Nov. 1, 2012

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Karl Butler normally wears No. 28 as a starting outside linebacker for the Commodore football team, but he famously donned No. 12 one afternoon last spring to pose for Vanderbilt's 2012 schedule poster...

Commodore Nation: How did you become the face of the 2012 football poster?

Karl Butler: One day we were working out in the weight room and Coach Galt told me to come back the next day for a photo shoot. I came in and they poured sugar water on me and they made the poster after that.

CN: Sugar water? To simulate sweat?

KB: Yeah. I was sticky for a minute after that and all my teammates were teasing me. I was the butt of some jokes for a while.

CN: Your peers recently voted as the team's best cook for fixing meals this summer. What were you making?

KB: In the dorms, I really didn't have a kitchen. I cooked pork chops, chicken quesadillas, hot sandwiches, some homemade burgers.... really anything that I could do with a George Foreman.

CN: Did you learn how to cook from your parents?

KB: Growing up, I watched my dad season meat and stuff like that. My mom was always cooking really delicious meals. So I kind of got it from both of them, but mainly my mom.

CN: What's your favorite meal that mom makes?

KB: I'm from Louisiana, so obviously fried seafood.

CN: Have you adjusted to life in a land-locked state?

KB: It's definitely not the same. The food's not bad, but nothing's like home. The barbecue is probably the best thing I've had up here.

CN: Your teammates also said you have the best chance to become a musician.

KB: I don't know where they got that from, honestly. I really don't. I thought it would be Jordan Matthews. He told me he got snubbed, so I'll let him have that one. Jordan should've won that one.

CN: You've worked in your father's law firm before. Are you interested in pursuing that as a career?

KB: I told him it was a little slow in the office place for me, so I might want to do something more up-tempo. But you never know. Right now I'm concentrating on getting my HOD (human and organizational development) degree.

CN: Any idea what you might like to do?

KB: I've got a lot of ideas right now. Maybe criminal rehabilitation, or being a consultant in child development. Last summer I worked at Vandy summer camp and this summer I worked at the YMCA in East Nashville, so I've always been involved with kids.

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