By Luke Fletcher ｜ Atlanta, Georgia
Yellow Jackets’ all-time leading scorer forever etched his name in Tech history with “The Kick” in Athens
Long before he became one of the NFL’s most decorated kickers, Harrison Butker was building a legacy on The Flats.
That legacy reached another milestone Friday as Georgia Tech announced that Butker has been selected for induction into the Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026, honoring one of the greatest specialists—and one of the most clutch performers—in school history.
From 2013-16, Butker established himself as one of the most reliable kickers in college football, finishing his career as Georgia Tech’s all-time leading scorer with 337 points, a record that still stands today. But numbers alone don’t tell the story.
For Georgia Tech fans, one kick defines an era.
“The Kick” That Lives Forever
Every great college football career has a signature moment. For Harrison Butker, it came on Nov. 29, 2014.
Trailing rival Georgia 24-21 with just seconds remaining inside Sanford Stadium, Georgia Tech turned to its sophomore kicker for a 53-yard field goal with everything on the line.
It wasn’t just another kick. It was Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.
With Georgia fans anticipating victory, Butker calmly drilled the longest field goal of his collegiate career, tying the game and stunning the crowd in Athens.
Moments later, the Yellow Jackets completed the comeback with a 30-24 overtime victory, ending a six-game losing streak to Georgia and producing one of the most memorable wins of Paul Johnson’s tenure.
The moment became known simply as “The Kick.”
It was later voted Georgia Tech’s 2014 Play of the Year, and more than a decade later, it remains one of the defining moments in one of college football’s oldest rivalries.
A Record Book Career
While “The Kick” became immortal, Butker’s consistency over four seasons is what made him one of the greatest players in program history.
Harrison Butker at Georgia Tech (2013–16)
Career Points: 337 (Georgia Tech record)
Career PATs: 208 (Georgia Tech record)
Four-year leading scorer
Industrial Engineering graduate
Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026
Few specialists have had a greater impact on Georgia Tech football.
Whether it was an extra point, a clutch field goal, or a booming kickoff, Butker became one of the ACC’s most dependable weapons.
His scoring record is particularly remarkable considering Georgia Tech’s run-heavy triple-option offense during the Paul Johnson era. Whenever the Yellow Jackets crossed midfield, points often felt inevitable.
Clutch Was His Calling Card
Athens wasn’t the only stage where Butker delivered. Earlier during the 2014 season, he connected on a 24-yard game-winning field goal against Virginia Tech, lifting the Yellow Jackets in another dramatic ACC victory.
Then, in the final game of his college career, Butker capped his Georgia Tech tenure with yet another unforgettable kick.
Facing Kentucky in the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl, he nailed a 52-yard field goal, showcasing the leg strength and confidence that would soon make him one of the NFL’s elite kickers.
Big moments never seemed too big.
More Than a Football Player
One of the reasons Butker’s career resonates so strongly at Georgia Tech is because he excelled both on the field and in the classroom.
He graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering, one of the Institute’s most demanding academic programs, while balancing the responsibilities of being a four-year starting kicker.
His career embodied Georgia Tech’s mission of producing student-athletes who compete at the highest level while excelling academically.
From The Flats to NFL Stardom
After leaving Georgia Tech, Butker wasted little time establishing himself as one of professional football’s premier kickers.
Since entering the NFL, he has become one of the league’s most accurate and dependable specialists, earning multiple championships while building a résumé that ranks among the best of his generation.
Yet despite his professional accomplishments, his place in Georgia Tech history was secured long before his NFL success.
A Hall of Fame Career
The Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame recognizes individuals whose accomplishments define generations of Yellow Jacket athletics.
Few players fit that description better than Harrison Butker.
His résumé speaks for itself:
- Georgia Tech’s all-time leading scorer (337 points)
- School-record 208 career extra points
- 2014 Play of the Year – “The Kick” against Georgia
- Game-winning field goal vs. Virginia Tech (2014)
- 52-yard field goal in the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl victory over Kentucky
- Industrial Engineering graduate
- Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame – Class of 2026
The Bottom Line
Statistics made Harrison Butker one of the greatest kickers in Georgia Tech history.
Moments made him a legend.
For every extra point, every game-winning kick and every record he set, one image remains permanently etched into the memories of Yellow Jacket fans—a football sailing through the cool November air in Athens before splitting the uprights to force overtime against Georgia.
More than a decade later, “The Kick” still defines one of the greatest rivalry victories in school history.
Now, Harrison Butker takes his rightful place among Georgia Tech’s all-time greats as a member of the 2026 Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame.
Some records are eventually broken. Some moments last forever. For Harrison Butker, Georgia Tech fans will always remember both.
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