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Michigan State cornerback Josh Butler lost both his mother and father in the span of his five-year college career. In their stead, Butler was accompanied by his dogs Roxy and Remi ahead of Saturday's Senior Night matchup against Maryland.
Butler adopted both dogs while he coped with losing his parents. Raising the boxer and red-nosed bulldog mixes has been an outlet for him, just as football was when his father died.
In 2017, Butler learned of his father's passing just hours ahead of Michigan State's matchup with Penn State. While Butler was hurting, he decided to "play hard," just as his father, Steven Butler, said to him through text that morning.