Kansas City Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker Prepares For Next Season With a New Holder
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker doesn’t have experience as a holder in the NFL.
He has guided punters Tommy Townsend and Tyler Newsome through the process this offseason, however. The advice originated with the only holder of his professional career — Dustin Colquitt.
“I’d go out there on really windy days and sometimes I’d have an awful warmup off of the sticks and then Dustin would make some changes with the hold and I’d be kicking the ball straight and making them,” Butker said during a teleconference on May 30. “He was able to do a lot with the holds and I think after three years of picking his brain I was able to pick up on a lot of expertise.”
Butker and long snapper James Winchester join the two punters in both virtual and in-person training sessions six days a week.
The group focuses on kicking and holding drills at local high schools, before reporting back to special teams coordinator Dave Toub and assistant special teams coordinator Andy Hill virtually with cell phone video.
Butker said the film available does not match what’s available after sessions at the Chiefs Training Facility, but the specialists have been able to spend more time together than a typical offseason.
“When we started at the beginning of the virtual offseason, we just figured it would be best for Tommy and Tyler to be up here,” Butker said. “The chemistry is so important with Dustin not being here anymore. We have to form that relationship. What I did not want for us is to show up to training camp and that was the first time for us to meet, get to know each other and now you’re doing live snap-hold kicks together. The more we can be around each other the better.”
Butker has targeted holding to be the main emphasis of sessions. He said it starts with lace and hand placement, but also expands to communication.
The specialists’ goal is to develop perfection through every detail.
“There’s just so many small things that you have to perfect,” Butker said. “There are so many guys that can do my job, that can hold the ball but how well can you do it? Can you do it at an elite level? I think that’s what separates people and it’s focusing on the details and that’s one, being the leader, now that Dustin’s no longer here, unfortunately, I’m kind of the leader and I’m the one teaching them about the holding stuff.”
Townsend and Newsome will officially begin the contest to replace Colquitt when the Chiefs take the field at their practice facility in Kansas City for the first time this offseason.
It will be the first competition at the position since Colquitt arrived in Kansas City prior to the 2005 season.
“I love the work ethic of Tommy and Tyler, they’re all about getting better and they know a big part of being the punter is also being the holder and that offers what I do so I’m for them getting more work as well,” Butker said.
