Deon Butler, WR

It was not like Vincent Deon Butler was hiding in the shadows during his four seasons at Penn State. He is just not the type that needs to be in the limelight in order to feel appreciated. Despite being considered the "sidekick" to more heralded prep star turned Nittany Lions teammate Derrick Williams, Butler went out and proved to be the more productive player, developing into Penn State's "go-to" guy on the way to capturing a pair of Big Ten Conference titles during his tenure at the university.

Breaking school records wasn't high on Butler's list of goals when he came to Penn State as a walk-on defensive back in 2004. Making the squad was. Trying to have an impact and get the Nittany Lions back on the winning track was. The coaching staff saw something in the foreign squad member during the challenging fall of '04. The following spring, Butler was asked to move to wide receiver, where he burst onto the college football landscape as a highly productive and reliable receiver, making a school freshman-record nine touchdown catches.

Butler was among the influx of highly skilled playmakers that helped lift Penn State to the 2005 Big Ten Conference and Orange Bowl titles and a 40-11 record the past four seasons.

He would close out his career as the school's all-time leader with 179 receptions, finishing second with 2,771 yards receiving and third with 22 touchdown catches. His 48 grabs in 2006 tied the school season record for sophomores and ranks seventh on PSU's annual record chart. He is just one of three players in Nittany Lions annals to gain over 200 yards receiving in a game, setting the record with 216 yards vs. Northwestern in 2006.

Butler was a three-sport standout at Hylton High School, where he lettered four times in football, adding four more letters in basketball and one in track as a sprinter during his final campaign. The all-state wide receiver added all-metro, all-district and all-area honors as a senior, serving as team captain.

In 2003, Butler had 41 receptions for 1,029 yards and 16 touchdowns, leading the team to the Virginia Class AAA state championship. He also had 26 kickoff returns for 763 yards and two touchdowns. A two-way starter, he recorded 73 tackles and nine interceptions as a defensive back in 2003 and grabbed 16 career interceptions. Prior to graduation, he was selected to play in the 2004 VHSL All-Star game.

Butler sat out the 2004 season after joining Penn State as a walk-on. Buried deep down the depth chart entering 2005 fall camp, he emerged as the team's starting flanker for the final eight games. He earned Freshman All-America third-team honors from The Sporting News, as he broke four school freshman records, including season receptions (37), receiving yards in a game (125 vs. Wisconsin) and season (691) and touchdown catches (nine). His 18.7 yards per catch average was tops among players with 10 or more catches and he posted 11 receptions of 20 yards or longer (seven for scores).

In 2006, Butler was the Nittany Lions' leading receiver for the second consecutive season. He made 48 receptions for 637 yards (13.3 avg.) and two touchdowns to earn honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition. His 48 catches were tied for seventh all-time in a season at Penn State. He joined classmates Jordan Norwood (45) and Derrick Williams (40) in becoming the first triumvirate in school history to each make 40 receptions in a season. He was third on the squad with 634 all-purpose yards.

As a junior, Butler made at least one reception in every game to run his streak to 15 straight and 36 of 38 career games. Butler continued his climb into the top five slots on the school career receptions and receiving yardage charts. He had 47 receptions for a team-high 633 yards (13.5 avg.) and four touchdowns, including one score in each of the last three contests. His 47 receptions were tied for 10th on the school season list. Butler and classmates Jordan Norwood and Derrick Williams duplicated their feat of becoming the first trio of Nittany Lions to each make 40 or more catches in a season, accomplishing the feat for the second consecutive year.

Butler paced the Nittany Lions for the third time in four seasons with his 47 receptions, good for 810 yards (17.2 avg.) and seven touchdowns. He was again joined by Derrick Williams (44) and Jordan Norwood (41), as that trio each had 40 or more catches for the third consecutive season. He also ranked fourth in the Big Ten in receiving yards per game (62.31 ypg).

Positives: Wiry strong receiver with long arms. Reliable hands; uses his hands outside his frame even when challenged and high-points the ball. Has the initial quickness off the snap to get into his route. Good vision, elusiveness and stop-start acceleration in space. Able to run through cornerback tackles to extend the play. Set up corners well for out-routes, pressing them inside and using his arm and quickness to separate.

Negatives: Short, lean receiver who is knocked off his routes by larger corners. Will struggle to get off the jam. Makes the effort blocking on the outside but lacks the strength to sustain. Questionable value as a deep threat against man coverage; will be best in the slot.

GENERAL REPORT: GRADE: 7.16

Body Structure: Butler has a compact frame that could carry at least another 10 pounds of bulk, but he has good chest, arm and shoulder definition, a tight waist and abdomen, good thickness in his thighs and calves, along with low body fat.

Athletic Ability: Butler demonstrates exceptional straight-line speed and balance, but needs to improve his lateral agility, as he shows some tightness in his hips. He shows the timing, arm extension and leaping ability to make plays outside his frame. He is an agile, deceptive runner with the crisp cutting ability to set up and separate from the defender after the catch. He gets good elevation going for the high passes, but lacks the power to absorb much punishment. He has good body control throughout his route progression, but you would like to see better flexibility to get to the off-target throws. He has quick hands to adjust to the ball in flight and shows ease of movement getting his head turned around to look the ball in. GRADE: 6.2

Football Sense: Butler is a highly intelligent player, both on and off the field. He quickly digests the playbook, taking the action from the chalkboard to the field easily. He is the type that puts in the extra hours studying tapes and is alert to coverages and locating the soft areas on the field. He is quick to settle into the openings in the zone and understands his role for the offense -- coming up with the tough catches over the middle and as coach Joe Paterno calls him, "my field stretcher." He is effective at converting his patterns and maintaining eye contact with the quarterback to come back for the ball when the pocket is pressured. GRADE: 7.5

Character: Butler is the type of character you hope your daughter brings home for dinner. He comes from a supportive family and is very well liked by the staff and teammates. He is an unassuming type that is reliable and takes well to hard coaching. His hard work saw him emerge from walk-on status to go-to receiver and he prides himself on his work ethic. He was recently awarded the Robert B. Mitinger Jr. Award. The honor is presented to a senior who exhibits courage, character and social responsibility. GRADE: 8.1

Competitiveness: Even though Butler lacks the strength you look for in a blocker, he is a good stalker who will sacrifice his body to slow down a defender. He is a fearless receiver in traffic and gives total effort until the whistle, even though his frail-looking frame will see him get ping-ponged by the more physical second-level defenders. He is assertive going for the ball in a crowd and times his leaps well to get to the ball at its high point. He has become a fan favorite because of the way he plays with good urgency and high energy. For a player with his frame, you would expect some flinch going for the ball in a crowd, but Butler just exudes that fearlessness. He is the type of kid that will play hurt and is always hustling and giving total effort on the field. GRADE: 7.0

Work Habits: Ever since arriving on campus as a walk-on, Butler has exhibited a work ethic above the rest of the players, one that the coaching staff asks the younger players to pattern. He gives total effort throughout, whether in practices or in games. He takes pride in his work ethic, putting in the extra hours studying tapes. He is a coachable, team player who plays hard and will not back down from an opponent. GRADE: 7.0

ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 6.30

Release: Even though Butler is quicker than most, he lacks great lateral agility to get a smooth release off the line. He is lighter than ideal, but gives good effort with his hands to fight off the jam and has enough functional strength to separate after the catch at the college level (some scouts worry that his slight frame will cause him to struggle here vs. bigger NFL types). He makes sharp cuts coming out of his breaks and has an array of moves to get into his route cleanly, but lacks great explosion when changing direction due to adequate hip snap. He is smooth in his patterns and does a decent job of working off and riding up the defender to get to the ball in flight. He has the short-area quickness to separate and has developed good hand placement to secure the ball after the catch (never fumbled in college). GRADE: 6.2

Acceleration: Because of his short-area burst, Butler has been quite effective working underneath or in the intermediate area. He shows some ability to separate on deep routes, but does not have the second gear to elude in the open field, despite his impressive stopwatch speed. He does a nice job of settling into the zones and shows natural hands to look in and secure the ball. He is the type that builds up his acceleration nicely, demonstrating the athletic agility to adjust to the ball in flight. He works hard to make adjustments to uncover and has the quick vision to come back for the ball when the pocket is pressured. He is used more in the slot than as a deep threat, but builds to top speed quick enough to be a valid target in the secondary. He has that short pitter-patter stride that sneaks up on a defender, showing fine body adjustments to get to the ball. GRADE: 6.5

Quickness: Butler makes quick, precise cuts to gobble up the cushion. He relies more on his quick feet and upper-body power rather than lateral moves to separate after the catch, but is elusive enough to gain some yardage going over the middle. He is more the type that needs to build up to top speed rather than generate suddenness. His coordination and eye quickness sees him get his hands up nicely to secure the ball away from the frame without having to break stride. He comes off the ball with good urgency, keeping his pads down and hands extended to help him avoid getting rerouted. GRADE: 6.1

Route Running: This is what Butler does best -- run crisp routes while showing the lateral agility and balance to elude after the catch. He is sharp in his cuts and does a nice job of sinking his weight to get under most balls thrown to him in the short-to-intermediate areas. He shows tight hips in his patterns, but has the body control to separate. He maintains eye contact with the backfield to work back for the ball and is very effective locating and settling into the zone's soft areas. He is showing a good ability to sell his fakes and even though he is used mostly as a zone route runner, he works hard in his patterns and is quick to find the open area. He has the ability to stick and define his cuts and shows decent acceleration in the open. GRADE: 7.1

Separation Ability: Even though he won't win many open-field foot races, Butler is a deceptive route runner who does a nice job of conning and setting up his moves. He is sharp making his cuts and is alert to activity in the backfield to come back for the poorly thrown ball. He reads the defensive back's moves well and shows great anticipation ability, knowing when to come in or out on his breaks. He is most effective on comeback routes, where his speed is a benefit. He lacks the deep explosion to go vertical, but has good quickness in his stride when working horizontally. He has the hand placement to push off the defender and get valid yardage after the catch. GRADE: 6.4

Ball Concentration: Butler is very alert to the sticks and boundaries. He has the balance and body control to keep his feet along the sidelines and is fearless fighting for the ball in a crowd. He does a nice job of making body adjustments in coverage to get to the ball at its high point. He is more effective on short-to-intermediate routes, but also does a nice job of settling into the zone's soft spot. GRADE: 6.4

Ball Adjustment: The thing you always see on film is that Butler will make every effort to get to the ball, especially in a crowd. He has the loose hips and body control to get to the off-target tosses and looks very natural extending for the ball in flight. He is determined to come up with the ball in traffic and has that body-contortion agility to work his way under the ball to catch it in stride. He uses his body control and balance to catch and turn with the ball without having to gather in his cuts and will generally put himself in good position to catch the ball with his hands extended. GRADE: 6.2

Leaping Ability: Butler times his leaps well and had just seven of 79 passes targeted to him be deflected by the opposition during his senior year at Penn State. He uses his body well when executing his vertical skills and does a good job of securing and catching the ball, despite absorbing some punishing hits. He also demonstrates the proper timing to get to the ball at its highest point. He just seems to have that natural ability to get comfortable in adjusting to make the tough grab. GRADE: 6.3

Hands: Butler is a natural hands catcher who can secure all the throws in his area. He shows the ball adjustment and body-control agility to extend and snatch outside his frame. He has never turned the ball over during his career, so you know his ball control is good. He generates proper hand placement to get a good push off the snap and has the softness and extension skills to look the ball in without breaking stride. Butler lacks the ideal arm length you look for in a receiver, but he looks smooth and natural extending for the ball. GRADE: 6.6

Run After the Catch: Butler has to rely on his straight-line speed and savvy moves to separate after the catch. He lacks the strength to run through arm tackles or the loose hips to simply fly past defenders in the open field. However, he has the vision to settle into the soft areas on the field. He is not the type that will get much yardage after the initial hit, but if given room, he can jitterbug for good distance with the ball (just lacks explosion in the deep areas). GRADE: 6.2

Blocking Ability: Because of his lack of size and weight-room strength, Butler is not going to blow up bigger defenders, especially at the line of scrimmage. He will give great effort, but is just lacking the bulk and big hand punch to sustain. He willingly gets in the way of the defender, but is better stalking in the second level than when asked to block in-line. GRADE: 5.3

Compares To: WAYNE CHREBET, ex-New York Jet -- Much like Chrebet, Butler is a solid slot receiver and good route runner whose balance and lateral agility allow him to ride up on a defensive back and easily separate after the catch. He needs to improve his overall strength, as he is a marginal in-line blocker, but he will not hesitate to face up to an opponent. It is his deceptive quickness and balance that allow him to set up his moves and separate. With teams relying more on multiple receiver formations, Butler is a perfect fit for the slot receiver position.

OVERALL GRADE: 6.44

--Report by Dave-Te' Thomas

Butler started 45 of 51 games for the Nittany Lions and never fumbled the ball … His 179 receptions broke the old school career record of 167 grabs by Bobby Engram (1991, 93-95) … His 2,771 yards gained receiving rank behind Engram's 3,026 in Penn State annals, as he became just the fourth player in school history to gain over 2,000 yards receiving in a career … Had 22 touchdown catches, ranking behind Engram (31) and Kenny Jackson (25, 1990-93) on the school career-record list … His 48 receptions in 2006 rank seventh on the PSU season-record charts and his 47 catches in both 2007 and 2008 rank tied for 10th … Those 48 catches in 2006 tied the school sophomore season record that was first set by Engram in 1993 … Gained 810 yards receiving as a senior, becoming the 11th player in PSU annals to gain over 800 yards annually via receptions … His nine touchdown catches in 2005 were the most ever by a freshman, as he also set school freshman season records with most yards gained in a season (691) and game (125 vs. Wisconsin and most receptions (37) … His nine scoring grabs in 2005 were the most by a Nittany Lion in a season since Joe Jurevicius had 10 in 1997 … Caught 11 passes vs. Northwestern in 2006, two shy of the school game-record 13 receptions by Freddie Scott vs. Wisconsin in 1995 … Those 11 grabs broke the Nittany Lion game record for sophomores, topping the old mark of 10 catches by Jack Curry in both the 165 California and Syracuse contests … His 216 yards receiving vs. Northwestern in 2006 broke the old school game record of 212 yards by O.J. McDuffie vs. Boston College in 1992 … The only other Penn State player to generate 200 yards receiving in a game was Bobby Engram (200 vs. Rutgers in 1994 and 203 vs. Purdue in 1995).

All-Big Ten Conference second-team selection by The NFL Draft Report, ranking fourth in the league with an average of 62.31 yards per game receiving … Led the team for the third time in his career with 47 receptions for a career-high 810 yards (17.2 avg.) and seven touchdowns (eight-highest scoring grabs by a Nittany Lion in a season) … His 810 yards rank 11th on the school season-record list … Caught 59.49 percent of the passes thrown to him (47 of 79), as seven of those tosses were deflected by the opposition (8.86 percent) … Had 38 first-down catches (80.85 percent), as he converted six of 10 third downs … 32 of his receptions gained at least 10 yards (68.09 percent), including 12 for 20 yards or longer (25.53 percent) … Had key receptions that led to 17 PSU touchdown drives and five other series that ended with field goals … Four of those catches came inside the red zone, including two on goal-line snaps … Added 5 yards on a reverse vs. Wisconsin.

BUTLER

Coastal Carolina … Playing flanker and in the slot, Butler only had two receptions, but his 15- and 14-yarders came on an early first-quarter series, setting up a 7-yard touchdown run by Evan Royster, as the receiver cleared space for his tailback by taking down linebacker D.J. Rice on the snap … Head to Head Competition: CB#26-Whittmin Reese (5:09-190)-Six tackles (4 solos).

Oregon State … Butler was held to one reception, good for 24 yards on the team's first possession … Head to Head Competition: FS#36-Brandon Hughes (5:11-182)-Two tackles (1 solo), one pass deflection.

Syracuse … The first unit did not play in the second half of this 55-13 victory, but Butler still had a great contest, hauling in seven passes, all for first downs, as he totaled 110 yards with a pair of touchdowns … Six of those grabs were for 10 yards or longer … On third-and-8, he snared a 17-yard scoring strike to cap a 10-play, 56-yard opening possession … In the second frame, he moved the team past midfield with a 28-yard catch that set up his own 15-yard touchdown … He added 9-, 13- and 15-yarders to get PSU in position to kick a 52-yard field goal as time expired in the first half … Head to Head Competition: FS#15-Bruce Williams (6:00-200)-Five tackles (1 solo), one fumble recovery.

Temple … Butler totaled 66 yards on four catches … He leaped over two defenders to come down with a 49-yard reception and then capped that 77-yard second-quarter drive by leveling safety Jaiqua Jarrett on an 11-yard scoring burst by QB Darryl Clark … Head to Head Competition: FS#16-Jaiqua Jarrett (6:02-195)-Five tackles (3 solos).

Illinois … The slot receiver was held to two catches for 43 yards, but made the most of those two grabs … His 19-yarder deep in Illini territory set up a 1-yard scoring run by QB Darryl Clark to conclude a 73-yard, 8-play first-quarter series … His second-quarter 24-yard catch-and-run led to a 5-yard touchdown reverse by fellow receiver Derrick Williams … Head to Head Competition: FS#31-Travon Bellamy (6:00-207)-Nine tackles (8 solos).

Purdue … It was another statistically quiet day for Butler, who tallied 39 yards on three catches, but his third-and-17 grab for 23 yards saw him race down to the Purdue 4, where tailback Evan Royster then ended the 61-yard, 7-play drive with a 4-yard scoring scamper … Head to Head Competition: FS#2-Torri Williams (6:02-208)-Seven tackles (5 solos), one pass deflection.

Wisconsin … Butler continued to be the "man behind the scenes," as he only had three catches for 70 yards, but two set up touchdown drives and his third produced a score for the slot receiver … His 14-yarder led to a 2-yard second-quarter touchdown run by QB Darryl Clark and a 12-yard grab got the ball in position for Clark's third-quarter 4-yard scoring burst … On the team's next possession, Clark rewarded Butler with a 44-yard scoring strike to conclude an 82-yard, 7-play series … Head to Head Competition: FS#21-Chris Maragos (6:00-196)-Six tackles (1 solo).

Michigan … The Wolverines were torched for six first downs on Butler's eight catches, good for 105 yards, as two converted third-down snaps and five were for at least 10 yards each … His late third-quarter 25-yard catch was followed by Butler blasting cornerback Morgan Trent to the ground, springing QB Darryl Clark for a 1-yard touchdown run … He added 11- and 8-yarders in the fourth quarter to set up a Penn State 20-yard field goal …

Head to Head Competition: FS#3-Stevie Brown (6:00-209)-Two tackles (1 solo).

Iowa … Butler continued to be the "table-setter," as he made just three catches for 27 yards, but the results led to two field goals and his third-and-8 grab for 10 yards deep in Iowa territory set up Evan Royster's 2-yard scoring run to start the second quarter … Head to Head Competition: FS#30-Brett Greenwood (6:00-200)-Twelve tackles (2 solos), one pass deflection.

Indiana … Butler scored once on five receptions for 56 yards, converting a third-and-goal bubble screen into a 6-yard score in the third quarter … Head to Head Competition: FS#26-Brandon Mosley (5:09-200)-Two solo tackles, one interception.

Michigan State … America is the land of opportunity and Butler made the most with his three receptions, finding the end zone each time for a total of 133 yards … He did not touch the ball in the first half, but in the third quarter, he ended an 8-play, 70-yard series with a third-and-goal grab for a 4-yard score … That followed with a 70-yard touchdown late in the third stanza … In the final frame, a six-play, 80-yard possession ended with Butler hauling in a 59-yard scoring strike from reserve QB Pat Devlin on a third-and-6 snap … Head to Head Competition: FS#33-Dan Fortener (6:01-199)-Three tackles (2 solos).

Southern California (Rose Bowl) … Facing one of the toughest secondaries in college and matching up vs. who many scouts feel is the best safety in college, Taylor Mays, Butler closed out his career with four receptions, including three for at least 20 yards each, totaling 97 yards … Twice Mays was charged with pass interference vs. Butler, as one of those miscues, along with the receiver snaring passes of 45 and 28 yards set up a 9-yard scoring run by QB Darryl Clark late in the first quarter … Another Mays penalty, followed by a 35-yard reception by Butler, led to a 25-yard Penn State field goal in the fourth stanza … Head to Head Competition: FS#2-Taylor Mays (6:04-225)-Four tackles (3 solos), one pass deflection.

Butler started 12 of the 13 games he appeared in, ranking second on the squad with 47 receptions for 633 yards (13.5 avg.) and four touchdowns, but lost 11 yards on his only rushing attempt, coming vs. Notre Dame … Caught at least one pass in each game, improving that mark to one reception in 36 of the 38 contests he played in to date … He joined Jordan Norwood and Derrick Williams, as they duplicated their feat of becoming the first trio of Nittany Lions to each make 40 or more catches in a season, accomplishing the feat for the second consecutive year … On the field for 672 offensive snaps.

Butler made three catches for 66 yards in the season-opening 59-0 victory vs. Florida International … Posted a team-high 72 yards on five catches, including a 45-yard strike from QB Anthony Morelli to set up a touchdown vs. Buffalo … .Made four catches for 48 yards at Illinois to crack 100 receptions for his career … In the 38-7 win over Wisconsin, Butler had a season-high seven catches for 93 yards, as he scored on a 29-yard pass from Anthony Morelli that gave the Lions a 17-7 lead at the time … Added five catches for 43 yards, including a great 14-yard touchdown reception in the victory at Temple … Caught three receptions for 68 yards at Michigan State, including a 37-yard scoring strike from Morelli, which was the Lions' longest scoring pass of the season … Concluded the season with a big effort in the Alamo Bowl win over Texas A&M, changing the momentum with a huge play. On a critical fourth-down play in the second quarter, he made a spectacular diving catch for a 30-yard touchdown from Anthony Morelli to get the Lions back within 14-7 and begin a run of 17 consecutive points. Butler hauled in four catches for 59 yards in the 24-17 win over the Aggies.

Butler took over slot receiver duties, earning All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention, as the team's leading receiver caught a career-high 48 passes, ranking seventh on the school season-record list … Gained 637 yards (13.3 avg.) with two touchdowns … Lost 3 yards on a reverse vs. Youngstown State and totaled two tackles, a solo effort vs. Temple and an assisted stop vs. Notre Dame … Joined Jordan Norwood (45) and Derrick Williams (40) in becoming the first triumvirate in school history to each make 40 receptions in a season … Participated in 636 offensive plays.

Butler and QB Anthony Morelli were in a zone when Northwestern visited for the Big Ten opener and the receiver delivered one of the top individual performances in program history. On the first play of the game, Butler caught a 40-yard reception, the initial sign of bigger things to come. Hauling in a career-best 11 receptions, including gains of 40, 49 and 55 yards (a career long), Butler rewrote the Penn State game receiving record with 216 yards. His performance broke O.J. McDuffie's mark of 212 yards (on 11 catches) set vs. Boston College in 1992 and he became just the third Lion to post 200-plus yards receiving in a game, joining McDuffie and Bobby Engram, who did it twice. Butler's 11 catches also tied McDuffie for second most by a Nittany Lion in a game … Got in the groove with Morelli right away, making a 42-yard touchdown catch on Morelli's first pass in the opener with Akron … In the battle at Notre Dame, Butler caught two balls for 14 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown catch, moving him into a tie for sixth on the Penn State career charts with 11 receiving touchdowns … Had a team-high six receptions for 66 yards in the overtime win at Minnesota and posted a game-high five receptions for 65 yards vs. Illinois … Added five catches for 40 yards at Wisconsin and four for 30 yards in the Senior Day win over Michigan State … On the first play of the Outback Bowl win over Tennessee, he made a 27-yard catch and later added a leaping 31-yard sideline grab to the Tennessee 2 to set up a Morelli touchdown pass to Andrew Quarless. Butler made three catches for 73 yards in the win over the Volunteers.

Butler was named to The Sporting News' Freshman All-America third team and Freshman All-Big Ten Conference first team … The league's media and coaches selected him All-Big Ten honorable mention … Appeared in 12 games, starting the final eight contests, as he went on to set four school freshman records, including season receptions (37), receiving yards in a game (125 vs. Wisconsin) and season (691) and touchdown catches (nine) … His 18.7 yards per catch average was tops among players with 10 or more receptions and he posted 11 catches of 20 yards or longer (seven for touchdowns) … .Added a 6-yard reverse vs. Michigan State and a solo tackle vs. Florida State … On the field for 550 plays.

His first collegiate reception was a 28-yarder vs. Cincinnati and he ended the day with two catches for 73 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown … In his first start, vs. Central Michigan, he made five receptions for 108 yards and two scores to tie Kyle Brady's school freshman mark for touchdown receptions in a game. It also was the first 100-yard game by a Lion receiver since 2003 … Made it three straight games with a touchdown when he hauled in a 26-yarder in the comeback win at Northwestern … Added a season-high six catches vs. Minnesota (83 yards) and had four receptions for 95 yards and a pair of scores in one half of play at Illinois … Grabbed five passes for a season-best 125 yards in the 35-14 win over Wisconsin, with scoring catches of 43 and 47 yards from Michael Robinson, the third of his multiple-touchdown games on the year. His 125 yards vs. the Badgers broke the school freshman receiving yardage mark … Contributed four receptions for 46 yards and a score in the Big Ten-clinching win at Michigan State.

Redshirted as a freshman after joining the team as a walk-on.

No major injuries reported.

Combine: 4.31 in the 40-yard dash … 1.47 10-yard dash … 2.50 20-yard dash … 4.48 20-yard shuttle … 7.01 three-cone drill … 34.5-inch vertical jump … 9'10" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 12 times … 31-inch arm length … 9 1/4-inch hands.

Attended Hylton High School (suburban Washington, D.C.), playing football for head coach Lou Sorrentino … A three-sport standout, he lettered four times in football and basketball, adding one more letter in track as a sprinter during his final campaign … Earned all-state, all-metro, all-district and all-area honors as a senior, serving as team captain … In 2003, Butler had 41 receptions for 1,029 yards and 16 touchdowns, leading the team to the Virginia Class AAA state championship … Also had 26 kickoff returns for 763 yards and two touchdowns … A two-way starter, he recorded 73 tackles and nine interceptions as a defensive back in 2003 and grabbed 16 career interceptions … Chosen to play in the 2004 VHSL All-Star game.

Earned his degree in Crime, Law and Justice in May 2008 and is interested in a career in forensic science … Butler and close friend Justin Norwood were co-recipients of the Robert B. Mitinger Jr. Award. The honor is presented to a senior who exhibits courage, character and social responsibility … Son of Valerie and Vernon Butler … Born Vincent Deon Butler on 1/04/86 in Fairfax, Virginia.