Buffalo Bills’ defensive coach John Butler is a graduate of Wyndmoor’s LaSalle College High School. His team colleague, Head Coach Sean McDermott, is also a LaSalle alum; however, during their respective secondary-school careers, their paths never crossed. Mark Gaughan explained their separate orbits in The Buffalo News.

The shared educational experience was thought to have precipitated McDermott’s hiring of Butler. But that wasn’t the case.

In fact, the only LaSalle connection the two have is on their transcripts; Butler graduated in 1992, and McDermott transferred in afterward.

Despite the gap, they work well together. Butler’s impressive stats with the Bills on McDermott’s watch includes:

• No. 1 in the NFL in fewest passing yards allowed in 2021
• Top 10 in the league in interceptions every year since 2018
• No. 1 on third downs last year and in the top 10 three of the past four years

If there’s a takeaway from Butler’s educational roots in Montgomery County, it’s an affinity for mentoring young talent.

“I love being a teacher.” he said. “I love trying to teach them how to be enthusiastic and competitive. I love watching a player develop.”

More on John Butler and his sheepskin-sharing head coach is at The Buffalo News.