Perhaps nothing epitomizes Penn State football more than the walk-ons, and today’s profiled player is one of those who, like so many before him, chose to pay to play for the Nittany Lions.  And that can be directly attributed to Joe Paterno, who has created an atmosphere where perseverance and hard work triumph over raw skill and athleticism.

The seventh member of the 44 for 44 is Deon Butler.

As chronicled earlier, Deon Butler wasn’t the kind of kid who scouts raved over. He wasn’t a high school All-American, he didn’t play in any all-star games, and, more importantly, he didn’t get the one D-1 scholarship he really wanted.  But rather than enroll at Fordham or Georgetown or some other, smaller school where he would be a star from day one, Butler decided to follow his mother’s advice, and realize his dreams.  That decision would pay off pretty well for all parties.

After an initial redshirt season, Butler burst onto the scene in 2005, and along with fellow freshmen Jordan Norwood and Derrick Williams, became a starter and top target for Michael Robinson.  Of those three amigos, each took a different path to Penn State.  Butler was the walk-on cornerback, Norwood the coach’s son, and Derrick Williams the #1 prospect in the country.  But they all broke through at the same time, and will be forever inextricably linked in Penn State lore.

But after Williams suffered an broken arm that forced him out of the last 6 games of the season, Butler became the Lions’ #1 receiver. Taking on a more high-profile position, the freshman set a Penn State freshman record with 125 yards, 2-touchdown performance against Wisconsin, and ended up with 37 catches and close to 700 yards to go along with 9 touchdowns.  Not only did Deon lead the team in  each category, but he set Penn State rookie records in each. Standing just 5-10, and weighing in at a mere 168 pounds, Butler wasn’t an imposing figure, but his route running and speed of the line let him succeed in spite of it.

As Butler matured, he only improved, and despite the erraticism of Anthony Morelli, Deon caught 48 and 47 passes in his sophomore and junior seasons.  At the same time, though, he struggled to quite match the explosiveness of his freshman campaign, managing just 6 touchdown passes over the two years.  Rather than a deep threat, Butler had become the model of consistency and one of Morelli’s favorite downfield targets, leading the team each year in yardage.  One game in his sophomore season stands out in particular–an 11-catch, 216-yard performance that set a new Penn State record.

But when Penn State’s offense rebounded in 2008, so too did Deon Butler.  Once again catching 47 passes in his senior season, Butler returned to his roots as a deep threat, averaging over 17 yards per catch to go along with 7 touchdowns in 2008.  Once again Penn State’s leader in receiving yards, Butler became Penn State’s all-time leading receiver in his third-to-last game against Indiana, finishing his productive career with 189 catches. And Butler ended his career in style–while Penn State rolled over Michigan State to clinch the Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl berth, Butler caught 3 passes–all for touchdowns–with 133 yards through the air.

At the NFL combine in 2009, Butler ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds, among the top times of any player. That improved Butler’s draft stock to the point where the former walk-on was drafted in the 3rd round by Seattle, for whom he has caught 15 passes last season.  Perhaps only at Penn State could a walk-on make his mark and outshine the former #1 recruit in the country, but even when it came to the NFL draft, Butler did just that.

Butler was never an All-American. He was never even an All-Conference player.  But that was only fitting for a player who came in to Penn State without any of the accolades, and yet still managed to rewrite the history books.