bears Official Website}}
=Seattle Seahawks=
On February 1, 2010, Butkus was hired by the Seattle Seahawks as their assistant offensive line coach under head coach Pete Carroll.{{cite web | url=http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/01/former-bears-assistants-land-nfl-jobs.html | title=Former Bears assistants land NFL jobs| date=4 August 2023}}
=Illinois=
In 2012, joined his alma mater, the University of Illinois under head coach Tim Beckman.
=Jacksonville Jaguars=
In 2013, Butkus was hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars as their assistant offensive line coach under head coach Gus Bradley.
=Illinois (second stint)=
In 2016, Butkus returned to the University of Illinois as their offensive line coach, reuniting with head coach Lovie Smith.{{cite web |url= https://www.espn.com/chicago/ncf/story/_/id/7421269/illinois-hired-jon-tenuta-defensive-coordinator-assistant-coaches-luke-butkus-chris-beatty | publisher= ESPN |date=January 3, 2016 | title=Illinois hires John Tenuta to lead defense |quote=Luke Butkus returns to his alma mater for his second stint as offensive line coach at the University of Illinois in 2016.}}{{cite magazine|last1=Evans|first1=Thayer|title=Jaguars' Luke Butkus will be new offensive line coach at Illinois|url=https://www.si.com/college-football/2016/03/08/luke-butkus-joining-illinois-lovie-smith-jacksonville-jaguars|accessdate=June 23, 2017|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=March 8, 2016}}
=Green Bay Packers=
On February 7, 2019, Butkus was hired by the Green Bay Packers as their assistant offensive line coach under head coach Matt LaFleur.{{cite web |title=Packers name Luke Butkus assistant offensive line coach |url=https://www.packers.com/news/packers-name-luke-butkus-assistant-offensive-line-coach |website=www.packers.com |accessdate=February 19, 2019 |date=February 7, 2019}}
On January 30, 2022, Butkus was promoted to offensive line coach following Adam Stenavich's promotion to offensive coordinator.{{cite news|last1=Silverstein|first1=Tom|title=Green Bay Packers reward Adam Stenavich with promotion to offensive coordinator|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2022/01/31/green-bay-packers-promote-adam-stenavich-offensive-coordinator/9247943002|work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|date=January 31, 2022|access-date=January 31, 2022}}
Personal life
Butkus is the nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus.{{cite news|last1=Reinmuth|first1=Gary|title=Doing uncle proud|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2001/11/02/luke-butkus-possesses-the-football-toughness-of-his-uncle-dick-the-illini-and-bears-great-but-hes-also-very-much-his-own-man/|access-date=June 23, 2017|work=Chicago Tribune|date=November 2, 2001}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.packers.com/team/coaches-roster/luke-butkus Green Bay Packers bio]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100313170016/http://www.seahawks.com/team/coaches/luke-butkus/5c1a5792-b19b-4b65-9b27-f6ec7bf5f3af Seattle Seahawks profile]
{{NFL offensive line coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butkus, Luke}}
Category:American football centers
Category:American people of Lithuanian descent
Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Germany
Category:Chicago Bears coaches
Category:Chicago Bears players
Category:Cologne Centurions (NFL Europe) players
Category:Green Bay Packers coaches
Category:Illinois Fighting Illini football coaches
Category:Illinois Fighting Illini football players
Category:Jacksonville Jaguars coaches
Category:Oregon Ducks football coaches
Category:People from Steger, Illinois
Category:San Diego Chargers players
Category:Seattle Seahawks coaches
Category:Players of American football from Cook County, Illinois