Malcolm Butler's transformation from Super Bowl hero to bona fide star

New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler was largely an afterthought during his first professional season, unknown to even some of the most dedicated analysts in the game. Butler catapulted into a national sensation after making a game-saving interception in Super Bowl XLIX, even as fans and writers guffawed "who?" in the heat of action.

During the following two seasons, Butler proved why he's anything but a one-play wonder, culminating in a Pro Bowl selection in 2015 and second-team All-Pro honors in 2016. Butler also became a favorite of the analytics crowd, grading out as the sixth-best cornerback overall and fourth-best corneback in coverage by Pro Football Focus.

In this piece, we break down why Butler's transformed from a previously anonymous playoff hero to one of the NFL's best cornerbacks, as the Patriots gear up for another Super Bowl run.

Butler's terrific ball skills and awareness have elevated him to the upper echelon of NFL cornerbacks, and he's spent the latter two seasons tormenting his divisional rivals. On this play, Butler sits back while his intended receiver isn't expected to get the ball. Ryan Fitzpatrick attempts to fire a bullet pass to Robby Anderson, but the play backfires when the ball deflects off his hands into the air. Butler, who was sitting back in coverage monitoring Charone Peake, flies into action and plucks the ball out of the air before turning upfield for a sizable gain.

The 26-year-old's elevation into one of the NFL's lockdown corners is on full display in the video above, neutralizing Denver Broncos wideout Emmanuel Sanders in a Week 15 victory. Butler sticks with Sanders for the entire route and does a good job of rotating his hips when the wide receiver spins away, closing any potential window in the blink of an eye. Sanders said Butler didn't shut him down but the results say otherwise, held to three receptions on six targets.

Butler is quickly becoming one of the best players at delivering crushing blows in the open field, as Rams wide receiver Pharoh Cooper quickly found out. After the snap, Butler initially stays with his man on the outside, tracking him step for step but reroutes as soon as the safety provides help. Butler then lets his initial target run free and reads Jared Goff's eyes, sprinting towards Cooper. As the wide receiver turns with the ball, Butler levels him with a crushing blow, jarring the ball loose, belying his 5-foot-11, 190-pound frame.

Boasting a combination of elite ball skills, physicality and closing speed, Butler's gone from a folk hero to a legitimate star, and is a major reason why the Patriots held opponents to a league-best 15.6 points per game. Although his iconic Super Bowl XLIX interception will always be the first thing that comes to mind, Butler is more than a snippet in history and Ben Roethlisberger will be hyper aware of where he is on every snap.