Thousands of cameras flashing. Everyone is on their feet. University of Phoenix Stadium is reeking with suspense. It is 2nd and goal with less than a minute to play in Super Bowl XLIX. Katy Perry and her lion are on the edge of their seats. Over 120 million viewers at home have their pupils fixed on the television screen, their fists clenched, hands clammy with anticipation.

Russel Wilson is in shotgun, Marshawn “Beastmode” Lynch to his right. The Patriots have seven men on the edge of the goal line, determined to stand their ground. It portrayed the feeling of a modern day version of the Battle of Waterloo.

Cornerback Malcolm Butler is staring deep into Ricardo Lockette’s eyes. Reading his tendencies, hoping to get a clue of what route he may run. Lockette, lined up out wide to Wilson’s right, makes sure he’s behind the line of scrimmage and gets into his wide receiver stance.

Butler and Lockette, mano a mano, each just wanting to do their job to help their team win the Super Bowl. Both, living out a dream at one time looked as if would never come true.

Lockette played football only his freshman and senior years of high school. Blessed with unteachable speed, he received Division I interest, but his subpar performance in the classroom led him to Wallace State Community College, where he earned a scholarship to Fort Valley State, a small Division II school in Georgia.

Lockette ran into trouble again when tests showed he was using a testosterone booster. He was suspended for his junior season. The next year, Lockette was the third-leading receiver on the team his senior year. The speed and athleticism was clear but scouts weren’t very high on his mechanics, and noted his lack of dominance at the smaller level.

Only one team was interested in Lockette, the Seattle Seahawks, who picked him up in free agency, but later released him. The San Francisco 49ers gave him a shot, but released him less than a year later. Next, Lockette signed with the Chicago Bears practice squad, but was released a month later.

Giving him a second chance, the Seattle Seahawks signed Lockette for the second time on October 22, 2013. Less than a year and a half later, Lockette now has a Super Bowl ring and the one person literally standing in his way for a second, is Malcolm Butler.

Like Lockette, Butler also started his collegiate career at a community college, Hinds Community College, in Mississippi. After only 5 games Butler was kicked off the team, after an arrest on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

The next year, Butler became a regular student, enrolling at Alcorn State, while asking customers if they wanted honey with their biscuit as he worked at Popeyes.

The next year he returned to Hinds CC, and eventually received a scholarship to a Division II school, The University of West Alabama.

Hinds was a stand out at West Alabama, and after going undrafted, was signed in free agency by the New England Patriots on May 19, 2014.

After playing not a single snap in the Patriots first playoff game against the Ravens, Butler played only 14 plays in the AFC championship against the Colts.

Now, on the biggest stage of them all, sizing up Lockette, waiting patiently for his first move. Butler faintly hears Russel Wilson signal for the snap over the echos of the crowd. Lockette cuts in for a slant route, Butler reads it like a picture book. Jumps the route, interception at the goal line.

Every soul in the stadium is stunned.

Twitter feeds everywhere are off the wall.

Richard Sherman’s distraught face turns into America’s new favorite meme.

Marshawn Lynch realizes the Seahawks don’t know why he’s here.

And a kid from Vicksburg, Miss., who no one knew of at the end of the third quarter, is now a Super Bowl Legend.