Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
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6 CAVALIER CORNER cavalier sports L ast year, graduate student defensive end Kam Butler started each of UVA's first four games, leading the team in sacks (3.5) and tackles for loss (5), and ranking third in total tackles (23), to that point in the campaign. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the fourth game against North Carolina State. Butler was granted a medical redshirt and is looking to finish out his UVA career on a high note in 2024. Through three games this sea- son, he had contributed 11 tackles and 1 forced fumble. Cavalier Corner: Who was the first person in your life that intro- duced you to football? Butler: "It was probably my dad. My dad played college football at Thomas More University in Kentucky. I did a lot of drills with him growing up when I was a little kid. I loved watching the Cincinnati Bengals. I was always a Bengals fan growing up. I just wanted to play football and look like one of those guys. "But I almost quit football. I almost quit when I was younger because practice was hard, but I ended up playing anyway. Thank God I did." Cavalier Corner: What has been your favorite memory during your time here at UVA? Butler: "That first season when I got here [2022], there was a lot that didn't go well, but I think that Georgia Tech game was one of the happiest post-games I've ever been a part of. "I don't really know why but it just felt really, really good to win and we had a good game on defense. To be part of that, it was awesome. And also playing North Carolina [in 2023]. I didn't play that game. To be on the sidelines was sick." Cavalier Corner: What other sports did you play in high school that helped contribute to your success on the football field? Butler: "Growing up, I played basketball, but once I got to high school, I stopped. Our team was loaded. "I did track and field for like a year and a half. I threw the discus and shot put. I played in- tramural basketball in high school, that was fun. It was a pretty big deal. The whole school was in on it." Cavalier Corner: What was the initial draw to playing football at the University of Virginia? Butler: "Obviously academics. To get a master's degree was really, really appealing when I was in the transfer portal. I actually came here on a visit when I was a sophomore in high school going into my junior year. Even then I just really liked it and it was just an unofficial visit. I watched practice and walked around Grounds. It was different staff at the time, but even then I knew this was a place I could see myself. "I didn't get an offer out of high school, but when I was in the transfer portal and got the of- fer, I felt like I couldn't turn it down. It felt like a full-circle moment." Cavalier Corner: Whenever it comes, what does life after football look like for you? Butler: "I'm not 100 percent sure but I know that I will try to stay involved and be around the game of football. Whether that's trying to get into a front office somewhere, coaching or strength training. "I'm not certain what it would look like yet, but I definitely want to be around the game." — Scott Fitzgerald five questions with Graduate Student Defensive End Kam Butler Last year, Butler started each of Virginia's first four games, leading the team in sacks (3.5) and tackles for loss (5) to that point in the campaign.(Photo courtesy UVA)