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.@buttkicker7 from 62 👏 pic.twitter.com/V0DMJteDHD
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 22, 2020
The Kansas City Chiefs said goodbye to 15-year veteran punter Dustin Colquitt this offseason.
The departure of Colquitt not only changes the punting game for Kansas City. It also affects the placekicking alignment. Harrison Butker enters training camp with a new holder in rookie punter Tommy Townsend hoping to continue good chemistry in the new relationship. Butker addressed this change and more during Saturday’s press conference with reporters.
“As far as Tommy Townsend, he’s doing a really good job holding the ball,” Butker said. “He held at Florida and he’s getting the ball down really fast, I’m able to see it. We have a good operation time and he’s learning as much as he can right now. I’m trying to take him under my wing a little bit and kind of show him the ropes since he is the only punter on the roster. He’s just learning as he goes.”
The other possible change that was looming concerned the threat of no fans at Arrowhead Stadium this season. Since the Chiefs formally announced there would be limited attendance throughout the year, players such as Tyrann Mathieu expressed joy in the decision. Butker shared his opinion as well, especially during clutch late-game situations.
”Personally, I think the fans are great,” Butker said. “For me as a kicker, I kind of thrive off of the pressure and the adrenaline that I start to feel. Going out there and seeing all 2,000 fans out there, it probably added some juice to my field goals, and I was able to hit some longer field goals that we haven’t really been attempting in practice lately. I think it’s great and I think I definitely perform better during a game situation with pressure.”
The Chiefs faithful that will be in attendance at Arrowhead this season will be heard regardless of the limited capacity. Butker and his teammates will use the energy from the passionate crowd at Arrowhead Stadium to their advantage.
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