Kornacki: Butt Chases Greatness, Loves Watching 'Hype Train' Roll
7/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 27, 2016
By Steve Kornacki
CHICAGO, Ill. -- Jake Butt could've left for the NFL after last season, but he wanted more. He wanted more of his teammates, coaches and Ann Arbor. He had the time of his life in 2015 and wanted one more chance to be a Wolverine, to chase the dream, to be a mentor, to be a padded gladiator, to see what can become possible.
"I definitely felt some excitement," Butt said of the buzz created by his announced return. "Michigan fans were pretty happy, and that was cool to see. They would've supported me either way, but it was a big moment for me to come back. There are some goals I want to accomplish, and we have a very good chance of doing that.
"The excitement seems to continue to build, and right now it's like a hype train that's going a little faster every day. Even if you're not paying too much attention to it, you can feel the hype train build up from it."
Butt's eyes said as much as his words. They were on fire when he talked about the upcoming season of University of Michigan football. The All-America tight end's passion was clear to see.
He continued, "But for me, the feeling most comes in our own building. When I speak about the hype I'm hearing, it's coming from within the walls of Schembechler Hall because of the work we're putting in this summer and the talent we have here on our team. We have experienced guys, leaders on our team, and talented young guys. For years to come, we should be really good."
Butt is amazed at the talent three freshmen tight ends -- Devin Asiasi, Sean McKeon and Nick Eubanks -- bring to a position already loaded with Ian Bunting, Tyrone Wheatley and Zach Gentry behind him.
The summer seven-on-seven practices, run by the upperclassmen, exhibited that.
"I could help coach those guys up in the drills" Butt said in an interview with MGoBlue.com at the Big Ten Football Media Days this week. "I want us to be the best tight end unit for the next five, six, seven, however many years. You look around our room and you see potential stars. Ian is really coming into his own and becoming great, and I want to see all of those guys succeed.
"The biggest thing we have going for us in terms of the younger guys is that they are eager to learn, and so they're easy to teach. I took on more of a leadership role. They're really open to trying new things -- especially Devin, Nick and Sean. They have such a hunger to learn and want to be great. You can tell they want to be special."
They want to become what Butt is.
Butt was an All-American in 2015 and won the Kwalik-Clark Big Ten Tight End of the Year award. He caught 51 passes for 654 yards and three touchdowns despite constant double-teams, and he combined with wide receivers Jehu Chesson and Amara Darboh to become the first three Wolverines to exceed 600 yards receiving in the same season.
Butt has 92 receptions for 1,100 yards and has a realistic shot at becoming Michigan's career leader for tight ends in both categories. Jack Clancy (132 catches, 1,919 yards) has owned those marks since his final season in 1966. He went on to have a sensational rookie year for the Miami Dolphins with rookie quarterback Bob Griese before a knee injury cut short his pro career.
What would it mean to Butt to break one or both 50-year-old records?
"That would be special," he said. "Somebody tweeted me that I'm pretty close to that career receptions record. Michigan is such a prestigious and historically great school that it is such an honor to be on this team, playing under this coaching staff, and to have my name in the record books.
"But more importantly than that, it comes down to winning. The records are great, they're cool. The individual awards are great, and you want to achieve them because that means you're doing well."
Butt also is a major contender for the Mackey Award that goes to the nation's top tight end.
"Yeah," Butt said, "but none of that means anything at the end of the day unless you win. I came back this year to win something as a team."
Michigan finished No. 12 in the country and went 10-3 last season, but Butt says the fuel driving the "hype train" is the quest for a Big Ten championship and perhaps a national title.
Greatness motivates him -- both in the collective sense of the team and individually.
"I want to be known as one of the best tight ends in the country and one of the greatest tight ends at this school," said Butt. "But it's also a fear-of-failure thing. I want the ball in my hands in the fourth quarter. But, in order to do that, I know that for the quarterback and all the guys to trust me, I have to put in the work.
"So, it all goes hand in hand. I want to be great, and I have a chance to solidify myself as one of the best tight ends to ever come through this school."
Butt didn't take a vacation week this summer or do anything over-the-top to celebrate his 21st birthday two weeks ago.
"My mom (Meg) was in town and we went to the Chop House," said Butt. "I had a steak, it was a good deal, no crazy 21 stories like most people have. I was hanging out with Mom."
He got back to work the next morning.
"I really started to act like an NFL player," Butt said. "That's what (tight ends) Coach Jay (Harbaugh) and I talked about a lot. I take supplements as much as an NFL player would; I take so many vitamins. I eat clean and work hard."
He's also become more than a tight end. Offensive coordinator Tim Drevno and passing game coordinator Jedd Fisch line him up all over the field.
"I think 70 to 60 percent I was in the three-point stance," said Butt of his tight end technique. "But I lined up in the backfield, and there was also times when I lined up at receiver. Toward the end of the year, I split wide a bit more."
Butt said one thing that makes him and his teammates better is the challenges they face in practices.
"The great thing about Michigan is we have so much talent," he said. "You get to go against the best players in the country. I'm trying to block Chris Wormley and Taco Charlton and (incoming freshman) Rashan Gary. And when I'm getting covered, I'm getting covered by (Jourdan Lewis) and Jabrill Peppers.
"You're going against the best in the country, and it makes the game a bit easier."
He chose Michigan over the NFL, and Lewis, Chesson, Wormley and Darboh did likewise.
Butt's return sparked the mission this team is on, and Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh said his senior tight end is doing it all.
Harbaugh said: "Jake Butt, an outstanding 6-6 1/2-inch tight end, one of the most gung-ho players I've ever been around. Can sit through a two and a half-hour, three-hour meeting and be interactive, be on the edge of his seat, walk out of that meeting with a bounce in his step and put his football gear on, kind of hair on the back of his neck is standing up, excited to get out on the field and he practices. And whether he's going out to hit his sled or rattle somebody's fillings, just excited about doing that as he is as running a post route or corner route and catching a ball.
"Does all those things equally well as a route runner, as a blocker, as a teammate and as a guy with some pizzazz. He's gung-ho and enjoys the struggle of football."
He just had to come back for more. Nothing else made any sense.
