"Beautiful guy had a nice family" - Drexel staff reacts to Terrence Butler's shocking death

Terrence Butler, a young forward on Drexel University’s basketball team, was found dead on Wednesday in his apartment on the school’s campus.

Drexel president John Fry said in a statement:

“On behalf of the entire Drexel community, we extend our deepest sympathy to Terrence’s family, friends and teammates. In addition to being a student-athlete, Terrence was involved in numerous activities and organizations at Drexel and was a friend to many throughout the University community.”

Terrence Butler attended Bishop McNamara in Maryland. He was a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference All-Conference selection and a 2021 McDonald’s All-American nominee as a standout in high school.

Mark Witalec, an employee at the university, told ABC6:

"Beautiful guy had a nice family. Everybody knew him, everybody on campus knew who he was, and he would treat everybody just the same. You know what I mean, good guy, family-oriented. We lost a good guy, a good person for the community and everything. We lost a good guy today."

Terrence Butler's performances at Drexel University

Playing for Drexel University, Terrence Butler appeared in eight games, seven of which came during his sophomore season as he dealt with injuries in two seasons. He also had a total of nine rebounds last year and was named to the Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll.

Butler was set to enter his junior season for the Dragons after playing in a reserve role since he got on campus for his freshman year in the 2021/22 season.

However, he didn't play a big part in the team, as injuries kept him from playing a bigger role. Last season, Butler appeared in seven of the Dragons’ games, averaging just 4.4 minutes per game with nine boards, two assists and two steals.

He was named to the Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll in Drexel’s Colonial Athletic Association conference last season as well.

Butler graduated from Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Maryland. In 2021, he was a McDonald's All-American nominee after being Bishop McNamara's most valuable player in 2019.

"He was a good kid. He came in every day for breakfast. Positive attitude, always upbeat, definitely going to be missed," Marvin Saunders with Drexel University said.

Butler was the son of Terrence and Dena Butler and the youngest of three children. Both of his sisters, Tasia and Tiara, played basketball at James Madison and Syracuse.

Drexel University also said in that release that Drexel's Counseling Center is available to offer services to all students in need of support.

Meanwhile, the La Salle men's basketball team released the following statement on Twitter:

"The La Salle men's basketball program is deeply saddened by the passing of Drexel men's basketball student-athlete Terrence Butler," the statement read. "Our sincere condolences go out to the Butler family and to the entire Drexel community impacted by this tragic event."

During his high school years, Terrence Butler averaged 17.8 points and seven rebounds per game.