Bombers man-mountain defensive lineman stands 6-5 weighs in at 320 pounds

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This article was published 28/05/2016 (3400 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s hard to believe, looking at the man, that Rupert Butcher started out playing hockey in southern Ontario.

In fact, until he moved to London, Ont., for high school, he didn’t know much at all about the game of football. It wasn’t until the summer between his Grade 10 and 11 years he really began to play the sport.

A mammoth of a man, the 6-5, 320-pound Butcher has excelled with his size. He’s a defensive lineman by trade, but has the size of an offensive lineman. For what it’s worth, he even looks a little like former Winnipeg Blue Bombers hog Glenn January, but the defensive side of the ball offers him something he covets: hitting people.

“I played hockey when I was younger, I love contact sports,” Butcher said. “Being able to run and hit people, just solid hitting, I loved it. It’s a great sport.”

Butcher played his college ball for the Western Ontario Mustangs. It was there he cut his teeth, spending three years behind future CFLers Daryl Waud and Rory Connop. It wasn’t until his fourth year he had a starting gig.

He made his biggest gains in the off-season when he trained with Vaughn Martin, a fellow Western alum who played in the NFL and is now with the Montreal Alouettes. There, he began to see significant progress as a player.

“It finally all clicked together,” he said. “I was able to change my technique and put it all together and shine at the (CFL) combine (earlier this spring). My highlight tape during the regular season, there wasn’t much there to show, so I had to have a big combine.”

He impressed the Bombers and they took him in the sixth round of the draft.

“You don’t find too many humans like that, he’s a very large man,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea. “Coach (Todd) Howard will get him working on using the techniques he needs to use to improve. He’ll add a few things to his repertoire. He’s a little bit raw, but I don’t know if he’s ever had to be as (versatile) with the stuff he had to do.

“There’s lots to like about Rupert Butcher.”

With three days of rookie camp in the books, Butcher said he was able to shake the rust off and establish himself.

Heading into main camp, which begins Sunday, improvement is the name of the game.

“It’s the biggest thing that I have to show,” he said. “I need to show that I’m fast enough to play with these guys at my weight. I need to show that I’m physical enough to do the job they want me to do.”

If losing weight were one of those requirements, Butcher would be happy to shed a few pounds.

“Most definitely,” he said. “I came in a little heavy, so I’m hoping to cut down to 300 or at least 315. Any lost weight is good weight to lose.”

Scott.billeck@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @scottbilleck

Scott Billeck
Reporter

Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024.  Read more about Scott.

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