Blue White Illustrated

form, I could see a huge difference in my kicking. After the first few [kicks], I thought, 'Maybe I can take this somewhere.'" He's since taken it all the way to Penn State, where his continual push for self-improvement has helped make him the team's starting punter. Butterworth has kicked in each of his first three seasons with the Nittany Lions and started all 12 games last year. But heading into his senior season, his sights are set higher. "My expectation for myself is to have my breakout year," he said. "I haven't had a season yet that I've really been happy with." Joining the team as a walk-on in 2010, Butterworth knew he was going to have to prove himself worthy of a scholarship early in his career. He was prepared for the possibility that he would have to transfer following his freshman season due to the high cost of out-of-state tuition. But he became the starting punter late that year when Anthony Fera was forced to undergo an emergency appendectomy. Butterworth averaged 38.1 yards on 12 kicks and received his scholarship. Fera and Butterworth both punted in 2011, and when Fera transferred to Texas last July, Butterworth became the full-time starter. He averaged 37.4 yards per attempt last fall, and while his kicking improved in the second half of the season, Penn State finished 11th in the Big Ten in punting average at 34.5 yards per attempt. Heading into the 2013 season, coach Bill O'Brien wants to see those numbers go up. He said prior to the start of spring practice that he is looking for more distance from Butterworth this fall. "He's really good at dropping it inside the 10, dropping it inside the 5yard line," O'Brien said. "Now we have to see him when he's backed up. Can he smash us out of there? Those are things I'll be looking for from Alex." Butterworth has been working on all aspects of his game. He was very successful at pinning opponents deep last season, as 19 of his 51 attempts were downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line, but he's continued to experiment with his technique. The NFL punters Penn State announced in June that the no-bag policy instituted at the Blue-White Game in April will remain in effect for all athletic events during the 2013 fall semester. Backpacks, bags and purses will not be permitted in Beaver Stadium and at all athletic events this fall. One clear onegallon plastic bag per person will be permitted for items required for medical and/or child care needs. All items are subject to inspection. "Not permitting any bags into Beaver Stadium, the Bryce Jordan Center, Rec Hall and all our athletic facilities is an important additional layer of security for all the spectators and participants," said Steve Shelow, assistant vice president for police and public safety at Penn State. "This policy brings Penn State in line with other peer institutions across the nation." Michigan and Michigan State are among the Big Ten Conference institutions that do not permit bags at home athletic events. he likes to watch – Chicago's Adam Podlesh and Cleveland's Reggie Hodges are at the top of his list – tilt the nose of the ball downward when they drop it. Once it's in the air, the ball rotates backward like a kickoff and tends to bounce backward or straight up and down when it lands. It's an NFL technique that Butterworth hopes to be able to use this fall. He's also adjusted his timing so that the ball is closer to the ground when his foot strikes it, allowing him to generate more power and drive it farther. And he's gotten stronger after more than a year in Craig Fitzgerald's conditioning program, as has fellow specialist Sam Ficken. To build up strength, the kickers will go through their familiar kicking motions using elastic bands to provide resistance. The bands help develop fast-twitch muscle fiber. At Fitzgerald's insistence, the specialists also perform the same lifting routines as the offensive and defensive players. "He wants us to know and everybody else to know that we are football players," Butterworth said. "He wants us to do all the workouts that everyone is doing. Then we'll have days where we go by position. So some days, me and Sam will do fast-twitch muscle work and stuff that's specific to our position. "We've been doing a lot of elastic band work and hip sled work. We've focused on our core and our hip strength, and I think that's helped us a lot." Butterworth didn't have much competition for the job after Fera left last year, but the Lions recently welcomed highly regarded freshman run-on Chris Gulla, a New Jersey prospect who averaged 42 yards per attempt as a senior at Toms River North. Gulla has said he hopes to compete for punting and place-kicking duties right away. Butterworth is eager for the challenge. "It's going to be nice to have a little competition," he said. "Last year I didn't really have anybody backing me up, didn't really have anybody who could check me out, see if I'm doing something wrong. So it's going to be nice to have someone else punting the ball with me, and doing it competitively. I'm excited about it." Butterworth has set some specific goals for himself for his final season at Penn State. He wants to average around 42 yards per attempt, cut down on returns and hopefully put himself in position to get into an NFL camp next summer. "What I really want," he said, "is to go out with a bang." I

• Cover