When Harvard senior cornerback Benny Butler lines up across from opponents’ top wide receivers, he usually has a pretty tall task on his hands.

It’s not because Butler is a bad defender. Far from it. Nor is it because any of his match-ups pit him against Heisman Trophy hopefuls.

It’s because most wide receivers are well over six feet tall. Benny Butler measures 5’8”. And that’s according to the team’s media guide, which is sometimes known to be a tad inaccurate with height.

So, how does he do it? How is it possible that Butler is entering his third season as Harvard’s starting cornerback and fourth season on the varsity? A 35.5-inch vertical leap helps. A 40-yard dash time that ties him for fourth-fastest on the team doesn’t hurt either.

“When you’re smaller, you definitely have quicker feet, better lateral movement,” junior cornerback Gary Sonkur said, who is listed at only 5’9” himself.

But Butler doesn’t care about his height, or lack thereof.

Butler’s 10 pass deflections led the team last season and his interception against Yale sealed both the Crimson victory and his third letter-winning season—a feat only matched by captain Dante Balestracci and senior punter Adam Kingston.

“He’s been a contributor on two very successful seasons and we expect even more out of him this year,” Harvard defensive backs coach Kevin Doherty said.

But despite his stellar performances and notoriety within the team, his name recognition pales in comparison to Balestracci.

For a cornerback, though—whose name is generally called only after being burned for a big play by an opponent—avoiding the public eye is usually a blessing.

And for defensive backs like Butler, undersized and fighting an uphill battle, such blessings are always earned.

“I think ‘technically sound’ is the key word,” Doherty said. “There’s very little room for error. You need to have great footwork. To know where your help is on the coverage.”

This year, Butler’s help will be dramatically different from last season.

Junior Brian Niemczak moves to strong safety from his former position at weakside linebacker.

A clutch performer who recorded 35 tackles last season, Niemczak transplants his hard-nosed linebacking style to the secondary, threatening receivers who dare to come across the middle with punishing tackles.