Harrison Butker will line up alongside Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the rest of his Kansas City Chiefs teammates on Sunday as they pursue a third championship in five years in Super Bowl LVIII.
It was Butker who made a 27-yard field goal with eight seconds left to give the Chiefs their third Super Bowl victory in franchise history, in a 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles last year.
Growing up, however, it was a different brand of football that the NFL kicker had his sights on.
The 28-year-old’s dream was to play in the Premier League, following in the footsteps of compatriots Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and Christian Pulisic.
Although it was a route he ultimately did not pursue, the Premier League enthusiast’s NFL kicker’s footballing experience could help inspire the Chiefs to glory again this weekend.
Harrison Butker is aiming for his third Super Bowl victory with the Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are the defending champions and this time they will take on the San Francisco 49ers
Butker is one of the NFL’s best kickers, but he originally wanted to play in the Premier League
“My first sport was football,” Butker told the newspaper Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2020. ‘I loved playing football. I wanted to become a professional footballer in England and play in the Premier League.’
‘For me as a kicker, a first thing in football, during the course of the game you have to kick the ball at an odd angle towards your goal. It’s not like football on a field goal, where you take your steps and have everything lined up.
“So back to football…sometimes you might get a bad grip; you might trip or mess up your steps, and you have to be an athlete and make the kick… if you have a football background as an athlete (you have to) trust that you will still get good contact and hit a good ball. ‘
His love for football started at the age of nine when he watched the iconic 2005 Champions League final between AC Milan and Liverpool.
It was the miracle in Istanbul, where Liverpool came from 3-0 down against a much stronger AC Milan team to win the match on penalties – inspired by one of their greatest ever players, Steven Gerrard.
In November, the Kansas City Chiefs were in Germany, where they faced the Miami Dolphins at the home of Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt.
Butker was asked by a reporter before the match about his love of football, and it was there that he revealed his love for Liverpool and Gerrard as a youngster.
After admitting that he won’t get a chance to follow football anymore now that American football is his favorite sport, he said: ‘I fell in love with football. I think it was the 2004 (2005) Champions League AC Milan and Liverpool.
Butker became a fan of the Premier League after watching Liverpool win the Champions League in their legendary final victory over AC Milan in 2005
Butker grew up as a big fan of Steven Gerrard (right), but also mentioned Michael Ballack (left) as a player he admired
“It was about penalties and it used to be hard to watch football games unless it was a big game or (on) ESPN where you weren’t really watching.
‘So I fell in love with Liverpool, became a fan of Gerrard, but obviously Bayern Munich are a great team.’
Butker was also asked about German football teams, revealing he was also a fan of a former Premier League and Bundesliga star.
‘I’ve forgotten some players, but a central midfielder who played at Chelsea was, yes (Michael) Ballack, I loved him. He had the Adidas Predators on. Loved him.’
While Butker played American football and basketball at school, perhaps his greatest success was in football.
Butker attended Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Georgia, and in the European version of football, he won three state championships.
Despite his regional success in the sport, he eventually shifted his focus to becoming a kicker in the NFL.
Butker is in his seventh season with the Chiefs after originally coming to the NFL as a seventh-round pick (233rd overall) by the Carolina Panthers in the 2017 draft.
While there are many obvious differences between the two different types of football, from the physicality of the games to the shapes of the ball, there are some who believe that football experience is beneficial for NFL kickers.
John Carney, who spent 23 years in the NFL, said according to the Guardian: ‘I would say 99% of the kickers who kick at a high level – whether it’s in college or the NFL – grew up playing football… It’s almost a requirement.”
There are some who believe that NFL kickers benefit from experience in football (Butker photographed kicking for a field goal against the Los Angeles Chargers last month)
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl-winning kicker Martin Gramatica grew up playing football in Argentina and believes it benefited his NFL career.
‘I always kicked with a natural football style. Naturally, I stood sideways in line. I didn’t take three steps back and two back. It just felt too robotic. I have adapted my technique to feel free and non-robotic.’
Meanwhile, the current Dallas Cowboy kicker is having an impressive debut season after making the transition from football.
Aubrey played for MLS side Toronto FC before making the switch to American football.
He finished the regular season with a 94.7 percent field goal success rate and set a NFL record for most consecutive field goals made to start a career, with 36.
Aubrey had a perfect record until the final week of the regular season, where he blocked one attempt and hit another on the upright in a win against the Washington Commanders.
Butker is in his seventh season with the Chiefs after being drafted by the Carolina Panthers
The Chiefs will lift their third Super Bowl trophy in five years this Sunday
Speaking to US TV show Good Morning America in 2023, England skipper Harry Kane confirmed that his dream would be to play in the NFL.
‘It’s something I definitely want to explore. I know it’s going to be a lot of hard work,” he told host Michael Strahan, who himself upset Brady and the Patriots in 2007 by winning the Super Bowl.
“I don’t expect to just come up and shoot field goals. It would be a lot of practice, a lot of hard work.
“But yeah, it’s something I’d like to do. I’ve been following the NFL for about ten years and I love it, so I’d love to give it a try.”
Butker’s decision to play in the NFL has paid off and is the Chiefs’ third-highest point scorer in franchise history.
Also, Butker has scored the 10th most points in the postseason by any player in NFL history with 117 points and ranks seventh among kickers
He has made a big impact in previous Super Bowls, connecting with the longest field goal in Chiefs postseason history – at 52 yards – during Super Bowl LV in 2020.
Butker went on to score three field goals last season, including the kick that won them the championship.
On Sunday, the 49ers will be eager to get revenge for their 2020 loss to the Chiefs, who will be hoping their star player can pick up where he left off last year in the sport’s biggest game.