1. Leonard Bernard "Butch" or "Len" Levy was an American football player, amateur wrestler, and professional wrestler.
23 Facts About Butch Levy
1. 2.
Butch Levy instead enlisted in the United States Navy and played for one of that branch's organized military service teams, the Great Lakes Bluejackets.
3.
Butch Levy was born to Abraham Butch Levy and Rose Shapiro on February 19,1921, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
4.
Butch Levy attended West High School in Minneapolis, where he won a total of twelve letters in wrestling, football, baseball and hockey.
5.
Butch Levy was the 1937 and 1938 Minnesota high school and Northwest AAU heavyweight wrestling champion.
6.
Butch Levy played football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers from 1939 to 1941.
7.
Butch Levy garnered All-Big Ten first-team recognition from the Associated Press in his senior year in 1941.
8.
Butch Levy was named to the Chicago College All-Star Game in 1942.
9.
Butch Levy participated in collegiate wrestling, winning the NCAA heavyweight championship in 1941, becoming the first Golden Gopher to do so and earned All-American honors the same year.
10.
Butch Levy won the AAU heavyweight championship in wrestling in 1942.
11.
Butch Levy lettered in baseball for the Golden Gophers in 1942.
12.
Butch Levy was inducted into the University of Minnesota's "M" Club Hall of Fame in 1994.
13.
Butch Levy was selected by the Cleveland Rams of the NFL with the 27th pick in the 1942 NFL draft.
14.
Butch Levy then spent three years in the United States Navy during World War II.
15.
Butch Levy played in seven games for the Rams during the 1945 season.
16.
Butch Levy then played in 25 games for the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference from 1947 to 1948, earning All-AAFC first-team honors in his final year.
17.
Butch Levy retired from professional football at the end of the 1948 season.
18.
Butch Levy was a two-time NWA World Tag Team champion, first with Verne Gagne and later with Leo Nomellini, both of whom played for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
19.
Butch Levy met amateur wrestler Pat O'Connor from New Zealand during a wrestling tour in Pat's home country in 1950.
20.
Butch Levy married Loretta "Lucky" Bellson in January 1944 and they had three children.
21.
Butch Levy worked in his father's plumbing business before selling it in the late 1960s and becoming an insurance agent for Bankers Life.
22.
Butch Levy became a stockbroker in the 1970s and later worked for Piper Jaffray.
23.
Butch Levy died of cancer on February 9,1999, at his home in Minneapolis.