DETROIT (WWJ) - Michigan Panthers star and former Spartan cornerback Josh Butler is headed to the NFL -- and yes, Roxie and Remi are going, too.
The 6-foot-0 and 182 pounds Texas native is heading back to his home state with the Dallas Cowboys singing Butler, 26, to their training camp roster. The deal throws Butler into the running for the top CB position.
Butler previously spent five seasons with Michigan State University, signing to the team as part of the Spartans' 2015 recruiting glass that included a redshirt freshman season.
He appeared in 43 games with 16 starts for the next four seasons, as stated by his MSU player profile, and had 54 career tackles (35 solo) and 11 career pass deflections, adding 3.5 TFLs and 1.0 sack.
Butler became the center of national news when a viral video of his two dogs, Roxy and Remi, ran out on the field with him during MSU's Senior Day in 2019.
It is tradition for college football seniors to walk out on the field with their parents before the last game of the colligate career, but Butler had lost both of his parents.
Butler’s father, Steven, died November 2017, not a few hours before the Spartans took on Penn State. In April 2019, his mother, Ladrida Bagley, died after being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, the Lansing State Journal reported.
In between his parents' deaths, Butler adopted Roxy and Remi, sister boxer-pit bull mixes and they ensured that Butler did not walk into Spartan Stadium alone.
Butler and his dogs won the hearts of Americans overnight, with Roxy and Remi becoming instant social media stars. Their Instagram account often shows the pair decked out in Spartan gear and their travels around the country.
Butler graduated with a bachelor’s degree in media and information in December 2018 and earned a master’s degree in media information in December 2019.
He went undrafted and moved to L.A. and took up acting, all the while keeping his football dreams alive. In March 2023, he returned to Michigan after signing with the USFL's Michigan Panthers.
Butler recorded 29 tackles this year for the Panthers, who finished their season in June with a 4-6 record.
The Cowboys appear to be taking notice of the talent pool within the USFL, where they also managed to snatch up Brandon Aubrey this year and returner KaVontae Turpin in 2022.
Butler is the second former Spartan to sign with an NFL this week. The Tampa Buccaneers signed defensive lineman William Gholston for a one-year extension.