The New England Patriots have been able to ride a motley crew of individuals to Super Bowl LX, including a wide receiver in Kayshon Boutte who appeared to be completely left for dead by the NFL after some personal struggles at LSU.
Boutte's most infamous problem was related to an unhealthy relationship with gambling on sports. This ultimately led to him seeing his pro stock fall off a cliff and struggling to get acclimated to life in the NFL after he arrived in New England. Just a few years later, Boutte is a changed man.
Boutte is a fully-fledged member of a Patriots team that went from four wins the season prior to a Super Bowl appearance in their first season under Mike Vrabel. Boutte is thriving in New England, and he is willing to share some messages of positivity for anyone in a similar rut.
Boutte said there is "always a light at the end of the tunnel" when asked about the troubling times he had before this season, showing thanks to the support system he has around him in so few words. Boutte is now someone New England can count on for the long haul.
Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte offers encouraging words after tough personal stretch
Boutte may only have 33 catches for 551 yards this season, which is a slight decrease from last campaign, but those numbers don't begin to tell the story of his impact. Not only has Boutte caught six touchdowns this year, but he's been one of the team's most productive players in the postseason.
Stefon Diggs is playing below what many expect of him from a statistical point of view, and Boutte has picked up the slack with big catch after big catch. Boutte is showing why he was regarded as a top NFL Draft prospect before his issues in college weighed down his stock.
Against a Seahawks defense that is as deadly against the pass as any team in the league, Boutte will need to play his best ball in order to break through against a motivated and deep Seattle defense. As he has shown, however, elevating his level of play has not been an issue for him throughout his professional career.
Boutte went from on the precipice of getting cut to emerging as someone the Patriots can't do without.