Is it OK for me to write the words “Super Bowl?”

With everything associated with the big game Sunday being trademarked, franchised, registered and branded, even saying the words might come with a price tag.

Admittedly, when it comes to Sunday’s Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons, I am torn. At this point, I have not decided on which team to cheer for.

On one hand, the New England Patriots have been the best team in the National Football League for years.

It is a team that has a lot of fans who cheer for them, but many, many more who cheer against them.

As for Atlanta, they are the underdog. They are the team without a Super Bowl win to their name and are competing Sunday against a team who has four championships.

So while I might not have a team to cheer for, and I might be more interested in the commercials than the game itself, there is one person who I hope does have a very good game.

Vicksburg’s Malcolm Butler, the starting cornerback for the Patriots, does not need me to share his story again.

His Vicksburg Popeye’s to the best cornerback in the NFL and Super Bowl hero has been well documented. It is a story that has been shared by media outlets around the world and printed in countless magazines and newspapers.

To this moment, I can tell you exactly what I was doing the moment Butler caught the interception in Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Arizona to seal the victory for his Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks.

On that night, few outside of Vicksburg knew about Butler. That soon changed.

Two years later, Butler is nearly a household name, complete with endorsements and even a Visa commercial.

He is widely regarded as one of the top defensive backs in the NFL and is a player very few quarterbacks in the league want to challenge.

But for those who know Butler, the success he has enjoyed and has earned, has done little to change him.

At a reception on the day Vicksburg held a parade for Butler after his Super Bowl heroics, I had the chance to meet him and joined my family in posing for a picture with him. He was gracious, humble and made time for everyone in the line wanting to shake his hand, get an autograph and take a picture.

On that day, Butler was Vicksburg royalty.

He continues to come home to support the Vicksburg community and each summer hosts a football camp to encourage young children.

Sunday’s game is a big one. It’s the biggest.

But don’t expect the outcome of that game to change Malcolm Butler or change how his hometown perceives their “Super Hero.”
Tim Reeves is publisher of The Vicksburg Post. He can be reaced at tim.reeves@vicksburgpost.com.