(Carson High School senior linebacker Jeff Butler was a captain on the football team last season.)
MH: Talk about your big hit of the year.
JB: It was against Wooster, in the second or third quarter. It looked like we were going to get a sack for a minute. We had a couple of guys in on the tackle, but the quarterback handed it off to the fullback. It (the hit) was facemask-to-facemask. It was a pretty hard hit " it flat-backed him. David Laumea and Justin Barlow were right behind me. We pretty much polished him off.
MH: Who's your favorite football player?
JB: (Former San Francisco 49ers defensive back) Ronnie Lott. I like the way he played. He was real tenacious in the 49ers secondary. He had no regard for his own body or for the other guys. He was always looking for a big hit when he was looking for somebody.
MH: You just laid out another player. Which one-liner would you throw at him?
JB: I wasn't one to talk on the field. I'd just stare 'em down after a hit. If they talked to me, I'd maybe say, "All night" or "Get comfortable." I didn't want to get stupid penalties.
MH: (Blank) is so hot.
JB: I'm going to go with my girlfriend on that one " Marianne Ortiz.
MH: As quiet as it's kept, I " (fill in the blank).
JB: A lot of people know I enjoy motorcycle riding. But I like to go out on a solo trail ride. It's nice to be alone in the wilderness on my motorcycle.
MH: If you could change places with a celebrity for one day, who would it be?
JB: I'd have to say Ricky Carmichael. He's a professional motocross rider. He gets all the factory bikes " the best of the best " and doesn't have to pay for anything. He has motocross tracks in his backyard. Anything he wants to do, he can do it.
MH: If you could have written one song, which one would it be?
JB: I like "Dream On" by Aerosmith. I don't like rap stuff too much. (With Aerosmith), there's not a lot of cussing. They just enjoy making music.
MH: If you could hang out with one person for a day, who would it be?
JB: (Chicago Bears linebacker) Brian Urlacher. I'd like to get his story, see how he was brought up, what he went through to make the pros. I'd like to find out what it takes to make it all the way.
MH: When I'm stressed out, I " (fill in the blank).
JB: I like to go motorcycle riding. It gets me away from everything. It gets my mind away from what was stressing me out.
MH: When I'm 40 " (fill in the blank).
JB: I'm seeing myself with a family. I want to go into law enforcement in college. I want to get a criminal justice degree. I see myself being a cop. I'm thinking about staying around this area.
MH: What's your favorite class in school?
JB: My favorite class is oceanography. I enjoy scuba diving. In April, we're going to take a trip to Monterey (Calif.). We got our scuba diving licenses at Tahoe two months ago.
MH: Rewind or Fast-forward?
JB: Rewind. Some of my greatest moments I had were in high school football. My freshman year I had a broken back and didn't play a single game. I didn't think I'd be any good at football for a while. As a sophomore I got called up to varsity for the playoff game against Reed. I really enjoyed it. The main thing I looked forward to was going to practice every day and playing football on Friday. I'd love to do it again.
MH: Timeout or Parting Shot?
JB: Timeout. Football can be an interesting game. It can mean more to some people than others. There's been some stupid penalties that lost games. A guy will want to touch somebody on the field in front of the ref. I'll grab his facemask and go, "Is it worth it right now to get a penalty and lose the game?" That's when I feel I've got to call a timeout and get them back.