Former football star Adam Butler checks in at No. 99 in the VandySports 100, our ranking of the best VU players we've covered since 2003.
Honors and awards: none
In the record book: Butler does not appear on any single-season or career VU charts.
Before VU: Butler starred at Dallas-area Duncanville High, starting at left tackle as a junior and senior after playing defensive end as a sophomore. Butler was a two-time all-district pick, made all-area (and team MVP) as a senior and played in the Offense-Defense All-American game. He was recruited to VU as an offensive lineman under coach James Franklin.
Freshman (2013): Butler's competitive spirit and attention to detail during a rib-eating contest his true freshman year caught the eye of defensive coordinator Bob Shoop, who successfully lobbied to move Butler to defense. Playing in Shoop's 4-3 defense as a redshirt freshman, Butler played 12 games and stared against UMass, UAB, Missouri, Tennessee and against Houston in the Compass Bowl. His best game came in a 22-6 win over Kentucky in which he had two stops for a loss, and blocked a PAT that teammate Steven Clarke returned for a 2-point conversion. VU went 9-4 and the defense allowed 24.6 points and 355 yards per game.
Sophomore (2014): Butler played 12 games, starting nine, as VU transitioned to a 3-4 under coach Derek Mason, a disastrous 3-9 campaign during which VU allowed 33.3 points and 402 yards per game. Butler recovered a fumble in the end zone in a 34-31 win over UMass while also blocking a kick vs. Georgia. He had at least four tackles in five games and had a career high in tackles.
Junior (2015): Butler played all 12 games and started the first eight. He had two tackles for loss against both Ole Miss and Austin Peay. VU's defense improved markedly as it allowed 21.0 points and 351 yards per game.
Senior (2016): Butler started all 13 games as a senior, splitting time inside and at end. Six of his 7 1/2 stops for loss came against Southeastern Conference foes. He matched career highs in total tackles (seven) and solo stops (three) in the Camping World Independence Bowl loss to North Carolina State. The defense allowed 24.0 points and 351 yards per game.
Post-VU: Butler wasn't drafted, but made the New England Patriots as a free agent in 2017. He's gone on to a nice career in Foxborough, playing in all 48 regular-season games in his time there and 1,325 snaps in his three-year career so far. The Patriots won a Super Bowl in Butler's rookie season (Butler didn't play in that game) and lost to the Eagles in the next (Butler logged 26 snaps, and 16 special-teams plays, in a 13-3 win over the Rams.).
The Patriots thought enough of Butler, a restricted free agent, that it's been reported they'll place a second-round tender on him in hopes for keeping him next season.
Final thoughts, and why I ranked him where I did: To the best of my ability, I rated players based on several things: contributing to winning and having things (winning seasons, excellent stats, all-league honors) that quantify a contribution to winning.
Furthermore, I rated players almost exclusively based on their careers at Vanderbilt and not what came later. Butler probably meets fewer of my criteria than anyone on the list, not to mention several who didn't make the top 100.
But common sense has to come into play also, and few players justify more common-sense adjustments in how I rank them than Adam Butler.
My exception to the body-of-work-at-Vanderbilt requirement: If that player's professional body of work later demonstrates a talent level that demonstrably transcended what we realized during his VU career, I'll evaluate the player in that context. Butler played a significant role on three Patriots teams that, including the playoffs, went a combined 46-12 in his three years. Perhaps the most demanding coach and general manager in sports (Bill Belichick), who's seen him day-in and day-out for three years, wants Butler back for a fourth. I can't think of a better endorsement of how a player contributes to winning than that.
There were also extenuating circumstances at VU.
Butler not only switched sides of the ball in a matter of months at VU, but contributed quickly once he did. A year later, Butler then went from a 4-3--where defensive lineman have an easier shot at racking up stats--to a 3-4, where they're mostly there to occupy blockers for linebackers to make plays. That coaching staff was woefully underprepared and disorganized, and players on that side of the ball constantly confused about what to do, but Butler made plays anyway. The next season, linebacker Zach Cunningham was a consensus first-team All-American, and I think it's safe to say Butler had a hand in that.
There is also something we can quantify: Pro Football Focus grades for three of his four seasons. Check those out below and you'l see Butler graded out well at VU.
In terms of career value, Butler may not have been in the top 100 in our time covering the program. But considering he had three sets of expectations in in barely 24 months, all due to circumstances beyond Butler's control, it's easier to imagine an alternate career path where Butler racks up big numbers and maybe gets all-star recognition.
The bottom line is that Butler has more than proven he's a winner. Combined with good production at VU, that justifies a spot in the top 100.
