Malcolm Butler is forever linked to one defining Super Bowl moment against the Seattle Seahawks in 2015. Everyone remembers him jumping Russell Wilson’s pass at the goal line, one of the biggest interceptions the game has ever seen. That single play sealed New England’s fourth Lombardi Trophy of the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era and delivered the franchise its first title since 2005.
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Yet looking back, many fans never really knew much about Butler before that play, or even after it. He arrived quietly and left a massive footprint.
Butler recently joined Ryan Clark on The Pivot Podcast and pulled back the curtain on his NFL journey. He shared stories from his time with one of the league’s biggest dynasties and admitted just how low his expectations were entering the draft process. In fact, Butler said he barely watched the NFL Draft at all because he already knew how it was going to end for him.
“I knew I’m not going to get picked. I probably watched the draft on the last day. That’s when all the free agent calls and stuff come,” Butler recalled.
Butler ended up going undrafted but later signed with New England and was placed on the practice squad. And once he got to camp, everything changed. The team noticed Butler was a scrappy player who stayed humble and did what he was told. Even on tough days at practice, Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis would motivate him, telling him to keep pushing and that he saw something in the young defensive back.
However, it wasn’t until Belichick started getting on him that Butler realized he was viewed in a positive light.
“Bill Belichick used to always pick on me. I’m like, man, I can’t do nothing right. But you know what they say, when a coach doesn’t say nothing to you, you might need to be worried about something,” Butler professed.
Once the defensive back recognized that he was in the good graces of the team, he began to feel like he belonged. Eventually, Butler deduced that he made the roster when Belichick asked him where he was going to be staying during the season.
Later on, Butler talked about what he learned from playing with Tom Brady and Belichick:
“It takes a team, and everybody gotta be committed to the same thing and be on the same page. Nobody is bigger than nobody. And it’s just discipline. On the field, off the field, things like that,” Butler said.
They were interesting lessons. But what about the Patriot Way? How would Butler encapsulate what that is, having played in New England for four seasons?
“I just think that the expectation was high around the building. I didn’t think that it was that difficult; it was just all rumors. Like, what coach or organization doesn’t want everybody to be locked in, be on one page, and be successful?” Butler questioned. “It’s kind of tough to play there. Now, don’t get it twisted. But that’s how you win championships.”
The cornerback went on to win another championship with the Pats in 2017. Then, after one more year, he signed with the Tennessee Titans, where he finished his career. All in all, Butler had a modest run in the big league, but we will always remember his iconic interception in the Super Bowl.
It was interesting to learn more about the defensive back as he shared stories from the golden days of the Patriots. Butler was never too outspoken, but he was always observant. A country boy from Missouri, he was raised believing that he needed to work hard at whatever he did in life. This fell right in line with the Patriot Way, and Belichick latched onto him immediately.
