Harrison Butker Bio
Harrison Butker is an American professional football placekicker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the seventh round (233rd overall) of the 2017 NFL draft. With a career field goal percentage of 88.4%, Butker is the fourth most accurate kicker in NFL history. He has won three Super Bowls with the Chiefs, in Super Bowl LIV, Super Bowl LVII, and Super Bowl LVIII, and led the NFL in scoring during the 2019 season.
Harrison Butker Early Life and Background
Early Life and Background
Harrison Butker was born on July 14, 1995, in Decatur, Georgia, and was raised there by his parents, Harrison Butker Sr. and Elizabeth Keller Butker. He has an older sister. His maternal grandfather, James W. Keller, held faculty positions in oncology at Emory University for 28 years, and his mother has worked as a clinical medical physicist at Emory since 1988. The family environment placed a strong emphasis on academics and medicine, with both his mother and grandfather connected to Emory University.
Butker attended The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, where he joined the football team as a sophomore. He also played basketball and soccer, winning three state championships in soccer, and played tuba in the school’s symphonic band. At Westminster, he set a school record with a 53-yard field goal. His combination of athletic versatility and musical involvement reflected a well-rounded upbringing in the Atlanta area.
Harrison Butker Path to American Football
Path to American Football
Before focusing on football, Butker played soccer at Georgia Tech, where he continued his athletic career at the collegiate level. He went on to play for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team from 2013 through 2016 under head coach Paul Johnson. As a placekicker, he became the all-time leading scorer in school history and served as a team captain during his senior season. Across his college career, he converted 208 of 210 extra point attempts and 43 of 60 field goal attempts, and he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering.
His accuracy and consistency at Georgia Tech drew the attention of NFL scouts. The Carolina Panthers selected him in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL draft, making him one of the few kickers from that class to enter professional football.
Harrison Butker Career
Early Career (2017)
The Carolina Panthers selected Butker in the seventh round (233rd overall) of the 2017 NFL draft. On May 5, 2017, he signed a four-year contract worth $2.48 million, including a signing bonus of $83,112. He was waived by the Panthers on September 13, 2017, and signed to their practice squad the following day, beginning his professional career in limited action.
Kansas City Chiefs Breakthrough (2017–2019)
On September 26, 2017, the Kansas City Chiefs signed Butker off the Panthers’ practice squad. He made his debut during a Week 4 victory over the Washington Redskins, missing his first 46-yard field goal attempt but converting his next three, including the game-winner. In the following week against the Houston Texans, he made all five field goal attempts in a 42–34 road victory. Three weeks later against the Denver Broncos, he again converted five field goals and earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors, later being named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October. He finished his rookie season 38 of 42 on field goals and 28 of 28 on extra points, was named an alternate to the 2018 Pro Bowl, and earned a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
In 2019, Butker signed a five-year extension worth $20.3 million after leading the NFL in regular-season field goals with 34 made. He was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November and finished the year 34 of 38 on field goals and 45 of 48 on extra points. He led the NFL in scoring in 2019 and capped the season by winning Super Bowl LIV with the Chiefs, converting all four extra points and a 31-yard field goal in a 31–20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Kansas City Chiefs Era (2020–Present)
From 2020 onward, Butker remained a central figure in the Chiefs’ special teams unit. During the 2021 postseason, he converted a 49-yard game-tying field goal in regulation to force overtime against the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round. In 2022, after returning from a midseason ankle injury, he broke the Chiefs’ franchise record for the longest field goal with a 62-yard kick against the Bills, tying for the 15th-longest in NFL history. He finished that season with a career-low 75% field goal percentage but hit a 45-yard game-winner in the AFC Championship Game and a 27-yard game-winning field goal with 11 seconds remaining in Super Bowl LVII to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 38–35.
In 2023, Butker started the season by making his first 24 field goal attempts and set a career high with six field goals in a Week 17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. He finished 33 of 35 on field goals and all of his extra point attempts, posting a career-best 94.3% field goal percentage and moving into second place in NFL history in career field goal percentage. In Super Bowl LVIII, he broke two Super Bowl records: longest made field goal (57 yards) and most career field goals in the Super Bowl (9), helping the Chiefs defeat the 49ers 25–22 in overtime for his third championship. On August 5, 2024, the Chiefs re-signed him to a four-year, $25.6 million extension. A knee injury in November 2024 placed him on injured reserve, though he returned to action in December. The Chiefs reached Super Bowl LIX but lost 40–22 to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Driving Style and Strengths
Butker is known for his accuracy from medium and long range, particularly from beyond 40 yards, where he made all 12 of his attempts during the 2023 season. His consistency on extra points and his ability to perform under postseason pressure have made him one of the most reliable kickers in the league. His preparation and routine allow him to handle high-stakes kicks, including game-winning attempts in conference championships and Super Bowls.
Notable Events and Milestones
Butker holds the record for the longest field goal in Kansas City Chiefs history at 62 yards. He is one of only four kickers in NFL history to win three Super Bowls and set Super Bowl records for longest made field goal (57 yards) and most career field goals in the Super Bowl (9). He has been named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week multiple times and was a 2017 PFWA All-Rookie Team selection.
Harrison Butker Career Wins
Harrison Butker has accumulated a series of team championships and individual accolades since entering the NFL. His primary accomplishments include three Super Bowl titles with the Kansas City Chiefs, the 2019 NFL scoring title, and a place on the PFWA All-Rookie Team. These achievements reflect sustained excellence across both regular-season and postseason play.
Super Bowl Highlights
Butker has appeared in four Super Bowls with the Chiefs, winning three. He made a 31-yard field goal and four extra points in Super Bowl LIV against the San Francisco 49ers, scored all of the Chiefs’ points in a Super Bowl LV loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and kicked a 27-yard game-winning field goal in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles. In Super Bowl LVIII, he set two Super Bowl records in a 25–22 overtime victory over the 49ers, his third title.
Other Wins and Performances
Butker led the NFL in scoring in 2019 and led the league in regular-season field goals that same year with 34 made. He was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month in October 2017 and November 2019, and earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors on several occasions, including after his debut performance against the Washington Redskins and following a five-field-goal game against the Denver Broncos.
Harrison Butker Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Butker was raised by his father, Harrison Butker Sr., and his mother, Elizabeth Keller Butker, in Decatur, Georgia. His maternal grandfather, James W. Keller, was a longtime oncology faculty member at Emory University, while his mother has worked as a clinical medical physicist at Emory since 1988. The strong academic and medical background of his family shaped his upbringing.
Personal Life
Butker is married and has three children. Outside of football, he is the co-founder, president, and chief operating officer of MDKeller, a company that owns a subsidiary called Shepherd’s, which specializes in custom menswear. He is a devout Traditionalist Catholic and has been publicly involved in discussions about faith and public life. He served as the commencement speaker at Georgia Tech in 2023 and at Benedictine College in 2024, the latter drawing both support and criticism for his remarks on cultural and religious issues.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 NFL season, Butker remained under contract with the Kansas City Chiefs following his four-year, $25.6 million extension signed in August 2024. After an injury-impacted 2024 campaign in which he posted a career-low 75% field goal percentage before returning from injured reserve in December, he entered the new season looking to re-establish his usual accuracy. Through the first five games of the 2025 season, he uncharacteristically missed five kicks, going 10-for-13 on field goals and 11-for-13 on extra points, with missed field goals coming from 40, 56, and 58 yards. Head coach Andy Reid expressed public confidence in his kicker, saying he was not worried about his performance.
As the season progressed, Butker steadied his accuracy and finished the 2025 regular season having converted 31 of 35 extra point attempts and 33 of 38 field goal attempts. His performance helped the Chiefs remain competitive in the AFC playoff picture, with his veteran presence and postseason experience continuing to play a key role in the team’s special teams unit. With multiple years remaining on his contract and his track record of clutch postseason kicking, Butker’s outlook going forward remained centered on regaining his peak form and contributing to another deep playoff run for Kansas City.
