Former NFL All-Pro linebacker Isiah "Butch" Robertson was killed in a car crash southeast of Dallas on Thursday night, the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed to NFL.com. He was 69.
Robertson, who played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1971-78 before ending his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, died in a three-car crash near the town of Mabank, Texas.
According to Lt. Lonny Haschel of the Texas Dept. of Public Safety, a preliminary investigation revealed Robertson was driving a limousine in the rain at an unsafe speed around a curve before skidding and coming to a rest partially in the roadway. A truck struck the limo and pushed it into an oncoming traffic lane, where it was struck again by another vehicle.
Authorities didn't provide updates on the conditions of the other individuals involved in the crash, which remains under investigation. Haschel said the crash occurred a short time after Robertson was speaking at a high school football banquet nearby. The crash also was just miles away from a drug and alcohol treatment center Robertson founded in Mabank.
A four-time All-Pro selection and a six-time Pro Bowler, Robertson was selected 10th overall by the Rams in the 1971 NFL Draft. He played in 111 games for the Rams, recording 25 interceptions, per Pro Football Reference. He also played a big role in helping Los Angeles win six straight NFC West titles from 1973-78. He played four seasons with the Bills before retiring after the 1982 season.
Robertson, who attended Southern University from 1967-70, was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
