From high school quarterback to starting Linebacker; Berry's journey was not the typical path

Story by Kalon Fullerton:

From High School quarterback to starting linebacker, Malik Berry's journey was not the typical path 

With the rich tradition of Butler football, there are so many greats that have etched their names in the history books of this program. One name that we have heard for the past three seasons will go onto that list of greats as Malik Berry has made a name for himself in the purple and gold during his time at Butler. 

Malik Berry, a 6-3, 225lb super sophomore linebacker from Lawrence, KS has played three years in El Dorado and made a name for himself. He's preserved through COVID-19, shortened seasons, all the wins and all the losses. 

But his path to El Dorado wasn't the typical path for a senior coming out of high school. Malik was recruited as a quarterback in his senior year of high school, and only began his transition to linebacker when he arrived on campus.

If you watched him play at the linebacker position this season, you'd never know it wasn't his natural position.  

"The first two months I was kind of swimming," said Berry. "I was trying to figure out how to play linebacker, trying to figure out how to scheme against offenses, but the biggest part was just the physical aspect." 

"I recruited him out of high school," said Butler Head Coach Brice Vignery, "and he was always really talented, but we thought his best chance to get out of here was to move to linebacker. That switch was kind of a mutual agreement."

It was a mutual agreement that has worked well for both parties. The man from Lawrence has amassed 82 career tackles, five sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and two interceptions in his career in El Dorado so far and a pick six that came in last week's game vs McDougle. At the end of his sophomore season and having one year left at the NJCAA level to play due to COVID-19, Berry decided that his journey in El Dorado was not over.

"The main part of that decision was just being able to come back and handle some unfinished business," said Berry. "The last two years left a bad taste in my mouth. We had a lot of guys coming back, a lot of dogs that surrounded me, and I made a decision to come back and handle business."

In his third year with the Grizzlies, and in Brice Vignery's first year as Head Coach, Berry has become a crucial part of the fabric of this team. He is the vocal leader of the defense, and his experience is something that his coaches can count on. 

"He brings a different kind of view to the position just because he understands the scheme of things. So, with his experience in playing quarterback in high school has made him as good a linebacker as we've seen so far," mentioned Vignery. "Especially since the spring, the team knows he's the guy and they're going to listen to him and he sets the example." 

"He wasn't physically ready to play right off the bat, he had to work, and when you're undersized playing in that position, you have to be a bit smarter. As he's grown and matured, and he's gained weight, he's gotten more confident he can play more physically."

Watching Malik and his interactions both on and off the field, you can see the maturity level he has gained during his time at Butler and all the leadership qualities he possesses. Through adversity, Malik stands tall and leads from the front for his team. He has the Captains C on his chest for a reason and has made Butler a better place during his time as a Grizzly.

Malik Berry is a prime example of trusting in the process and the coaches at Butler to educate and develop him to put him in a position to be successful now and at the next level.