Malcolm Butler's unlikely road to Super Bowl legend

GLENDALE, Ariz. - The interception that changed Malcolm Butler's life and entered Super Bowl history happened on a play that resulted in a reception during practice.

Butler, a rookie cornerback for the New England Patriots, had prepared for the Seattle Seahawks' much-debated pass from the 1-yard line during the two weeks leading up the Patriots' 28-24 Super Bowl victory.

He studied it and the Patriots practiced it. But in practice, reserve receiver Josh Boyce made the catch against Butler.

Butler was ready Sunday. So when many of the record 114.4 million TV viewers might have expected a run by Seattle's Marshawn Lynch, Butler anticipated a pass.

Butler asked cornerback Brandon Browner which receiver he would cover. Browner took Jermaine Kearse, the player on the bottom of the stack formation in Seattle's three-receiver set. So Butler had Ricardo Lockette, the outside receiver on the right side behind Kearse.

Butler noticed quarterback Russell Wilson look toward his receivers before the play, which Butler interpreted as a clue that the Seahawks would pass the ball. From there, he trusted his instincts.

Kearse ran a pick on Browner, which freed Lockette to run a slant across the middle into the end zone. That's when Butler made a break, jumping in front of Lockette to catch Wilson's pass before Lockette could reach it.

"I knew the route," Butler said, "and I just beat it."

With that play, the Patriots all but clinched a Super Bowl victory and Butler lost any anonymity.

It's a dramatic change for the unheralded prospect from Vicksburg, Miss., who started his college career at Hinds Community College in his home state. After he was dismissed from school, Butler worked at a Popeyes restaurant in his hometown.

He returned to Hinds and eventually transferred to West Alabama, a Division II football program where he played for two seasons. Butler went undrafted in May and was even unsigned after the draft. The Patriots invited him to a tryout. That's where Butler caught coach Bill Belichick's eye.

"He was part of what we like to call, 'The few, the proud, the free,' that came in and did a great job in that rookie minicamp," Belichick said. "We kind of created a roster spot by juggling some other guys around and then signed him and he had a good training camp. He has competed every day."

Teammates called Butler "Scrap" for his scrappy nature, and they always found him around the ball. The Patriots don't wear numbers on their jerseys during those offseason practices. One player kept making plays, and quarterback Tom Brady took notice.

"Who is that?" Brady asked. "Who's that guy running down balls?"

His highlights came in practice. Butler played on defense in only seven regular-season games. He did not record an interception, and it appeared he would need to wait until his second season for his first pick.

"All year long from OTAs to minicamp, he had the most picks out of anybody," Browner said. "He showed the best ball skills. How cool is that to get his first pick in the NFL in an actual game to win the Super Bowl?"

Butler is buried on the Patriots' depth chart and did not start the game in the secondary rotation. The team went to him in the second half when Kyle Arrington had trouble defending Seahawks receiver Chris Matthews and there were adjustments made throughout the defensive backfield.

Butler played 18 defensive snaps Sunday. He allowed two catches, including Kearse's improbable, acrobatic reception two plays before the interception. Butler made a play on the ball and deflected it away from Kearse, who hauled it in while he was on the ground.

"I feel like the game was on me if we lost, but we had another play," Butler said.

After a Lynch run, Butler was part of the Patriots' three-cornerback goal-line formation. That's when his life changed forever.

"It all leads to that particular moment," Brady said. "To recognize a formation, a play, put it all together in your mind as a young player, it was the perfect play at the perfect time."

Nearly an hour after the game ended, Butler remained in uniform while many of his teammates had already changed. He could not yet piece together all the details of what just happened, still riding the euphoria and a tinge of disbelief.

Safety Patrick Chung collected the ball for Butler to keep. That will serve as a memento from the interception. But the play will always be linked to his name.

"I had a feeling I was going to make a big play," Butler said, "but not this big."