(Former West Alabama standout Malcolm Butler seals the Patriots victory.)

With two minutes to go in Super Bowl XLIX, the intensity of the moment couldn't have been greater.

Tom Brady had just marched his New England Patriots down the field for a touchdown to erase what had been a 10-point deficit earlier in the fourth quarter and go ahead by four points. Yet, the Seattle Seahawks weren't afraid of the challenge and started their two-minute drill offense to get down the field and score.

Seattle started the ensuing drive on their own 20 yard line and immediately hit running back Marshawn Lynch on a surprising 31-yard pass. The next play, former UWA and current Patriots CB Malcolm Butler was covering Jermaine Kearse and made a great defensive break-up by knocking the pass out of the air just before it reached his hands.

The following play brought another D2 alum into the final Seahawks drive as WR Ricardo Lockette caught a Russell Wilson pass for 11 yards.

The upcoming play seemed destined to be the one everyone would be talking about in a Seattle victory as Butler seemed to have broken up another long pass to Kearse but somehow he caught the ball while lying on his back and bobbling it five times.

It was miraculous and felt like fate was on the side of the reigning Super Bowl champs.

However, after a four yard rush by Lynch, Lockette lines up opposite of Butler and the two go head-to-head on a course that will land one of them in the headlines.

Wilson dropped back to pass and hurled the pigskin toward both former D2 players. Butler timed his hit perfectly to deter Lockette's chances of catching it and then shocked the world by intercepting the ball on the goal line to seal the win for the Patriots.

Yet, don't feel too badly for Lockette. The former Fort Valley State standout already has one Super Bowl ring from last season.

What a difference a year makes

For Malcolm Butler, his football journey, at least for now, has turned out to have a fairy tale quality. One seemingly only concocted for the movies and it very well may become one.

Even in his post-game interviews it was as if he needed to pinch himself or be shook out of his dream. A dream he's had his entire life and has been coming true for several years now.

It was just last season that Butler was on Will Hall's West Alabama teams that earned two consecutive Gulf South Conference titles and went to the playoffs in 2012. To put his transition from D2 to the Super Bowl in perspective, his last interception was in the Tiger's 91-28 victory over Central State in a game viewed by just over 2,800 fans.

Hall recruited Butler from Hinds (Miss.) Community College after a topsy-turvy time there, including leaving the team and working at a fast food chain.

He was signed by New England last spring after going undrafted and worked his way up from practice squad to getting playing time and now has all the Pats stars calling him by name in interviews.

He could never play another down of football and still remain forever in the minds of Patriots Nation. I know as a life-long New England fan that I will never forget him, but certainly hopeful that he will remain with the Pats family for a long time.



Malcolm Butler is Trending

Butler's play has sparked a media frenzy and deservedly so. I mean, does anyone recall how awful last year's blowout Super Bowl was to watch?

He has gone from being covered mainly in the West Alabama Watchman to publications around the world.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-e...-unlikely-hero

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...uper-bowl-win/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...xlix/22730909/

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/20...IUK/story.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-m...atriots-2015-2

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2.../post_642.html

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...uper-bowl-hero

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/0...ornerback.html