If the Chiefs need him Sunday to win the Super Bowl with a clutch field goal, Harrison Butker plans to be ready.
“I have had some kicks in AFC Championship games,” Butker said. “Those were big.”
But the Super Bowl is the NFL’s grandest stage, with billions watching the game worldwide.
“There is a lot of hype going into this game, but once the game starts, it’s just like any other game,” Butker said. “I’ll just treat it like any other game. You have to stay calm.”
At Georgia Tech, Butker, who also played at Westminster Schools, was flying low under the NFL’s radar.
“I had a good bowl game and that helped getting me to the (scouting) combine,” Butker said. “Then when I got to the combine, I was able to show NFL coaches the ability that I have. I feel like in college I was somewhat of an underdog because my stats weren’t great. I knew I had the ability to be a NFL kicker if I got the opportunity.”
The Panthers drafted Butker in the seventh round of the 2017 draft. He lost a battle with Graham Gano and was placed on the Panthers’ practice squad. The Chiefs signed him off the practice squad Sept. 26, 2017.
He’s made 96 of 107 field-goal attempts over three seasons. He made 34 of 38 in the 2019 regular season and is looking forward to kicking in a warm-weather climate against the 49ers.
“As a kicker, I’m definitely excited to be playing in warmer weather,” Butker said.
He has a plan for the game.
“With kicking, you want to start every kick in the same position,” Butker said. “You want to have your steps be consistent every time.”
If the game is close, Butker is ready. The Chiefs are one-point favorites to win.
“A realistic situation would be a 41-yarder from the left hash,” Butker said. “We’ll see if that happens. We’ll see how the field is. How the weather is. How the temperature it. Pregame, I’ll get a feel for how far that can be. My guess is probably something from 65 (yards) on in, if we really needed it.”
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