2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Mikal Butler, CB, King’s College

• Name: Mikal Butler
• Height: 5’8”
• Weight: 170
• Position: Corner
• College: King’s College
• Twitter: @ButlerMikal

Tell us about your hometown, and what you love most about it?

•  I was raised in Freeport, Long Island. I lived there until I was about 13 so I don’t remember all the details of the area. However, the things I loved most were the nautical mile and living close to the water. The nautical mile is a small strip of restaurants and game shops. Every year there’s also a carnival that comes and it’s always a great time. 

List these three in order of importance and why: Film Study, Strength and Conditioning and Practice?

•  Practice, Film Study, and then Strength and Conditioning. I put them in this order because I feel as though If you practice hard on your technique and how your defense needs to be run then it won’t matter what anyone does your sound defense will prevail. Before you can worry about someone else you have to worry about yourself. Then comes the film study, now even though you have to worry about yourself what the other team likes to do is very important. Your ability to find out what they like to do the most in certain situations, what they’re good at or not good at, and exploit those things to your advantage. Lastly, is strength and conditioning because although you want to be strong and well conditioned there are ways to get around it. You can overcome strength with good technique and physics such as having lower centers of gravity and better leverage. Conditioning can be overcome by placement on the field, this meaning as long as you’re in the right spot running can be limited and the defense can still work effectively.

What do you worry about, and why?

•  I don’t worry about a lot of things in life. As of right now, I worry about the things any 20 years old will worry about. Graduating from school, where and what I’m going to do after school, and football of course. In the long run, I worry about being happy with my life. We only have one life to live and I’ll be ok with however my life turns out as long as I’m happy.

Give me an example of when you failed at something. How did you react and how did you overcome failure?

•  Failure is something that just happens throughout life. I think the biggest failure to me was not being able to start in high school. I was always too small, not fast enough, not strong enough. Yet I loved the game so much I didn’t want to quit. I told myself I don’t know where but I’m going to play in college. So I started running track to increase my speed, I increase my caloric intake to gain weight, I went to the gym by myself five times a week to get stronger, and I went to the field almost every day by myself to better my craft. I was blessed enough to get the opportunity to play in college and have been starting since my sophomore year. It’s one of my biggest accomplishments.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

•  I think my teammates respect my work ethic. They’ve seen me working while no ones around. They’ve seen me do drills at 100% and want to get better at everything I do. There have been times where I’ll get beat on a route and the next day I’m out on the field working on how to make myself better so it doesn’t happen again.

Who is the best player you have ever played against in college?

•  There have been a lot of guys that have had the opportunity to play at the next level in our conference, but most of them were defensive. The one offensive player I can remember being the biggest issue for our team was Devantury Ellis from Delaware Valley. He was their running back at the time and was able to get an invite to the Eagles rookie mini camp.

What would your career be if you couldn’t play football? 

•  Athletic training

Room, desk, and car – which do you clean first?

•  Desk, Room, then Car

If there was a disaster and you could either save three strangers or one family member, which would you choose and why?

•  I think it depends who the family member is. If it’s my mother then I would save her above all odds. However, if the family member was distant or old and I had the opportunity to save three people then I would.

If you could be any television or movie character, who would you be and why?

•  I would want to be Naruto. Seems like a childish show but he embodies what I believe in as a man and that’s that no matter what people think or where you come from with hard work and dedication you can achieve your goal.

Tell me about your biggest adversity in life and how you’ve dealt with or overcome it?

•  The biggest adversity I face as an athlete is probably my size. It’s out of my control so I have to get past it somehow to do the things I want to do. To overcome it I just have to work harder than anyone else. I know that if I outwork the man across from me it doesn’t matter what he does I’ll end up on top.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

•  I don’t really have embarrassing moments, at least nothing that jumps out at me.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

•  The play that I’ll never forget would be during my very first college start. We were playing Lebanon Valley and they were driving down the field when we desperately needed a stop. They a dive to the left side our defensive right and the running back shredded a tackle and I came in and landed a second hit. My arm and shoulder went right where the ball was causing a fumble and our free safety landed on it. That might have been the most exciting play I’ve ever been a part of.

What song best describes your work ethic?

•  Can’t be touched by Roy Jones Jr.

What is the most important trait you can have (Physical or Non-Physical) to help you succeed at the next level? 

•  My work ethic and I want to be better. I’m willing to work above and beyond to get to where I need to be.

If you could bring one person back from the dead for one day, who would it be and why?

•  My grandfather because he always supported me playing football and would come to all my peewee games. He, unfortunately, passed away before he could see me play in high school and now college. I would want to make him proud.

If you were to open a dance club, what would you name it? 

•  Grind Time

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

•  Crevon Leblanc

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

•  Respected

What player who had his career derailed by off-field issues do you feel for the most and why?

•  I don’t really have any one player that comes to mind but there are plenty of athletes that have had their careers ruined by false rape charges and I believe Shawn Oakman was the latest to fall suit of this. It’s just very unfortunate that a bad relationship has to ruin someone’s entire life.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

•  Definitely hate to lose

Who has been the biggest influence on your life and explain why?

• My biggest influence is my mom. She’s just someone who jumps over every hurdle that life throws at her and no matter what she tries her very best. Her hard work and dedication show in her career and if I could be half as good as her I’ll be very lucky.