April 29, 2017
THE FLATS — The Carolina Panthers selected Georgia Tech place kicker Harrison Butker with the 15th pick of the seventh round (233rd overall) of the 2017 National Football League Draft on Saturday evening.
Butker was one of only three kickers picked in the 2017 NFL Draft and is only the second Georgia Tech place kicker to ever be drafted, joining Scott Sisson, a fifth-round pick of the New England Patriots in 1993.
Georgia Tech’s place kicker for each of the past four seasons (2013-16), Butker closed his collegiate career as the Yellow Jackets’ all-time leading scorer with 337 career points. In addition to being Tech’s all-time leading scorer, Butker also holds the school record for career PATs (208) and ranks third in school history in career field-goal percentage (.717) and fifth in career field goals (43).
As a senior in 2016, Butker made 15-of-17 field goals (.882 — including a perfect 8-for-8 from 40-plus yards), led the team with 91 total points and sent 54-of-73 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. He capped his career by connecting on a Georgia Tech postseason-record 4-of-4 field goals (including a season-long 52-yarder) and accounting for 15 of the Yellow Jackets’ 33 points in their 33-18 victory over Kentucky at the 72nd-annual TaxSlayer Bowl.
In addition to his achievements on the field, Butker holds a 3.20 cumulative grade point average as an industrial engineering major. He is a member of Georgia Tech’s Dean’s List, was the Yellow Jackets’ recipient of the TaxSlayer Bowl Scholar-Athlete award and earned an ACC postgraduate scholarship award.
Due to his leadership on and off the field, Butker was elected a team captain by his teammates prior to his senior campaign.
Butker is Georgia Tech’s 214th all-time NFL Draft pick and the 17th former Yellow Jacket currently in the NFL. Additional former Yellow Jackets are expected to reach free-agent deals with NFL teams in the coming days.
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