It was a cool November afternoon. Polk High was down by three touchdowns in the championship game when an unassuming running back wearing the No. 33 took matters into his own hands. As a graduating senior, RB Al Bundy would go on to score four touchdowns enroute to victory, and a legend was born in the process.
The Dallas Cowboys have a similar reputation-setting performer on their roster. Like Bundy, it was one brilliant performance that lives on in local lore. Josh Butler, a down-roster cornerback from Michigan State, was making his second career start for the Cowboys. Like Bundy, Butler posted one of the most unbelievable performances of the year on a similarly cool November afternoon in 2024. Unfortunately, it’s been a one-off.
Facing Washington as Dallas fought for their playoff lives, they needed everything Butler had to make victory possible.
After only appearing in three games prior, Bulter exploded that day, posting 10 solo tackles, a sack and three passes defensed. Bulter helped the Cowboys get by the Commanders, 34-26, as he became one of the most exciting young defensive backs on the roster.
Sadly, one game later, Bulter would fall to a season-ending knee injury, the recovery of which, would bleed well into the following year. In all, Bulter has made just three career starts and played in just six career games, yet his performance that one autumn day in 2024 lives on, making one wonder if Butler still has a chance.
The Cowboys have a smorgasbord of scenarios that could play out in their secondary. Top to bottom, everything is up in the air, giving a down-roster player like Bulter just enough of a cracked door to be a name worth knowing.
At 6-foot, 182 pounds, Bulter isn’t fast, but he’s equipped for a variety of roles. The 29-year-old is well-versed in man and zone coverage, and as a special teamer, should slot in as a bubble player in training camp. Now, further removed from injury, Bulter can show everyone whether that brilliant Bundy-like performance in 2024 was a flash in the pan or a sign of more to come.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Flash of greatness: Down-roster CB must reclaim distant Cowboys magic
Reporting by Reid D Hanson, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Reid D Hanson, Cowboys Wire | USA TODAY Network
