Butt Mentoring Michigan Tight Ends, Ann Arbor Youngster
3/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
March 1, 2016
Alec Vorhoff (left) and Jake Butt at Signing of the Stars
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan tight end Jake Butt will be a senior next season, and he's become a mentor to Zach Gentry, Sean McKeon, Ian Bunting and Alec Vorhoff.
Butt, who along with the rest of the football team had the first of four spring practices in Bradenton, Florida, on Monday (Feb. 29), said "the sky's the limit for" Gentry and added that Bunting is "going to be a beast" in 2016.
Alec is only 12, and he's not a Wolverines tight end. But he was a two-way lineman on a championship junior football team in Ann Arbor, and he has become very "special" to Butt ever since they hung out for the Feb. 3 "Signing of the Stars" on campus at Hill Auditorium.
"Alec said I was his favorite player," said Butt, "and so when I was asked to host him, I said, 'Wow, absolutely.' You have such a platform and ability to influence and touch so many lives. It's Michigan football. The first time I ever met him, though, was when they asked some of us to go congratulate the football team he was on for their championship season at their banquet. I talked to the team, posed for pictures and signed autographs.
"Then, Andrew David, our kicker, was visiting Mott (Children's Hospital) and met Alec. He asked me to sign a hat for him. Then I saw him at 'Signing of the Stars,' and that was special, special for me. The kid is 12 years old, a special kid, and I can't imagine going through what he's going through with a smile on his face."
Alec, whose father is deceased, has a brain tumor.
"He was so excited to meet our current players and (former) players like Jake Ryan, Devin Gardner and Denard Robinson. And then we watched the show, which was amazing. He liked getting away from things for a while, and we were just two buddies there. He was so special that I said, 'Hmm, the Super Bowl is next week. Do you want to watch the Super Bowl together?' We watched it at his house in Ann Arbor with his mother, Heather, and a few other people.
"He loves to play Madden (football video game) and I love to play Madden. I went back later in the week and we played some Madden together. Then we texted a bit and got together again. I've got a good friend now. It just seems like our friendship is meant to be. It meant so much to me that he would let me become a part of his life."
Butt remembered being "star-struck" by college and high school players while growing up in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, and added that "it made my day" to meet them.
"I'm so blessed to be in the position I'm in and go to this school, play on this team and be coached by this coaching staff," said Butt. "So, any time I can give back, I do. If you can touch somebody's life, why not give back? I want to be an older guy who Alec can look up to."
He scrolled through the photos on his phone to show one of him dabbing with Alec at "Signing of the Stars" and chuckled.
Butt is everything you would want as a student-athlete both off and on the field.
He was a first-team All-American last season, catching 51 passes for 654 yards and five touchdowns to spark a 10-3 team. He also was selected the Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year by the Big Ten as well as all-conference first team.
Butt has accomplished much since enrolling at Michigan in January 2013, about two months after playing his last football game at Pickerington (Ohio) North.
"I was a skinny kid at 209 pounds," said Butt, now 6-foot-6, 248 pounds. "In spring ball I got up to 230 and had no idea of what I was doing. I played receiver in high school, and it's a tough transition. A.J. Williams and Funch (Devin Funchess) took me under their wings."
"My very first rep in padded practice, we had this 'Michigan Drill,' where you just line up and hit somebody as hard as you can. I go against (current Seattle Seahawk) Frank Clark, and he knocked me back three yards. I said, 'Okay, I better put some weight on.' But that paid dividends. I wouldn't have played that year if I hadn't come in early."
He also credited Kevin Koger, a tight end and team captain who had just completed his career when Butt arrived, and former tight ends coach Dan Ferrigno with helping show him the ropes.
"I've been doing this for a while now and I can really help these guys out," said Butt. "We've got so much talent in that (tight end) room and it's such a close room. I'm excited. We really embrace this idea of family. We're all here pushing each other to make each other better.
"I want everyone in that room to succeed as much as I want to succeed myself. Ian's doing a great job of helping these guys out, too. It trickles down from Coach Jay (Harbaugh), who has to be one of the best tight end coaches in the country. It's unbelievable what he's done for my game and everyone else's game."
He said McKeon is going to be "thrown into the fire of these four-hour practices" and is helping the early enrollee from the Class of 2016 with route running and his overall game.
"When they install all this stuff for you as a freshman it becomes 'mush brain,' as we call it," said Butt. "So I'm trying to help him turn that 'mush' into something valuable he can use."
Gentry, a four-star quarterback from Albuquerque, New Mexico, who didn't play as a freshman, converted to tight end during Citrus Bowl practices.
"This time is going to be huge for Zach Gentry's transition," said Butt of the spring practices. "He's so talented as it is; he's an athletic freak. And the best thing for him to learn tight end is to go out there now and play tight end.
"As a quarterback, you've got to be a leader, and this is such an unselfish move. He trained and dreamed his whole life to be a quarterback, but Zach is going to be an animal at tight end. I told him Coach (Jim) Harbaugh and Jay Harbaugh aren't going to do anything unless they think it's the best move for you. He's one of the tallest guys (6-7, 250 pounds) on the team and also one of the fastest guys in the (tight end) room. He's getting bigger and the sky's the limit for him."
Gentry impressed Butt by telling him, "Jake, I just want to absorb everything you do like a sponge."
Bunting, 6-7 and 243 pounds, showed his ability last season with five catches for 72 yards and some quality blocks.
"Ian's getting bigger, stronger and faster," said Butt. "I'm excited for what he's going to do this year. He's huge and long-armed. I wish I had long arms like him. He's going to be a beast and is a do-it-right kind of guy, looking for an edge. He eats clean, works hard, watches film."
Butt liked the idea of having spring practice begin during the week of spring break.
"There was a lot of controversy about it," said Butt. "But nobody looked at the other perspective. That first week of spring ball is brutal. You're sore, and it's hard to get your school work done. But we're going to knock out all that soreness, get in four practices, and we don't have to worry about classes. And we'll be in Florida, where there's a beach that we're going to be able to go to. It's team bonding.
"I think this is a great thing. More teams should try it. Normally, our first week of spring practice would've been (last) week, when I had exams and a ton of Spanish work to do. I had a six-page paper due."
The Wolverines were able to focus on academics before going to Florida and can now center their attention on football and fun this week.
Butt will be mentoring the young tight ends there and staying in touch with Alec as well. He's a leader in every way.
