As a three-time champion with the Los Angeles Temptation in the Legends Football League, Australian-born Chloe Butler is ready to showcase her gridiron skills back home. Poised to become the elite star in the inaugural season of LFL Australia, which launches December 7, 2013, she is definitely the face of the league.
A native of Queensland, the 5’11” beauty pulls double duty as a wide receiver and a defensive end. The highlight of her career may have come in 2012. With a series of LFL All-Star games being held in Australia, Butler was the captain of the LFL Western Conference All-Stars. In addition, she was also named as the LFL’s ambassador for the new Aussie league.
While the 2013 LFL US campaign did not provide Butler with her fourth straight Legends Cup, the 25 year-old managed to appear in two games while providing solid contributions on defense. In the first game of the season, Butler was one of the key figures in defeating the eventual league champion Chicago Bliss.
In two games, Butler recorded five solo tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Along with the inactivity of Liz Gorman, the Temptation lost two key members on defense. Had the two remained healthy, a fourth title would have been very feasible.
Gracing the gridiron as one the competitors for the New South Wales Surge, Butler will be reunited with Temptation teammate, and 2013 Mortaza Award winner, Monique Gaxiola. Although there will be a handful of other LFL US players making the journey Down Under for this exciting and electrifying first season, the familiarity between Butler and Gaxiola ensures that Surge fans will be treated to top quality football. Both employ a team-first approach and dedicate themselves to giving their clubs an opportunity to compete for championships.
While this represents a new path in Butler’s remarkable journey as an LFL superstar, the opportunity to compete on home soil is one that brings with it tremendous pride. As the four-team league will have franchises competing in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, her impact in LFL US has helped to attract many ambitious Aussie athletes in competing.
Prior to her gridiron glories, Butler was a sprinter hoping to compete at the London 2012 Summer Games in the 400-meter hurdles. Her blazing speed is evident for anyone that has tried to run against her in the LFL. With a share of injuries that prevented her from pursuing her gold medal dreams, football offered an alternative.
Such an alternative is attracting another significant female athlete from Australia to don the LFL shoulder pads. Charlotte van Veenendaal, a Summer Games sprinter is one of Butler’s teammates on the Surge. The theme of the Surge season may very well be “Speed Kills” as they are quickly emerging as a pre-season favorite.
Although there is no denying Butler’s visual appeal, she is a tough as nails competitor whose effort to go the extra mile on the gridiron may earn her recognition as a household name in Australian sports. With thousands of fans already following LFL Australia on social media, Butler may emerge as a brand herself. From America to Australia, her role as an ambassador for the sport is one that brings with it all the tools to succeed.
Fourth and Feminine 