Butch Woolfolk

Harold E. "Butch" Woolfolk (born March 1, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a running back and kick returner in the National Football League (NFL).

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Woolfolk attended Eastridge High School in Kankakee, Illinois in the 1976–1977 school year.

He moved with his family to Westfield, New Jersey, where he was a multi-sport star at Westfield High School.

In 1977, Woolfolk was first-team All-State in American football and set Westfield High School season records with 1,637 yards rushing, 34 touchdowns and 206 points.

He also excelled in track and field, winning the State All-Group and International Prep Invitational 100 meter and 200 meter races.

He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines (1978–1981) before playing in the NFL for the New York Giants (1982–1984), Houston Oilers (1985–1986) and Detroit Lions (1987–1988).

Woolfolk attended Westfield Senior High School in Westfield, New Jersey.

Woolfolk led Michigan in rushing three straight years and set the school record with 3,850 rushing yards while playing for the Wolverines from 1978 to 1981.

He also ran the fastest boy's high school times in the nation in 1978.

He played college football at the University of Michigan (1978–1981) where he led the Wolverines in rushing three straight years, 1979, 1980, and 1981.

He finished his career as the school's all-time leading rusher with 3,861 yards, a record that was eclipsed six years later by Jamie Morris.

As a sophomore in 1979, he was the Big Ten Conference scoring champion, and he went on to become a three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection.

Woolfolk still holds the U-M record for the longest and third longest runs from scrimmage, a 92-yard run against Wisconsin in 1979, and an 89–yard gain against Wisconsin in 1981.

Woolfolk now ranks fifth in career rushing at U-M, as shown in the following chart:

He was named an All-American in 1980 and won nine Big Ten track and field championships both as an individual and relay race team member.

He continues to hold the Michigan outdoor 200-meter record.

He was also a member of relay teams that hold numerous U-M and Ferry Field all-time records.

Woolfolk played seven seasons in the NFL.

He had his best season as a senior at Michigan, winning the 1981 Big Ten rushing title and falling just 10 yards short of Rob Lytle's single-season rushing yards record.

He was also selected in 1981 as the Most Valuable Player of both the Rose Bowl played January 1, 1981, and the Bluebonnet Bowl played December 31, 1981, as well as the Wolverines' team MVP for the season.

Woolfolk also excelled in track.

He began the 1981 season with five consecutive 100-yard games, including a 253-yard effort.

Woolfolk's best game as a Wolverine was the October 10, 1981 contest against Michigan State.

The Wolverines beat the Spartans, 38-20, and Woolfolk rushed for 253 yards in 39 carries.

After the game, Coach Bo Schembechler said: "I wondered what a kid like that would do if he ran as much as the guy on the West Coast (Marcus Allen). I didn't plan on this, but he proved he can do it. Butch is going to be our all-time leading ground gainer. There isn't any way they're going to stop him now. And so be it."

His 1981 rushing performance against the Spartans still stands as the fifth best single-game performance by a Wolverine running back.

Woolfolk was named the Most Valuable Player in both of Michigan's two bowl game appearances in 1981.

During the January 1981 Rose Bowl, he gained 182 yards against Washington, and during the December 1981 Bluebonnet Bowl, in which he gained 186 yards against UCLA.

The hotel where the Wolverines team was staying was evacuated the night before the 1981 Rose Bowl game when a fire alarm was triggered at 2:30 a.m., and Woolfolk only had three hours of sleep that night.

He won the MVP award despite the lack of sleep, and after the game Woolfolk called the game his "greatest thrill in football."

Commenting on the MVP trophy, Woolfolk said: "If I could, I'd break this trophy into 95 pieces and hand it out to all the guys on the squad."

After winning his second MVP trophy in 1981's Bluebonnet Bowl, Woolfolk said: "I might look back in later years and notice that, but right now all I can think about is that I've worn a Michigan uniform for the last time."

Woolfolk's top ten games in a Michigan uniform are as follows:

During his four years at Michigan, Woolfolk had what one reporter described as "a strange love-hate relationship" with Coach Bo Schembechler.

As a rookie in 1982, he finished third in the NFL in all-purpose yards.

And in 1983, he set an NFL record with 43 rushing attempts in a single game.

Woolfolk was plagued with injuries during his NFL career and was able to play in 16 games only twice—in 1983 and 1985.

In both of those years, he accumulated at least 1,200 yards from scrimmage.

He also had seven 100-yard games—five receiving and two rushing.

He was also fifth in the NFL in receptions in 1985.