No matter if on or off the field, St Martinville's Mandrel Butler finds a way to make an impact.
"Seeing that it's my senior year. I'm a captain so I gotta make plays," Butler said.
"He's just a football player," St. Martinville Head Coach Vincent DeRouen said. "He may not have all the measurables. He's not going to blaze you with his 40 time. But definitely on the field, he's going to make plays."
Butler's been making plays for the Tigers, for a while now. As a freshman, he was a starting defensive back on St. Martinville's 10-0 regular season team in 2018.
"Being 10-0, it's a lot of pressure on you," Butler explained. "Everybody just doubting you, just wanting you to lose."
"With his brother, he played with a bunch of those guys coming up," DeRouen said. "He played pick up ball with them. He was definitely ready to be in that atmosphere."
Since, Butler has been the Tigers best cornerback. In 2020 as a Junior, he finished with over 30 tackles and 5 interceptions. He earned all state honors from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
"Corner is just a position made for me," Butler said. "It's an opportunity for me to go out there and be myself. Play the game that I like. I like to be physical, I like to hit, I like to catch interceptions, I like to catch interceptions. I like to catch pick 6 and talk my trash."
Butler also spends time in the backfield, where he's a big play waiting to happen at running back.
"He's just a pleasant kid. Plays everything. Offense, defense, special teams," DeRouen said. "He just does a little bit of everything for us."
At 5'10, 185 Pounds, he's considered undersized for the next level. His only Division One offer so far is from Southern. But that doubt is what continues to fuel him for excellence.
"Being slept on is painful but it's a great feeling at the same time," Butler said. "Coming out (to camps) and they have these 5 stars and 4 star (recruits), and you're dominating them? They're looking like 'woah, who is this kid?' I love being slept on."
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