St. Louis Battlehawks head coach Ricky Proehl has been working with receiver Hakeem Butler since he joined the organization in 2023, so he understands how unique a skill set the 6-foot-5, 242-pound pass catcher possesses.
Butler put together another All-UFL performance this season — one of a league-leading seven players from St. Louis to make the spring football all-star team. Butler led the UFL in receiving yards (641) and yards per catch (22.1) in 2026. Winning the UFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2024, Butler has been a mainstay since the league’s inception three years ago. Butler’s the all-time leader in spring football receiving yards, with 2,192 yards over his career.
However, that success has not translated into a spot on an NFL roster. But Proehl believes Butler, now 30, just hasn’t received the right opportunity.
“No one ever gives him a chance to where he gets comfortable,” Proehl told me. “It’s like, if he doesn’t have success early, ‘OK, get rid of him. He can’t do it.’ And that’s not the case. There’s no doubt in my mind he could have played for me with the Carolina Panthers when I was coaching.”
Originally selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Butler missed his rookie season due to a broken hand. Since then, he’s spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers and, most recently, the Cincinnati Bengals two years ago, but none of those opportunities turned into a long-term job in the league.
Proehl believes that Butler could develop into a hybrid tight end/receiver at the next level, comparing him to former Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears tight end and current FOX Sports NFL analyst Greg Olsen. Proehl points to Butler’s improved speed this season, saying he got up to 22 mph on a 75-yard catch and run for a score against the D.C. Defenders earlier this year.
“He wants the football, but he’s not a distraction,” Proehl said. “If he’s not getting his targets and he feels like he can help the team win, then he’ll be vocal in a positive way, like ‘Hey guys, I can help you. I need to get some targets.’ But if he understands that he’s getting double-teamed and it’s opening up other guys, he’s happy with that. He wants to win.
“He’s very humble. He lets his actions speak volumes, and his innate ability to make plays. To track a deep ball or to create a big play with a run after catch. A man his size with the things he does is pretty special. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t be at the next level. I think it’s just finding what his unique quality is and putting him in a position for success.”
For his part, Butler says he’s focused on the present.
“I’ve tried to prove things for a period of time, and at this point I’m just trying to be the best version of myself,” Butler told me. “And if an opportunity presents itself from the person they see on the field week in and week out, then that’s cool.
“But I’m not really into trying to prove much anymore. I am who I am at this point. My game is going to get better for sure, but I’m just Hakeem. So, if they’re bringing me in to be Hakeem, then they’ll be super happy with me. If they’re bringing me to be something else, then it will never work.”
Butler’s production will be a key factor when the Battlehawks host the Louisville Kings at the Dome at America’s Center in Sunday’s UFL semifinal matchup (6 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). The Battlehawks have qualified for the playoffs in each of the UFL’s first three seasons, the only franchise in the league to accomplish the feat. The winner advances to next week’s United Bowl.
Proehl said Butler and the rest of his team are focused on doing the little things better ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Kings. The Battlehawks have lost two of their last three games, but defeated Louisville early this year in the only matchup between the two teams, a 16-3 victory. However, veteran quarterback Louis Perez, acquired by St. Louis in a midseason trade, did not play in that earlier contest.
“For us, it’s going back to the basics,” Proehl said. “Let’s scale back offensively and do what we do well. Getting the ball out and getting the ball to Hakeem. Getting the ball to Stevie [McBride]. Getting the ball to our running back and having some balance on offense. And then take some shots when they present themselves.
“But we need to get the ball out and take some pressure off Louis. Let him do what he does best, and that’s read the defense and get the ball out quick, instead of holding it and trying to wait for that chunk play. We’ve got too many weapons offensively, and we need to let them do their thing.”
