Deon Butler's Rookie Diary

Deon Butler is trying to play it cool. He really is. But mention his big play from last Sunday enough — a 32-yard reception that set up the Seahawks' game-winning field goal — and a grin takes over his face.

Over the past five days, Butler has had plenty of opportunities to relive the moment. From phone calls to film sessions, the signature play of his rookie season continues to grab attention. This installment of his weekly rookie diary is all about his breakthrough reception.

'My mom was screaming'

"I've gotten a lot of texts, a lot of calls. A lot of people saw the play on ESPN or heard it on the radio or watched it live. Everyone was just excited that I was in the game, and then to make a big play like that, it was kind of like people are hoping it's the start of something good. They're used to that at Penn State, but they haven't seen that out of me here. It's kind of a breath of fresh air for them. Everyone was so happy. They were just calling and texting — and madness.

"My mom was screaming for the first minute and a half on the phone after the game. My dad called me, and my mom was in the background just yelling random stuff, just expressing her excitement. I was laughing. She wouldn't stop, and me and my dad couldn't start talking until she was done. That was really funny.

"Obviously, I haven't done it at this level yet, but I'm used to making plays. In college, I made plays. Just like you have to have a short memory with a bad play, with a great play, you can soak it in, but you have to get on to the next one. You've got to keep it moving. Otherwise, you'll be no good because you'll just be thinking about the last play. Now, we have another game to try to win against Houston, so it'll be another big challenge."

'Aww, how'd he get so much separation?'

"Yeah, I've heard that (San Francisco coach) Mike Singletary was talking about me. He thought I pushed off. (Looks over at T.J. Houshmandzadeh) See, T.J., I told you, man!"

Houshmandzadeh chimes in: "Singletary knows he ain't push off! It's called separation."

Butler: "It's that good technique, man. I'm learning from guys like T.J. We call it stacking people. You stack a guy. You know, you get even with him and then run a straight line. Some cornerbacks want to push you to the sideline, and you run straight and cut them off. The way Matt (Hasselbeck) threw the ball, I saw it and he never saw it, so when I faded to the ball, maybe to him it was like, 'Aww, how'd he get so much separation?' I was running a straight line and just faded to it, and that's what creates the separation. That's part of being a deep threat or even a good wide receiver, period. You've got to learn how to create separation."

"It's been cold. To me, it's nothing really new. There's no snow on the ground, so that's the only thing different from Penn State. It's like a cold winter at Penn State. It's nothing out of the ordinary for me. It's not really raining or anything, so I'm good. I'll just wear my Northface, and I'm good."

'I'm not expecting to be a world beater all of a sudden'

"On film, the play looked good, but it was definitely a lot more fun experiencing it in real life. The crowd erupting and T.J. lifting me in the air and everybody getting excited, guys smacking me on the helmet all crazy, so hard. In person, it was a great feeling. Seeing it on film, it looked just like I thought it would look. I created some good separation, and Matt threw a great one. In person, it was better, though.

"For me, this helps with my confidence. It was a chance for me to step up to the plate late in a big-game situation and make a play. I always felt like I could do it. It's one thing to feel like it and another to go out and actually do it. It's just a steppingstone, a building block, to making more plays for this team. I'm still in the same situation, with three great receivers in front of me, so I'm not expecting to be a world beater all of a sudden. But I just want to give my teammates and my coaches the confidence in me to know that, whenever my number is called, I can go out there and perform."

'It's going to be good to be back with family'

"Off the field, I've just been getting my Christmas shopping done and getting ready to be a host. It's official: My family is coming up here right before Christmas. Next week, as a matter of fact. That will be the first time all of us have been together in a while. My brother is coming up. He sent me his flight itinerary. We're good to go. We're going to have a family affair up here, and that'll be good. I have to get my place together for that. I don't have four bedrooms, so we'll have to pack it in there.

"I'm not cooking. Since they're coming, they can cook. I've got a cousin coming, too, so there's going to be a lot of us in there. It's going to be good to be back with the family and catch up. I'm looking forward to that after this game."

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