Butler not a common wideout
The Wise players hung their heads. The game wasn't even half over, but Suitland already had a 21-0 lead. They were on the verge of being humiliated in their home stadium.
But there was at least one Wise player who wouldn't let his squad go down without a fight. Wide receiver Trevon Butler looked at his disparaged quarterback and his perplexed coach. It would be up to him to lead Wise back.
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"You can depend on me," Butler said. "Throw me the ball."
And that's exactly what Wise did. On the next series, the Pumas heaved up three jump balls for the 6-foot-1, 175-pound Butler. On the third ball, he came down with a touchdown catch in the back of the end zone.
"He's extremely confident," Wise coach DaLawn Parrish said. "He tells me he wants the ball and then he goes up and gets it."
Trevon Butler has a potpourri of physical tools, all of which are common to elite wide receivers. But Butler is not just an everyday elite wide receiver. In fact, he's downright atypical.
Who ever heard of a receiver who preferred to block?
Butler looks forward to it. In fact, one of his favorite moments on the field last season was a block he threw in a playoff game against Eleanor Roosevelt. Butler didn't have a single catch in that game. He didn't care.
With Wise clinging to a 7-6 lead, the Pumas called for a pitchout to the left. Butler lined up wide, and after the snap he slammed into the cornerback. He cleared a lane for his running back, allowing him to spring forward for a 90-yard touchdown run.
"I felt confident after the run that I could make plays even if I wasn't catching the ball," Butler said. "A receiver has to block, too. He can't just catch."
Who ever heard of a wide receiver who didn't care about his
reception numbers?
Apparently, Butler doesn't. Wise is a power-running team, and they rarely throw the ball unless they're forced to. Thus, Butler had just 14 receptions for 328 yards and five touchdowns in 2008.
He could have exploded in a wide-open offense; he could have complained to his coach. But the thought never crossed his mind.
"He's stuck in our running system, but he never complains," Parrish said. "He's all about the team. He even gives up his body for running backs. That's just the guy he is."
When Wise does throw the ball, then Butler takes over.
"My coach knows that if he chooses to throw it, I'm going to catch it," Butler said. "But as long as we're winning, it doesn't' matter how many catches I have."
Who ever heard of a wide receiver becoming a team captain?
Well, meet Trevon Butler. He's obviously a leader on the field (see: Suitland game), but it's his attitude off the gridiron that endears him to his coaches.
During the offseason, he'll gather up some of his teammates and take them over to his coach's house. Once there, they'll watch film together then work on improving their strengths and weaknesses.
"I'm a captain, so I try to be one with the team and bring them all together," Butler said.
Who ever heard of a wide receiver who wasn't a prima donna?
Not only is Butler unselfish, but he's also a personable leader -- on and off the field. Instead of flaunting his skills and strutting around campus a la a number of pompous wide-receiver types, Butler is a humble, fun-loving individual.
His teammates and coaches attest that Butler walks around with a smile on his face and kids everyone he meets -- football players and classmates alike.
"He's well liked, and he enjoys being around people," Parrish said. "He laughs all the time."
Buttler adds, "I like to get to know everybody."
Who ever heard of a receiver who spends his free time watching film?
Well, the elite do, and the perfectionists certainly do. Count Butler among them. His route running is smooth and he has a natural catching ability. That comes from hours dissecting his every move, identifying weaknesses, and then practicing over and over until those weaknesses become strengths.
"I'll continue to work until I'm comfortable," Butler said.
When is he comfortable?
"When it's perfect."
Perfection: That's why Butler visits his coach on off days. That's why he stays after practice and asks his quarterback to throw him extra balls. That's why he runs track to improve his 4.61 40-yard-dash time. That's why he's in the weight room every day trying to get stronger.
"He does everything," Parrish said. "And he looks really good this spring. In 7-on-7s people will come up to me and ask, 'Who is that guy?'"
Butler is hoping to answer that question this season. He has one more offseason and one more fall to show college recruiters he's worthy of a scholarship offer.
He'll need to knock at least 0.2 off his 40 time to draw any Division I interest. But schools such as Towson, Richmond and James Madison are intrigued.
"He will play at the next level," Parrish said. "Trust me on that."
Nothing atypical about that prediction.