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Georgia Tech Football: Jackets kicker Harrison Butker drafted by Carolina Panthers

By Blake Silvers

Oct 24, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets place kicker Harrison Butker (87) shows emotion after making a field goal against the Florida State Seminoles in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Georgia Tech defeated Florida State 22-16. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets place kicker Harrison Butker (87) shows emotion after making a field goal against the Florida State Seminoles in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Georgia Tech defeated Florida State 22-16. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Yellow Jackets didn’t have many players entering this year’s NFL Draft class, and the first Tech player taken was its kicker.

Georgia Tech had only a handful of players taking part in the 2017 NFL Draft, and it was kicker Harrison Butker taken first from his team this year.

Butker was selected at No. 15 in the seventh round (233 overall) by the Carolina Panthers. Listed at 6’1″ and 199 pounds, he had a player grade of 4.9 on the NFL Draft website.

As a senior, Butker became Georgia Tech’s all-time leading scorer, having started for the Yellow Jackets since his true freshman season out of Westminster. He finished with a career high four field goals against Kentucky in the 2016 Taxslayer Bowl, bringing his total up to 337 points.

Butker’s became an instant fan favorite after he tied Clean Old Fashioned Hate in Athens back in 2014 with only 0:04 left by hitting a 53-yard field goal to force overtime.

The Decatur, Georgia native finished at 99 percent on point after attempts in his four seasons in Atlanta, having only missed two (208/210). He missed one in each of his first two season, and was 100 percent on PAT’s in his junior and senior campaigns. Butker was a career 71.7 percent field goal kicker at 43/60 in 52 games.

Other Jackets waiting on the call in this year’s draft were former quarterback Justin Thomas, listed as a corner back, and defender Patrick Gamble.