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Home , Bill Belichick, Brandon Bolden, Chris White (linebacker), Deontae Skinner, Kyle Arrington, Malcolm Butler

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2015

By: Senator(s) Hopson, Burton, Ward, Butler To: Rules (38th), Carmichael, Chassaniol, Clarke, Fillingane, Frazier, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), Kirby, Massey, Montgomery, Parker, Watson

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 561

1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION SALUTING AND CONGRATULATING NEW 2 ENGLAND PATRIOTS STRONG SAFETY AND VICKSBURG NATIVE 3 FOR HIS GAME-SAVING IN XLIX AT UNIVERSITY 4 OF PHOENIX STADIUM ON FEBRUARY 1, 2015. 5 WHEREAS, on the 32nd defensive snap by the New England 6 Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX, undrafted rookie and 7 Vicksburg, Mississippi, native Malcolm Butler came on the field

8 for the first time. He was part of a coaching adjustment that 9 ultimately saved the team's heart-pounding, 28-24 victory over the 10 ; and 11 WHEREAS, not only was one of the heroes of Super Bowl XLIX a 12 little-known player out of and Division II 13 West Alabama, but he also wasn't even part of the team's original 14 Championship Game plan. That all changed after the opening drive

15 of the third quarter, when the Patriots' coaching staff inserted 16 Malcolm Butler into the game for . The nickelback 17 was having trouble matching the size and length of 6-foot-5, 18 218-pound receiver Chris Matthews on vertical routes. In turning 19 to the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Butler as their fifth defensive back S. C. R. No. 561 *SS02/R998* ~ OFFICIAL ~ N1/2 15/SS02/R998 PAGE 1 (tb\rc) 20 in sub packages, they entrusted a player teammates call "Strap" or 21 "Scrap," depending on whom you ask. Butler picked up the nickname 22 after signing with the Patriots on May 19, after teammates noticed 23 him putting the "straps" on receivers on the practice field. 24 said he came up with it, and some 25 teammates turned it into "Scrap" because Butler was always

26 scrapping for the ball. When Super Bowl XLIX was on the line, it 27 was Butler's scrappy play, along with instincts and athleticism, 28 that delivered a Championship to New England for the first time 29 since the 2004 season; and 30 WHEREAS, in many ways, Malcolm Butler is the underdog story 31 of all underdog stories, after playing at West Alabama, going 32 undrafted and having only the Patriots offer him a tryout well

33 after most 90-man rosters had been filled. Before that, he had 34 played only two seasons at Vicksburg High School in Mississippi 35 and then attended Hinds Community College, where he left as a 36 freshman in 2009 and later found himself working a part-time job 37 at Popeye's. What he learned then was how much he missed

38 football, and when he was invited back to Hinds in 2011, he 39 promised himself to never again take his opportunities for

40 granted. That propelled him to West Alabama in 2012 and 2013, 41 where he proved himself one of the best players in the Gulf Coast 42 Conference. By the time he arrived in the NFL, it didn't take 43 long for him to make an impression on his Patriots teammates with 44 athleticism and explosiveness; and

S. C. R. No. 561 *SS02/R998* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 15/SS02/R998 PAGE 2 (tb\rc) 45 WHEREAS, Butler played 18 defensive snaps in Super Bowl XLIX. 46 "Unbelievable play," quarterback said. "I saw the 47 interception and couldn't believe it"; and 48 WHEREAS, in addition to Malcolm Butler, there was lots of 49 Mississippi flavor in Super Bowl XLIX. We call ourselves the 50 Magnolia State. But where the Super Bowl matchup of Seattle and

51 New England is concerned, Mississippi is the " State." 52 Jamie Collins, from McCall Creek, Franklin County High School and 53 Southern Miss, is an athlete new England Coach has 54 compared to . He leads the Patriots in tackles. 55 Seattle outside linebacker K.J. Wright played at Olive Branch and 56 Mississippi State. He heads the Seahawks in tackles and, like 57 Collins, also excels in pass coverage. Mississippi has produced

58 the two leading tacklers in the game. New England backup middle 59 linebacker , the former C Spire winner, 60 is from Vancleave and Mississippi State. The patriots offer more 61 Mississippi connections: Collins and White, former Ole Miss 62 running back Brandon Bolden and former East Mississippi CC running

63 back LaGarrette Blount. The Patriots kicker is 64 from Madison Central, and has played in the Super Bowl before.

65 Linebacker of Macon is on the Pats' practice 66 squads and Mississippi State and running back of 67 Natchez is on injured reserve. Also on the Seahawks is 68 D'Iberville's Kevin Norwood, a who played his 69 college ball at Alabama; and

S. C. R. No. 561 *SS02/R998* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 15/SS02/R998 PAGE 3 (tb\rc) 70 WHEREAS, on football's biggest stage, Mississippian Malcolm 71 Butler is the hero of Super Bowl XLIX: 72 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF 73 MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That 74 we do hereby salute and congratulate strong 75 safety and Vicksburg native Malcolm Butler for his game-saving

76 interception in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium 77 on February 1, 2015, and it is with great pride that we recognize 78 this Mississippian as the hero of professional football's biggest 79 event bringing honor to our state and extend our best wishes to 80 Malcolm and his family for future success. 81 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to 82 Malcolm Butler, forwarded to the CEO of the New England Patriots

83 Football Team, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.

S. C. R. No. 561 *SS02/R998* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 15/SS02/R998 ST: Salute New England Patriots Strong Safety PAGE 4 (tb\rc) and Vicksburg native Malcolm Butler for game- saving interception in Super Bowl XLIX.