Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/94528
KICKING BACK Butterworth had what O'Brien called "one of his better games" against Ohio State. He pinned the Buckeyes inside their 20-yard line four times in the Nittany Lions' loss. John Beale he called on his faith to help him make his choice. "I pretty much pray about everything I'm going to do," he said. "I prayed the night after my visit and said, 'Make it pretty clear to me.' With the environ- ment there, the fans, the way the coaches treated me and talked to me, and just the situation with their special teams, I thought I had a better shot there to start and make a difference right away." So Butterworth chose the Nittany Lions, arriving in 2010. He was the backup punter for most of the season, and when Fera's appendix burst three days before Penn State was to play In- diana, he took over as the starter. He went on to start the Lions' season finale against Michigan State and their Outback Bowl matchup against Florida. As a sophomore, he backed up Fera again, punting eight times for a 38.5- yard average. Butterworth said his family has been supportive of his decision to attend Penn State. "Really supportive," he said. "But I get that question a lot. Were your uncles mad? Was your grand- pa mad? No. My grandpa actually sold his season tickets for Purdue games immediately after he found out I was going to be going to Penn State so that he could come to my games instead." After struggling initially this season, Butterworth began working on both his mental approach and his technique. The biggest problem with his punting form, he said, was his drop. It wasn't consistent. Sometimes the nose of the ball would dip too low, other times the tail wouldn't be right. In practice, he worked to ensure that the ball fell straight down. As his technique im- proved, so did his self-confidence. "I guess handling pressure a little better and just taking my time and ac- tually believing in myself a little more – that was the biggest [hurdle]," he said. Butterworth said the coaching staff, particularly O'Brien and assistant John Butler, have been supportive of the specialists. "They know what we strug- gle with mentally after a bad game," he said. "They know what we're going through and are awesome with that." The key now will be to build on those late-season performances and have a productive off-season. No matter how willing O'Brien may be to leave his of- fense on the field on fourth down, the Lions need a reliable punter. If Butter- worth's late-season showings are any indication, they may just have found one. "I've just got to keep my focus and confidence," said the senior-to-be. "Hopefully I can keep it going."