Deon Butler's Rookie Diary

After five weeks of limited playing time and no catches, Deon Butler got an opportunity to make a play in last Sunday's 32-20 comeback victory over Detroit. And he delivered with an 8-yard reception.

It was nothing special, nothing to brag about, but for Butler, it mattered. Even better, the Seahawks snapped a two-game losing streak.

"It was good to make a play, even if it was only a small one," he said.

In this week's installment of his rookie diary, the wide receiver talks more about that small play, his father and an upcoming autograph signing.

'I'm back'

"I caught a pass last week! I'm back. I'm back after my hiatus. It felt good. It felt like I was helping out. That's all you can do. This definitely was the longest time between catches I had endured, but it's different from if you're playing, and you're not getting open or the ball is not coming your way. I wasn't out on the field much, so I didn't lose my confidence or anything like that. So this was just a good feeling.

"RP, my (wide receivers) coach, Robert Prince, gave me a little pound as I came off the field after making the catch. Then he gave me a high-five and said, 'Way to hold on.' There was no big deal made about it or anything. In the NFL, they pay you to do your job. I was open, the pass was there, so I had to do my job and catch it. The only joke about it came on the sideline when Deion Branch found me. He said something funny, but he was talking so fast, in that Southern accent, that I can't remember exactly what he said. He says so much.

"Deion Branch is just the funniest guy. I told him that his celebrations are longer than his plays. He catches a 5-yard pass, and he celebrates for 10 seconds. I love that, though. He's so fired up about playing the game. He plays hard. He's a winner. I definitely respect that about him."

'I made some food ... and I'm still living'

"My dad and my agent came up for the game last week. We had a good time. For my dad, it was the first time he's seen my place since I got my new couch. I think he's happy to know I'm living normal now.

"I made some food for them. I went deep into my repertoire, into the cooking wells, and made some lasagna. It wasn't bad. I ate it — and I'm still living. The best part is I can snack on that all week. Now it's motivated me to try to make a dish every week or couple of weeks or something. Maybe I can get away from all that frozen food."

'He knows more than I do about what's going on'

"My dad's name is Vernon Butler. He works in security at the high school back home (C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, Va.). He's a real people person. He knows how to vibe with young kids and young adults. He knows more than I do about what's going on. He knows so many stories about what the kids are doing. I took him to meet T.J. (Houshmandzadeh). We went to T.J.'s place, and they talked a long time, and Dad would've talked to T.J. for another 30 minutes if he could've. He enjoys everything about this NFL life — meeting the other players, meeting fans, cheering at the games, everything. It's really cool to see your family have fun like that. It's one of the thrills of being a professional athlete."

'A chance for me to get out and meet people'

"I just talked to my agent. He told me I've got an autograph-signing coming up. On Nov. 24, I will be at the Sports Authority in Northgate from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. And from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., I'll be at a Sports Authority in Lake Stevens.

"That's a chance for me to get out and meet people. So, for the people that read my diary and leave comments, come on out. I'd love to get to meet some of you.

"You know what? I haven't been to a Sports Authority since middle school. That's where I used to buy my cleats and wristbands before I started getting them free because I was on the high-school and college teams and now in the NFL. Back in the day, whatever colors you saw in the Eastbay catalog, you hoped that Sports Authority had 'em. It's funny: I used to play a whole season with two pairs of gloves. I just had a main pair and a backup. Now, I go through a pair a game. When you're buying that gear yourself, you're real careful with your stuff. Man, life has changed."

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@seattletimes.com, Twitter: @Jerry_Brewer