College Football Player Lost His Parents Before Senior Day, but His 2 Loving Dogs Help Him Heal

(Getty Images | Christian Petersen)

“Don’t forget to keep God first and play hard. U make daddy happy. Love u” were the final words of Steven Butler, father of Michigan State football player Josh Butler, before a game against Penn State in 2017. Josh found out later that morning from his cousin that his father had passed away, as he told the Lansing State Journal.

After his mother passed away from stage 4 breast cancer in the spring of 2019, Josh found himself all alone. That was until he adopted Roxy and Remi, two female boxer-pit bull mixes, who became the family the football player needed.

As Michigan State celebrated “Senior Day,” on Nov. 30, 2019, Josh took to the field in Spartan Stadium for the last time. But he wasn’t alone, as Roxy and Remi bounded on to the grass with him.

Not only has Josh had to deal with the passing of both his parents in quick succession, he has also had to keep on top of his studies for a master’s degree and the strenuous schedule of football workouts, practices, and games. But he couldn’t have done it all without the joy that his adopted dogs have brought to his life.

When he adopted them, Roxy and Remi had been so young that he had to feed them from bottles, according to the Lansing State Journal. Training them and making them an integral part of his day, from the 5 a.m. alarm for practice to bringing them to his final home game, has filled the void in Butler’s life.

“Since the passing of my mother and father ... having the ability to walk with Roxy and Remi was very important to me,” he told CBS News. “They mean the world to me and they have always been there for me through my ups and downs.”

Butler hasn’t forgotten his parents in the slightest. “At the end of the day, you just have to remember the impact they have had on my life, what they have taught me and how I will keep that as long as I live,” he told LSJ. “Just knowing they are in a better place now and you still have to live your life as well.”

Since Butler adopted Roxy and Remi, he has created an Instagram profile that chronicles their adventures, including their time on the football field, along with the times that they chewed up belongings in the house. Butler’s lovable “daughters” have attracted almost 10,000 followers thus far.

When the cornerback and loving dog dad got the chance to have them on the field during Senior Day, he jumped at the chance. On his personal Instagram, Butler thanked everyone who had helped him through the process of losing his parents: “It has strengthened me as a person, a man of God, and a leader.” Of course, Butler didn’t forget to add: “My Dogs mean the world to me!”

Having completed his M.A., finished his Michigan State Career in style, and become a “father” to two lovely dogs, Butler has found new purpose and meaning in his life after the tragedy.

“We talk about the sadness and the negativity about a lot of things because that’s what they remember the most, but there’s also positivity behind any story,” he told the Lansing State Journal. “There’s always a rise after the fall.”