Butler Gets a Kick Out of Relaxing : Bears’ Cool Rookie Says He Is Emotionless on the Field

Normally, the rookie is an excitable type, prone to emotion hyped by four years of rah-rah play in college.

Kevin Butler is not a normal rookie. Part of the explanation can be found in the position the first-year player occupies for the Chicago Bears.

He is a kicker.

National Football League kickers are an unusual fraternity. Not being required to go through the rigors of scrimmaging may have something to do with it. About the only time they enter games is to kick for extra points or field goals, a situation that often developes in the closing seconds.

As a result, they must have nerves of steel. And Butler believes he is in that category, even though he is a rookie.

“I’m not an excitable type,” Butler says. “I’m a relaxed kind of guy. I’ve always been that way.”

Butler, the Bears’ fourth-round draft choice from Georgia who beat out 10-year veteran and all-time Chicago scoring leader Bob Thomas for the kicking job, emphasizes it is essential he remain emotionless.

“To me, kicking on the practice field is where I do my work,” Butler maintains. “In the games, I want it to be the same way as it is here in Lake Forest (training camp). I want it to be automatic. The fact there may be a lot of fans watching me shouldn’t make any difference.”

Butler has yet to prove he can be a consistent professional kicker. He got off fast this season. Coincidentally, so have the Bears.

Butler does have a strong college resume to back up claims he is confident, relaxed and ready.

In his senior year, he converted on 23 of 28 field goal attempts and set numerous NCAA and Southeastern Conference records.

Possibly of more significance are pressure statistics. He converted on 25 of 31 field goals and 10 of 10 point after touchdowns with Georgia.

“Coach (Vince) Dooley helped me in that regard. He gave me confidence. I looked to him to learn a lot. I expect to get the same type of learning from Coach (Mike) Ditka.”

Ditka went down to the wire in deciding whether to choose Butler over Thomas, who was 22 of 28 last year in field goal attempts and fourth in the NFC in scoring.

But Butler’s unflappable attitude and demeanor may have been the difference.

“Kevin doesn’t get that excited,” Ditka said. “You don’t want your kicker to get excited.”

Butler does have long-range accuracy. He kicked field goals of more than 55 yards in practice.

“I’m not afraid at the end of a half or to win a game to let him try one from that far out,” Ditka said.

Butler’s selection by Chicago in the fourth round of last spring’s NFL draft was a mild surprise. The 6-foot-1, 200 pounder was an honorable mention all-American but the Bears already had a dependable, veteran kicker in Thomas.

“Coach Ditka and (general manager Jerry) Vainisi said they were drafting me to give me a shot,” said Butler. “I think I got a shot because of my kickoffs.”

Ditka reportedly had been seeking a kicker who could boot the ball out of the end zone on kickoffs, something Thomas had trouble with in 1984.

“I think it’s a defensive play when you can do that. It’s hard to get up defensively after a 60-yard return,” said Butler.

Even though he is a rookie, Butler knows he must produce.

“I do have the confidence,” says Butler. “If I kick a winning field goal, I might run around the field a little but I know my job. I understand how difficult it is coming in and trying to fill Bob’s shoes. It won’t be easy but I think I can do the job.”

Thomas agreed that Butler will be a good kicker for the Bears.

“We worked together in the preseason and Kevin will do a good job,” Thomas said. “I really wish him luck.”