In three years, Malcolm Butler has gone from an undrafted rookie to one of the NFL best cornerbacks. The story is so inspiring that the New England Patriots star will be immortalized in a movie.
“Daniel Levin, whose Narrative Capital produced Lion, has acquired Butler’s life rights for a biopic titled The Secondary,” per Tatiana Siegel of The Hollywood Reporter. “Levin’s instincts have been sound: He obtained Lion subject Saroo Brierley’s rights after reading about him in Vanity Fair, and now the movie is up for six Oscars. Likewise, he saw promise in the story of an undrafted Butler, who just three years ago was running the fryolator at a Popeyes chicken joint when his agent, Derek Simpson, secured him a tryout with the Patriots.”
Siegel also stated that the film will tell the story of Simpson, who’s persistence helped Butler get a chance in the NFL.
“Lion and The Secondary are against-all-odds stories of struggle and inspiration,” Levin said, via Siegel. “Derek would not stop until Malcolm got a chance.”
There’s certainly a lot to tell in this story.
What we already know is that Butler played college football at Hinds Community College in Mississippi and Alcorn State before finally landing at West Alabama. Less than a year after going undrafted, Butler made the deciding interception in Super Bowl XLIX, picking off a Russell Wilson pass in a play that will live on in NFL highlights for years to come.
That, in and of itself, would make for a good story for the big screen. The additional stories of Butler and his agent make the potential plot even more intriguing.