2017 Football Roster
Roster
Butler, Matthew
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Jersey Number 56
Matthew Butler
- Position:
- DL
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-4 / 274
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Raleigh, N.C.
- High School:
- Garner Senior
Bio
2022 NFL Combine Invitee
2022 East-West Shrine Game Invitee
2021 CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team
2021 SEC Community Service Team
2021 CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 First Team
2021 William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
2021 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll
2020 CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 First Team
2021 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Recipient
2020 SEC McWhorter Award Nominee
2020 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll
2019 CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 First Team
2019 SEC Community Service Team
2018-19 VOLeaders Academy
2019 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll
2018 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll
2017-18 First Year SEC Academic Honor Roll
CAREER
A powerful interior defensive lineman for the Vols who was also a leader on and off the field … Elected to return for his “super” senior season and appeared in 53 games with 26 starts in his five seasons ... Made a huge jump into a significant NFL prospect in his final season … Collected 152 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks for a loss of 55 yards … One of the SEC’s top scholar-athletes, who was the recipient of a 2021 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and a nominee for the 2021 SEC McWhorter Award … Became the seventh Vol football student-athlete to receive the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship dating back to 1971 … Five-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and was chosen to the 2018-19 VOLeaders Academy … Earned his undergraduate degree in December 2020 … Named a 2021 CoSIDA Second-Team All-American … Selected to play in the 2022 East-West Shrine Game in Las Vegas ... Invited to the 2022 NFL Combine in March.
2021 – SENIOR (FIFTH YEAR)
Became one of the top interior defensive linemen in the SEC under first-year coach Rodney Garner … Played in all 13 games with 12 starts … Saw action on 726 snaps on the year, most among SEC players … Led all defensive linemen on the squad in tackles (47) and was fourth on the team in tackles for loss (8.5) and third in sacks (5) ... Added seven QB hurries and one forced fumble … Rated among the top 10 SEC defensive linemen in rush defense according to PFF … In his final start, notched four tackles and a QB hurry in the Music City Bowl (12/30) vs. Purdue … Had two tackles and a QB hurry vs. Vanderbilt (11/27) ... Made six tackles and a sack in win vs. South Alabama (11/20) ... Collected three tackles, an eight-yard sack and a QBH vs. top-ranked Georgia (11/13) ... Had six tackles and a QBH in win at No. 18 Kentucky (11/6) ... Set new career highs in tackles (9) and quarterback hurries (2) at No. 4 Alabama (10/23) while playing 69 snaps ... Set new career highs in sacks (2.0) and TFLs (2.0) and also forced a fumble vs. No. 13 Ole Miss (10/16) ... Tallied two tackles and a sack in win vs. South Carolina (10/9) ... Notched two tackles in win at Mizzou (10/2) ... Made three tackles at No. 11 Florida (9/25) ... Registered seven tackles and 1.5 TFLs vs. Pitt (9/11) ... Started at DT in season-opening win vs. Bowling Green (9/2), recording one tackle and 0.5 TFLs.
2020 – SENIOR
Proved to be UT’s most consistent defensive lineman, starting all 10 games and posting five or more tackles five times ... Played on 499 defensive snaps … Finished the year with 43 tackles, which was tops among all Vol defensive linemen and fourth overall on the squad … Added three tackles for loss, two sacks, four quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one pass breakup ... Made four tackles in season finale vs. No. 5 Texas A&M (12/19) ... Set a season high with seven tackles and also had a sack, a QB hurry and a forced fumble at Vanderbilt (12/12) ... Had six tackles, including half a TFL and a QB hurry in solid performance at No. 23 Auburn (11/21) ... Made six tackles, including half a TFL at Arkansas (11/7) ... Totaled six tackles and also had a sack and a QB hurry vs. No. 2 Alabama (10/24) ... Made five tackles vs. Kentucky (10/17) ... Finished with four tackles at No. 3 Georgia (10/10).
2019 – JUNIOR
Led all Tennessee defensive lineman with 45 tackles … Started four games and appeared in all 13 contests as a major contributor … Starts came against Mississippi State (10/12), Alabama (10/19), Vanderbilt (11/30) and Indiana (1/2) … Tied season high with five tackles six times, including against Indiana in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (1/2) … Added a half-sack against the Hoosiers … Notched five tackles against Vanderbilt (11/30) … Had four tackles and a PBU in win at Mizzou (11/23) … Recorded five tackles in UT’s road win over Kentucky (11/9) … Recorded his third five-tackle performance at No. 1 Alabama while posting a half-tackle-for-loss (10/19) ... Made his first-career start at home against Mississippi State, recording three tackles, a TFL and a sack (10/12) ... Collected five tackles vs. Georgia (10/5) and against Florida (9/21) … Selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team and SEC Academic Honor Roll.
2018 – SOPHOMORE
Played in nine games, finishing with 13 tackles and one tackle for loss … Totaled three stops and a half-tackle for loss at Vanderbilt (11/24) … Notched two tackles against Alabama (10/20) and Missouri (11/17) … Set a season-high four tackles vs. Florida (9/22) … Had one tackle against ETSU (9/8) and Kentucky (11/10).
2017 – FRESHMAN
Saw time in eight games and totaled four tackles … Made first-career tackle, a three-yard TFL, in his collegiate debut vs. Indiana State (9/9) … Tallied two tackles at Missouri (11/11).
HIGH SCHOOL
Rated as a four-star prospect out of Garner Senior High School … Named to 2016 North Carolina Associated Press All-State Class 4A Team … Starred in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas … Finished with 96 tackles, including 44 TFLs and 26 sacks as a senior, leading Garner Senior to a 12-2 record and appearance in the regional semifinals.
PERSONAL
Full name is Matthew Edward Butler … Born on June 10, 1999, in Fayetteville, North Carolina … Son of Phillip and Madelyn Butler … Has two siblings, Phylicia and Theo … Earned undergraduate degree in political science in December 2020 while maintaining a 3.63 GPA ... Recipient of the Templeton Athletic Scholarship Endowment and the Phillip Fulmer Award for Excellence Scholarship … Enjoys cooking … Had the opportunity to visit Rwanda, Africa, as part of VOLeaders program in July 2019 ... Also wants to visit Ghana, Nigeria and Egypt … Favorite movies Rocky IV and The Dark Knight … Aspires to go into criminal justice after football … Moved from Fayetteville to Raleigh … Family lives in Garner, North Carolina … Learned to love football when he was in the eighth grade at Garner Senior and knew he could play at college level … Father of three-year daughter, who is “the pride of his life.” ... Twitter handle is @mattbutler_45 and Instagram handle is matthewbutler.94.
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