Malcom Butler On Saving Super Bowl 49
by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton
February 3, 2026
“It probably runs across my mind at least once a week.”
The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will meet in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2015’s memorable contest when rookie Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson’s pass in the end zone with 20 seconds left in the game.
The Patriots escaped with a 28 to 24 win. And Butler’s life was never the same.
“It changed my life a lot,” Butler, 35, told USA Today Sports. “More money. More recognition. More expectations.”
Today, the play “probably runs across my mind at least once a week,” Butler added. “I sit around the house, and I’m so grateful for all the things I’ve got. Even if I didn’t make that play, my life was going to be good, because I was always a hustler, a grinder, who is going to make things happen, no matter what. But that really changed my life.”
With less than 20 seconds remaining and the Patriots leading by only four points, 28-24, the Seahawks were poised to defeat New England. The ball was on New England’s half-yard line. And Marshawn Lynch, an unstoppable runner, was in the backfield. But Wilson went back to pass and Butler stepped up.
“Man, you’ve got to be ready when the opportunity presents itself,” he said.
Although Butler was never a superstar, people still remember him because of one play. He won another Super Bowl ring with the Patriots before retiring 2022. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady also gave Butler the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado he received for being the game’s most valuable player.
Butler still has it, too. “That’s not a truck,” Butler explained. “It’s a trophy.”
The Super Bowl hero will be in attendance, cheering for the Patriots. “It’s the Super Bowl again. You know it’s going to be special. But it ain’t about me. It’s about those players getting the job done. I feel like I’m playing, but I’m not. I’m going to be here supporting my team.”
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