Deon Butler's Rookie Diary: Christmas and a disappointing game

Deon Butler put up a Christmas tree earlier this week and realized he was missing one thing — the gifts.

"I don't know if I'm going to put some real gifts or some fake gifts under there," he joked two days before Christmas. "I might wrap some empty boxes and put it under there to make it look good."

Actually, he was quite diligent in his holiday shopping. For the first time in his life, he could afford almost anything he wanted to buy his family. He didn't reveal his purchases, but he was eager to see his family members' faces when they opened their gifts.

In this installment of his rookie diary, Butler talks about Christmas at his house and his expectations for the final two games of a disappointing Seahawks season.

'For all the fans out there, we're not packing it in'

"Oh, man, that game last week (a 24-7 loss to lowly Tampa Bay) was a letdown, obviously. We were looking to bounce back, and things didn't go the way we had planned for them to go. So we have to stick with what Coach (Jim) Mora has been telling us. We've got to stick together. We only have each other right now. There's going to be a lot said about us, and we know we didn't play up to the level we're capable of playing. So we've got to finish out strong and rally up and stand next to each other. We're still working hard. For all the fans out there, we're not packing it in. We're going to play these next two games.

"I don't think I've ever had a losing season playing football. That's one of those kind of things that lets you realize how blessed you've been in life. Experiencing so much winning, maybe I started to take it for granted, thinking it was a normal thing. Now, it's like, wow, I really understand what it means. So I hope we turn it around next season and for the years to come while I'm here. I hope we can get it back to where winning is just second nature, and you don't even know what it feels like to lose. When you come to work every day and then on Sundays, you're not able to pull out a win, it definitely gets tough to continue to grind it out. I don't ever want this feeling again.

'I'm an excitement guy'

"I knew the game last week was a big opportunity for me to show what I can do. Nate (Burleson) was out with an injury, so I got my opportunities. Looking back, I had the one drop, which sticks out in my mind. I had a decent game (three receptions for 30 yards). I had some catches after that drop, but I really wish I could've gotten down the field some, gotten some excitement started, some big plays. But it just really wasn't in the game plan, I guess. We didn't really dial it up. I think I played solid — caught the ball, made some good blocks — but I'm an excitement guy. I want to bring some big plays. I think all of the other receivers are like that, too, but I definitely know that's what I'm capable of doing. That's one of my main strengths, getting down the field and affecting coverages and bringing big plays. I'm going to continue to work and hope I get it going at some point in time."

'Good times'

"The house is good right now. My family is here for Christmas. I put up my little Christmas tree. I got me an artificial Christmas three from Home Depot, 7-feet tall, and set it up (earlier this week). It's the perfect size for the condo. I got my mom to put the lights on it. I've got a real home feeling now. My brother was all in my closet the other day, looking at the shoes I've ordered from my Nike account. He was messing with me about it. But it's good. I never get a chance to see him.

"We all went to a function Nate Burleson had at Target for his foundation on Tuesday. They took the kids shopping. I took my mom and my brother out to that, and we helped the kids shop. It was good. Other than that, we've been kickin' it, sitting back and relaxing. The other night, we fell asleep on the couch. We never even made it to the room. We were all out there laughing. My mom was falling asleep on the couch, too. Good times. It reminds me when we were in high school or middle school, and you're just kind of sitting around, and you fall asleep where you fall asleep because you're up late having so much fun.

"That's the greatest gift I could get, spending time with family. That whole Christmas feeling is back. I haven't been with them for a Christmas since before I went to Penn State because, at Penn State, I was away for a bowl game during the holidays. Just for us to be around and relaxing and drinking hot chocolate is what excites me. It doesn't even have to be that cold. I might turn the temperature down in the house, so we can have some hot cocoa and be in there with the blankets around us, watching movies. Being around your family, there's nothing like it."

'What happened to the little $20 gift certificates?'

"You know what's crazy? Having the money to buy whatever gifts I want. My mom was just talking about that. She said, 'I can't hang with y'all gift giving. Y'all are up in the $100-200 range. What happened to the little $20 gift certificates?' It's good because it allows me to make somebody else's Christmas special. And that's what it's all about. I'm fortunate enough to be in a situation where I'm financially stable. It's a good feeling to know that I can help someone else, make a contribution to their life and bring joy to them on Christmas. Going to Nate's event and seeing kids running around grabbing video games really struck me. I started realizing how I can help people less fortunate. It feels good that I can provide for my family and give them stuff that they haven't had before.

"I just walk in stores with my mom now, stores I wouldn't have been in before, and I can say, 'Look around.' We might not get anything, but it's a different vibe when you know you can afford it as opposed to when you're in the store, and you're just like, 'I feel out of place.' Now my mom is feeling comfortable looking at Gucci or Louis (Vuitton). She's not buying all that stuff, but just the fact that she knows she can afford it and if she really, really likes something, then she can get it — that's what means so much to me."

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