Wabash College Athletics

Native son of Trafalgar, Indiana and star five-sport athlete at Indian Creek High School, you came to Wabash in the fall of 1986 and graduated as the most prolific passer in Wabash College history. You focused on football at Wabash as a four-year letterman, but not before earning a pair of letters for Mac Petty’s basketball team. It was, however, your size and passing ability that led Coach Greg Carlson to completely transform his offensive attack for the Little Giant football team. Gone were twin running backs and the long-standing, traditional “run first” mentality. With you at the helm of the 1989 Little Giants, Coach Carlson broke the offense wide open.  From that very first game, a stunning 20-17 win at Albion, through the first four games of the 1989 season, you had Wabash flying high and nationally ranked with a 4-0 record. You burned Albion for 273 yards and three touchdowns, scorched Hope for 345 yards and five touchdowns, and were in complete control of the complex offense. You lost two of your top three receivers in the Franklin game, but continued to put up gaudy numbers.  You broke Dave Harvey’s 1977 single game record with 399 yards and five touchdowns against Franklin; tied that mark with another 399 yards and four scores in a road win at Carroll, and tacked on 300-yard games against Tiffin and Olivet Nazarene. By season’s end you had shattered every single game and single season passing record in the books: 227 completions, 2,683 yards, and 29 touchdowns, all of which ranked in the top-five in the nation. 
You were named captain and Most Valuable Player of your team and were named to the Pizza Hut All-America Second Team. You even helped your primary target and fellow Hall of Famer, Mike Funk, become an All-American that same year. For single handedly transforming Wabash’s offense, and for passing so brilliantly amid injuries and blitzing defenses, the National Association of Wabash Men is pleased to induct you, Brett D. Butler, into the Wabash College Athletic Hall of Fame.