[3][4] Recruited out of Ware Shoals high school, Jerry Butler played in one game during the 1975 season for the Clemson Tigers.
Despite Clemson having a losing record and being at the bottom of the ACC standings, the Tigers did have star players that would go on to the pros.
In his sophomore season, Butler was catching passes from quarterback Steve Fuller and was part of a receiving core that included Joey Walters and Dwight Clark.
Clemson improved under Pell, and finally, Butler was part of a winning college football program.
This was the game in which Tigers linebacker Charlie Baumann intercepted an errant Art Schlichter pass, and later punched by Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes.
The score was 24–20 when South Carolina quarterback Ron Bass found Phil Logan on a 4th and 10 play that results in a 40-yard touchdown strike and a Gamecocks 27–24 lead.
Fuller released the awkward pass, which was hauled in by Butler, who'd make a twisting leap for the ball.
In his rookie season, Butler caught 48 passes for 834 yards and four touchdowns as the Bills, led by head coach Chuck Knox finished 7–9.
Though the season ended in a divisional playoff loss to the San Diego Chargers, Butler was named to his first and only Pro Bowl.
Midway through the 1986 season, Hank Bullough was fired as head coach, and replaced by Marv Levy.
On November 16, 1986, Butler caught a touchdown pass from Bills quarterback Jim Kelly, but came down wrong on his ankle, and shattered it.
[10] In 2019, Butler won the Brian Dawkins Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors former Clemson players for their leadership not just on the field, but in the community as well.