Hakeem Butler

Hakeem Butler (born May 16, 1996) is an American football wide receiver for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Iowa State, and was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, BC Lions, Edmonton Elks and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Early life
Butler was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 16, 1996. His mother, Sherryl, died from breast cancer when Butler was 16. He has 1 sister and a younger brother. He then moved to Houston, Texas, to live with his aunt and uncle, and his cousins Aaron and Andrew Harrison, former Kentucky basketball stars. Butler attended Travis High School in Fort Bend, Texas. He committed to Iowa State University to play college football, choosing it over schools such as New Mexico and Houston.

College career
After redshirting his first year at Iowa State in 2015, Butler played in 11 games in 2016 and had nine receptions for 134 yards and two touchdowns. As a sophomore in 2017, he had 41 receptions for 697 yards and seven touchdowns. As a junior in 2018, he had 60 receptions for 1,318 yards and nine touchdowns, breaking a school record for single season receiving yards. After the season, Butler decided to forgo his senior year and enter the 2019 NFL Draft.

Arizona Cardinals
Butler was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round (103rd overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft. He was placed on injured reserve on August 25, 2019, after suffering a broken hand, causing him to miss his entire rookie season.

On September 4, 2020, Butler was waived by the Cardinals.

Carolina Panthers
On September 18, 2020, Butler was signed to the practice squad of the Carolina Panthers.

Philadelphia Eagles
On September 29, 2020, Butler was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles active roster off the Panthers practice squad and converted to tight end. He was waived on October 31, 2020, and re-signed to the practice squad two days later. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Eagles on January 4, 2021. He was waived on August 23, 2021.

BC Lions
On February 22, 2022, Butler signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was released in early round of cuts at training camp on May 23, 2022.

Edmonton Elks
Butler was signed by the Edmonton Elks of the CFL on July 5, 2022, and placed on the team's practice roster. He was released on August 16, 2022.

St. Louis Battlehawks (first stint)
On January 1, 2023, Butler was selected by the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL in the fifth round of the 2023 XFL Supplemental Draft. At the completion of the season for the BattleHawks, Butler made 51 receptions for 599 yards and eight touchdowns. He was released from his contract on May 15, 2023.

Pittsburgh Steelers
On May 16, 2023, Butler signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was waived/injured on August 21, 2023 and then reverted to injured reserve. He was released on August 25, 2023.

St. Louis Battlehawks (second stint)
On December 4, 2023, Butler re-signed with the Battlehawks. He was named to the 2024 All-UFL team on June 5, 2024.