FOXBORO, Mass. — When did Adam Butler know the New England Patriots were the team for him? As soon as he met Bill Belichick.
Butler, who made his first NFL start last Sunday after signing with New England as an undrafted rookie, was drawn to the Patriots after sitting down with Belichick for a surprise film session at his Vanderbilt pro day.
“I had no idea he was there,” Butler said Wednesday. “I was just casually walking back from the workout, and (Vanderbilt assistant athletic director) Jason Grooms and (James) Dobson, the strength coach, just pulled me to the side and said, ‘Hey, Bill Belichick’s in there waiting for you.’
“And I’m like, ‘What?! When did he get here?’ ”
Butler, Belichick and Vanderbilt defensive back Torren McGaster then spent two hours breaking down video of the Commodores’ 13-6 loss to Florida last season — a game in which Butler had two sacks and two tackles for loss.
One of those sacks can be seen in the YouTube video below, complete with hilarious commentary.
Butler’s biggest takeaway from that unexpected sit-down with one of the greatest head coaches in NFL history?
“He’s a very serious guy, and he knows his stuff,” the 23-year-old said. “There’s no question about that.”
He added: “It was basically a big quiz. He was asking me, ‘What do you do on this play? Explain the dynamic of this play.’ And I just had to basically talk defense.”
The meeting resonated with Butler, and when he did not hear his name called in the 2017Â NFL Draft, the Patriots were the only team he seriously considered signing with — mostly because they were the only team that truly seemed to want him. Butler also received a positive review of the New England organization from former Vandy teammate Vince Taylor, who spent a few months with the Patriots in the summer of 2015.
“I did have other offers,” Butler said. “… (But after) talking to some of the other options that I had, it seemed like they didn’t really want me as bad as the Patriots did. So I just went for the Patriots.
“You can tell when someone’s blowing smoke. It’s not hard to tell. (The other teams) were clearly blowing smoke.”
Belichick also revisited that pro-day chat Wednesday, saying he felt confident after sitting down with Butler that he possessed the type of versatility the Patriots’ defense covets. Butler already has showcased that, playing all over the defensive line during the opening few weeks of his NFL career.
(During that same trip to Vanderbilt, Belichick also sat down for a film review with linebacker Zach Cunningham. Cunningham ended up being drafted by the Houston Texans, who will visit the Patriots this Sunday.)
Butler has been one of the pleasant surprises of this Patriots season, not only earning a roster spot but also playing 48.9 percent of defensive snaps through two games — third-most among New England D-linemen/ends behind Trey Flowers and Malcom Brown.
“The story about undrafted free agents is that you really don’t have a shot to make it, unless you’re just — whatever,” Butler said. “That’s the stigma. But hearing (what Belichick said) sort of gave me some hope that if I just give it everything I got, I can make it.”
Thumbnail photo via Zack Cox/NESN.comÂ
