Westminster Kicker Named National Player of Year

From Patch Reports

kicker Harrison Butker was recently named the Ray Guy National Player of the Year by prokicker.com, the school announced.

The prestigious award, named for the punter considered the best in NFL history, adds to an impressive list of honors for the 6-foot-4, 180-pound junior.

In addition to the National Player of the Year honor, Butker was named as prokicker.com's first team All-American kicker and the third team All-American punter, assistant coach Joe Sturniolo, Westminster's team spokesman, said. Sturniolo also coaches Butker, who has been the No. 1 ranked kicker for the class of 2013 throughout the season.

Butker recently played in the AT&T Georgia Junior Bowl, presented by risingseniors.com, as the kicker and punter for the West all-star team. He was named the Class AA All-State kicker by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Georgia High School Football Daily, as well as by the Associated Press sportswriters.
 
During the football season, Butker made 16 field goals out of 17 attempts for a 94.1 percent average, his only miss coming from 59 yards, Sturniolo said. Butker booted a 51-yard field goal against St Pius, and  nine of his field goals were more than 41 yards.  Hid field goal total  puts him in the top five all time in Georgia high school history, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. 

He averaged 67.3 yards per kickoff, with a hang time of 3.87 seconds, with 80 percent of his kickoffs being touchbacks. Butker punted for a 39.5 yard average. Four of his 33 punts were more than 50 yards, and six of his punts were downed inside the 20.