Gator Country

BJ Butler has all the ingredients you want in a football player – talent, a high football I.Q. and the intestinal fortitude to make plays on the field.

The 6-3, 230-pound Butler has another thing going for him – he’s only a junior … in high school.

Indeed, Butler is one of those rare finds – a guy with superhuman size and strength who can play anywhere on the field. He also goes both ways for the entirety of games and still manages to come up with big plays for his team.

The junior has been a key factor in the resurgence of the Kissimmee Osceola football program and will certainly be sought after by colleges for his ability to do so many things on the football field.

“BJ will be a high-profile guy,” his coach Jeff Rolson said. “He is very explosive and comes off the edge faster than anybody I’ve ever seen.”

Butler will undoubtedly play defense at the next level, but where exactly is the question. Right now he is built to play linebacker but his frame and speed would allow for an easy transition to defensive end. His versatility and build are very reminiscent of former Gator Joe Cohen during days at Palm Bay High.

“I don’t know what I’m going to play in college yet,” Butler said, “I like playing defense and as long as I get on the field it doesn’t matter if it’s at linebacker or end.”

Perhaps his most important attribute is not Butler’s athleticism but his toughness. His grit on both sides of the ball was on display in two big-time games against district foe Lakeland this season.

In the first matchup, Butler played the entire game at quarterback and defensive tackle for the Kowboys. His running and scrambling ability earned Osceola two touchdowns and his dominance on the defensive line neutralized Lakeland’s running game, keeping his team in the game.

“I was tired going against that big offensive line,” Butler said. “I’m getting better at going both ways, but those guys were the biggest I’ve gone against all year. They really made me work hard for everything I got.”

It was more of the same last week as Osceola lost once again to Lakeland in a playoff rematch.

“I don’t know what to say,” Butler said. “I did what I could do for the team but we came up short.”

With Butler and a couple of other talented 2010 recruits that include Marc Deas, Anthony Gandy and Shaquille Bell, Osceola has a great shot of making a run deep into the playoffs next season. And with some key guys coming back from injuries, Butler will be able to stay on one side of the ball and showcase what he can do when not going both ways.

As for his favorite team, Butler said it’s the Gators. He said he grew up idolizing his cousin, former Gator running back and Osceola great Willie Green.

“I like the Gators a lot because Willie played for them,” he said. “We always looked up to him when we were younger and he’s been a big influence in my life.”

Butler was able to make it to Gainesville for the LSU and South Carolina games and came away supremely impressed.

“They were intense games,” he said. “I knew the Gators were going to win, especially after the Ole Miss loss, but I thought the games would be closer and they were blowouts.”

The Gators definitely have the inside track for Butler and it helps that his friend and teammate Marc Deas is a big Gator fan. Florida is going to have to compete with Florida State, Auburn, Alabama and Tennessee over the next year.

Players with both great athletic ability and mental toughness like BJ Butler are a rare commodity and in the highest demand.

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