Back when New England Patriots All Pro CB Malcolm Butler was still in college, he shared a life goal on Twitter- and the internet never forgets.
I wanna check julio jones...lol......real talk doe..
— Malcolm CB Butler (@Mac_BZ) December 23, 2012
Butler expressed a desire to cover Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones as the receiver was in the middle of a 7 reception, 71 yard, 1 touchdown prime time game against the Detroit Lions. Butler’s wish might come true on Sunday.
“I was in college at West Alabama,” Butler said about the tweet at the Super Bowl media day, “and I was just a young kid in college trying to work hard and trying to achieve my dream, and it came true. That hard work paid off. I had a vision, and all you have to do is just believe in yourself and work hard. Dreams come true, just like that tweet did.”
Jones had a good-natured response to the tweet, too.
“That was an old tweet but he said he wanted to cover me,” Jones said. “It’s football. He’s a cornerback and I’m a wide receiver. It’s bound to happen.”
Butler might be asked to cover a mix of Jones and Taylor Gabriel in the slot, depending on the personnel the Falcons place on the field. Both Jones and Butler have a healthy respect for one another, with each using the word “great” to describe the other.
But they both understand that the Super Bowl will be determined by the other players on the field, too, and Butler and Jones almost expressed the exact same sentiment about not getting caught up in their individual match-up.
“It is more than one player on a team,” Butler said. “It is more than Malcom Butler and Julio Jones. It is 10 other players out there. It is a team game, and we are ready to play team ball.”
Jones agreed.
“For me, this game is bigger than me and him,” Jones said. “It’s the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons.”
Jones noted that Butler has a strength at “jumping routes” and has “the ability to get in and out” of routes, so the two should present an interesting contest on Sunday. Jones expects the Patriots “to try to scheme” coverage with more than just Butler. If that’s the case, then the other 10 players on the field will have to step up.