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(One of four in a series on the Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists with Steelers connections.)

It is said that defensive backs often choose between making a play on the football or making a play on the receiver. Jack Butler did both.

Described by former Pittsburgh Press sports editor Pat Livingston as “having the face of a choirboy and the heart of an arsonist,” Butler played nine seasons with the Steelers and recorded 52 interceptions in 103 games, and the guy who once studied to become a priest accomplished that in a most uncharitable way.

“The best pass defense is the respect of the receivers,” said Butler. “If they know they’re going to get hit as soon as they touch the ball, they’re not so relaxed catching it.”

On Saturday, Feb. 4, Jack Butler has a chance to be recognized as one of the greatest of the greats when the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2012 is announced as part of a 90-minute live show to be presented by NFL Network beginning at 5:30 p.m. EST.

Butler and Dick Stanfel were selected in August 2011 as senior candidates by the Hall of Fame’s Seniors Committee, which reviews the qualifications of players whose careers took place more than 25 years ago. Those two seniors candidates are in a pool with 15 modern-era finalists from which the Class of 2012 will be drawn. The modern-era finalists are Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown, Cris Carter, Dermontti Dawson, Edward DeBartolo Jr., Chris Doleman, Kevin Greene, Charles Haley, Cortez Kennedy, Curtis Martin, Bill Parcells, Andre Reed, Willie Roaf, Will Shields, and Aeneas Williams.

From this list of 17, between four and seven will be elected into the Class of 2012.

When Butler’s career ended, only Hall of Famers Dick “Night Train” Lane and Emlen Tunnell had more interceptions than him. Butler never played high school football, and only tried out for the sport at St. Bonaventure College as a lark. It was Father Dan Rooney, a priest at St. Bonaventure, who recommended Butler to his brother, who just happened to be Art Rooney Sr., the founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1951, the Steelers invited Butler in for a tryout.

“I thought, ‘Hey, this is a terrific way to spend my summer. I won’t make the team, but it will be a great way to pass the time,’” Butler recalled. “I never went back to school.”

The Steelers initially intended to use Butler as an undersized defensive end, but injuries in the secondary led the team to try him at cornerback. At 6-foot-1 and about 200 pounds, he was a natural at his new position, and he was even better later in his career when he was moved to safety. In the final game of the 1953 season, Butler intercepted Redskins quarterback Eddie LeBaron four times to tie an NFL record that still stands. In the fourth quarter, he returned the last one 5 yards for the winning touchdown in a 14-13 victory.

“The Rooneys have always had an uncanny knack for knowing just the right touch when it comes to relationships,” said Butler. “The Chief would come to practices and come into the locker room and make you feel like he really cared about you. At the same time, he never got too close to compromise his responsibility as an owner. Dan was the same way. Some owners are meddlesome, some are too remote. The Rooneys understood the fine line and maintained the perfect distance.”

During the early portion of his nine seasons with the Steelers, Butler also played some offense as a receiver, and his career included seven catches for 102 yards with one touchdown. The most playing time Butler saw on offense came in 1952-53, when he also totaled 16 interceptions. Back then, an NFL season was 12 games.

Said Dan Rooney, “Jack was one player who could have played with the great Steelers teams of the 1970s.”