Ed Thompson: What were you doing when the Seattle Seahawks called you?
Deon Butler: I was sitting around in my living room with about
seven other friends. I was watching the TV with my phone next to me. There was a
run on receivers and my teammate, Derrick Williams, was picked. So I was
thinking that maybe I'd be picked in that round or, if not, it was setting up
well for the next round. Next thing I know, Seattle makes a trade up and I'm
getting a phone call from a random area code, so I thought this could be it. The
next thing I heard was a voice saying "this is Coach Mora from the Seattle
Seahawks, are you ready to be a Seahawk?" After the call I was so excited
that this was all over, I yelled for my mom and celebrated with my
friends.
Thompson: What else did Coach Mora or the team tell you during that
call?
Butler: They said they had heard a lot of good things about me as a
person, and that on the field they like my speed, my consistency. They were
pleased with the way I caught the ball and made big plays in pretty much every
game that I was in. They also said that another key thing was that my teammate,
Aaron Maybin, had said great things about me when he went out to
Seattle.
Thompson: How much contact did you have with them prior to
getting that call?
Butler: Not much. I think I did a generic interview with them—your
background, your family's background. So I really didn't have too much contact
with them and had no clue that they were that interested in me that they would
make a trade to move up to get me. I was definitely excited about that, and it
was a good feeling to find out that I was going to be part of a great
organization. I'm going to do whatever I can to help this team win.
Deon Butler makes a catch at his first minicamp.
Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images |
Thompson: Is there anyone on the team that you know?
Butler: No. I knew Bobby Engram since he was from Penn State,
but he's not there anymore. My brother, who works at the University of Miami and
played basketball there, knows Kelly Jennings so I think he's going to hook me
up so that I have someone to talk to. But other than that, I'm looking forward
to getting to know everybody and picking the brains of the wide receivers that
have been out there and learn as much as I can.
Thompson: Seattle is a great situation for a rookie wide
receiver, because the position hasn't exactly been a stable one for the team as
of late. So you could be a guy who could go in there and have an immediate
impact.
Butler: That's what I'm looking forward to, and not just in the
passing game. I want to help with kickoffs, kick returns, punt, punt returns,
just getting on the field, making plays and whatever this team asks me to
do.
Thompson: With the success that both you and Derrick Williams
had at Penn State, how fitting was it that both of you get pulled off the board
in the third round?
Butler: That was great. I was so proud of him and happy for him. I was happy for all of my teammates who
got picked, but Derrick is a guy who has worked tremendously hard and he'll
continue to do that in the NFL. Detroit will definitely be satisfied with
that pick. They'll be getting a lot more from him than I think they
expect.
Thompson: Deon, here's your chance to send out a message to your
Penn State fans one more time and to your new Seattle Seahawks fans.
Butler: Penn State, I loved it and in my heart I'll always be a
Penn State alumni. For the Penn State people, we are Penn State! I'm definitely
looking forward to being a part of the Seattle organization and community. And
I'm definitely looking forward to that vaunted 12th man.
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A member of the Pro Football Writers of America, Ed Thompson's player interviews and NFL features are published across the Scout.com network and at FOXSports.com. You can follow him on Twitter or Facebook. Or contact him by email
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