'Lambeau Leap' turns 30: Butler's spontaneous celebration lives on
Hall of Famer LeRoy Butler celebrates with fans on Nov. 17, 2022. Butler's name was added to the Packers' Ring of Honor. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
GREEN BAY, Wis. - A Green Bay Packers tradition, now one of the most iconic celebrations in sports, first took to the air 30 years ago on Tuesday, Dec. 26.
As the Packers hosted the Raiders on Dec. 26, 1993 with a playoff berth in the balance, safety LeRoy Butler scored a defensive touchdown and leaped into the Lambeau Field crowd. The spontaneous celebration now known as the "Lambeau Leap" was created.
"We're the only team that can say, that not only do we love our fans on paper," Butler said in 2022, "but we love them in person as well – and that's what the Leap stands for."
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The Packers won the game 28-0. With the victory, according to Packers.com, the team clinched its first playoff berth in 11 years – sparking a string of success dotted with 22 playoff appearances over 30 years and two Super Bowl titles.
The Lambeau Leap was also the most indelible play of Butler's career, which culminated in 2022 with induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Butler played his entire 12-season career in Green Bay, earning four All-Pro honors and four Pro Bowl nods. He was a member of the NFL's All-1990s team and a Super Bowl XXXI champion.
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