FOXBOROUGH — Teammates haven’t noticed a big difference in Malcolm Butler over the last three years.
From unheralded rookie free agent to Super Bowl hero and Pro Bowler, the Patriots’ top cornerback is still that same unassuming guy from Mississippi via West Alabama to his locker-room mates.
He’s still just that quiet, friendly, and serious soul who earned two nicknames during his walk-on summer at Fort Foxborough.
First called “Strap’’ by ex-teammate Jamie Collins for his sticky coverage style and then “Scrap’’ by others for his relentlessness, he wears both labels equally well.
His consistency is what teammates really admire. For three seasons now, they’ve seen the same Butler walk through the door. They see that same competitive fire burn not only during games but during every practice.
“He hasn’t changed at all,’’ said Jimmy Garoppolo, who arrived in the same rookie class as Butler in 2014.
The quarterback then paused for a second to reassess his response.
“Well, he got better at covering guys, I’ll say that,’’ said Garoppolo.
You’ll find few who would disagree with that assessment. The 5-foot-11-inch, 190-pound Butler is in every discussion regarding the top cornerbacks in the NFL.
Garoppolo said he really appreciates how grounded Butler has remained, despite his meteoric rise.
“It’s impressive,’’ he said. “Most rookies might let that success go to their head. But he’s been levelheaded. Works hard everyday and you really have to respect that.’’
Butler was a relative unknown outside the Gillette Stadium confines during most of a nondescript 2014 season. In fact, it took until New England’s final defensive play of that campaign for him to steal the show — and Super Bowl XLIX.
“We all know what happened,’’ Butler said of his famous goal-line interception of Russell Wilson.
The unlikeliest of thefts from the unlikeliest of Patriots. A turnover that clinched New England’s fourth Super Bowl crown.
Since that career-launching play, Butler has started every game for the Patriots, evolving into a cornerstone cornerback. His play helped make the departures of high-profile corners Darelle Revis and Brandon Browner less impactful.
Butler, 26, is among the league leaders in pass deflections with 11 and makes a case for his second straight Pro Bowl berth on a weekly basis.
With the Patriots poised to host the Seahawks Sunday night, memories of Butler’s historic heist have been a popular subject this week. But true to Butler’s personality, he wasn’t looking to take any trips down Memory Lane.
“It always does [bring a smile to my face] whenever I think back on it,’’ he said. “But it’s not going to help us win this game this week. This is bigger than me. This is about the team. That play will not help us Sunday night, so we have to be ready to play.’’
Butler’s refusal to look back or rest on past accomplishments is one of the reasons he’s among the most popular players among teammates and coaches.
“I think Malcolm is pretty humble overall,’’ said coach Bill Belichick. “I think that’s one of the things that [endears] him to his teammates and all the people around him. He’s confident, he works hard, he loves to compete, but at the same time he is humble about his success and the notoriety that he’s received, not for one play, but also as he’s established himself as a solid NFL corner. He still, I think, does a good job of staying humble and keeping things in perspective the right way.’’
The man who called the fateful slant route that Butler undercut, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, also has seen Butler grow
“He’s a really good ball player,’’ said Carroll, who is returning to Foxborough for the first time since being dismissed as Patriots coach in 1999. “He seems really instinctive and aggressive and confident.’’
Perhaps by coincidence, the skills Carroll listed are the exact ones Butler employed to pull off his miraculous interception.
Butler has continued to hone those skills in practice.
“He’s tough on us,’’ said Garoppolo. “But he definitely makes us better. He gives us a good look.’’
Butler said remaining diligent and constantly trying to improve are important to him.
“You want to keep working and try to take advantage of the opportunity while you have it because you don’t get to play for that long,’’ said Butler, who is in the final year of his rookie deal and has shied away from any questions regarding his contract status. “You want to be productive [for] your team and do anything to help your team win.’’
seahawks at patriots
Sunday, 8:30 p.m., NBC
Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globejimmcbride.
