Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Adam Butler and center Will Putnam share a bond forged in military households and the long odds of going undrafted. Both stand 6-foot-4 and 301 pounds, line up on opposite sides of the ball in Henderson practices, and credit their fathers' service for the mindset that carried them to the NFL.
Butler, a 32-year-old, nine-year veteran and Super Bowl winner with New England, grew up in Texas as the son of Clarence Butler, a retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant with 20 years of service. When Butler considered quitting football, his father refused to allow it. "He just reinforced that mindset: Just our family, we don't quit," Butler said. "We don't give up. This is who we are." The lesson stuck; Butler's social media handles read "il_never_quit."
That "soldier spirit" surfaced again this season when Butler recovered a fumble by teammate Hezekiah Masses in the fourth quarter against New Orleans, preserving a one-point lead that the Raiders turned into a touchdown drive. Off the field, Butler points to Putnam, a practice-squad center who also redshirted and played scout-team center in college, as a daily catalyst. "Every day we're out there to try to get each other better," Butler said. "Will is a high-effort guy, and he's going to look to finish the play."
Putnam's father served in the Army with deployments to the Middle East, and Butler noted a cousin of his is currently deployed there as well. The two linemen rarely discuss their parallel upbringings, but the mutual respect is understood. Butler compares the dynamic to boxers with a sparring partner: "That respect is still there. If somebody hits you the wrong way, you may jaw back at them or whatever."
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
English (US)·