BENWOOD — He played fullback for Woody Hayes at Ohio State. That is all you need to know on how good a football player Bob Butts was.

The Benwood Union High legend was not just a great gridder. He was also a successful coach, teacher and school administrator. Most of all, Butts was a devoted family man.

Butts died Saturday. He was 75.

The 6-1, 220-pounder lettered as a sophomore for Ohio State, playing center. Woody opted to move him to fullback his last two years where he rotated with two others.

As a senior, Butts carried 72 times for 310 yards and three touchdowns. His quality play earned him a spot in the Blue-Gray All-Star Game.

After picking up his Ohio State diploma, Butts continued his playing career professionally with the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets.

He then brought his grid skills back to the Ohio Valley, starring for the Wheeling Ironmen for three seasons (1963-65) as a fullback and kicker. He led the squad to a 9-4 record in his first season, leading the team in scoring with 72 points.

For his career, he carried 198 times for 771 yards and 15 TDs.

He landed his first head football coaching position in 1964, taking the reins at Cadiz. He led the Cardinals to 8-2 and 5-5 campaigns before taking the head coaching duties at Woodsfield.

Butts guided the Redskins for five seasons before moving on to become Union Local’s head coach for three seasons. He was replaced at Woodsfield by Jay Circosta. Butts opted to yield coaching duties with the Jets to become a school administrator, eventually becoming superintendent of the Union Local School District.

Jake Olsavsky — who enjoyed a stellar coaching career at Brilliant, Bellaire and Union Local, knew Butts quite well as an opponent, teammate and boss.

“Bob was a great football player. I played against him college when I was at Indiana and he was at Ohio State. Then we played together with the Ironmen,” Olsavsky said. “He was super when I coached at Union Local. He was very supportive as superintendent.

“I coached his boys at Union Local. They were good players and class acts,” he added. “Bob was a really, really nice guy.”

Former Martins Ferry High and Purdue football great Dan McGrew also forged a close friendship through football with Butts.

“Bob was a very good college player. After Ohio State he played for the Browns and Jets. We played together with the Ironmen. He was tough but soft-spoken,” McGrew said. “He maintained a great relationship with his Ohio State and Ironmen teammates.

“Bob was great as a coach as well as a superintendent of schools,” the former Buffalo Bill added. “He was very unassuming and a great family man. You would have to go a long way to find a better person than Bob Butts.”

Butts was a three-sport star at Benwood Union. He was a three-year starter at fullback and linebacker in football. As a senior he was first team all-state Class AA and first team All-Valley Big School.

He was also a three-year regular in basketball, leading the Ironmen to a 16-6 mark as a senior. That season he was named first team all-OVAC Class 2A.

Butts used his athleticism in track as well, distinguishing himself as one of the Ohio Valley’s top high jumpers.

Butts is survived by his wife Joyce and children Robert Jr., Darleen, Ronald and Doug.