Back to Newsroom
Back to Newsroom

BUTKUS AWARD 37th SEASON WATCH LISTS ANNOUNCED: Search begins today for Nation's Top Linebacker; Celebration Event Planned Feb. 5, 2022 at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage

Monday, 26 July 2021 09:45 AM

Butkus Foundation

CHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / July 26, 2021 / The Butkus Award® honoring the nation's best linebackers kicked off its 37th annual selection process today by announcing its collegiate and high school preseason watch lists.

Each watch list contains 51 linebackers, mirroring the legendary "51" pro jersey associated with the Award's namesake Dick Butkus, who was recognized by NFL Films as the best defensive player in football history.

The Collegiate Butkus Award watch list includes candidates from 51 universities, including returning finalist Devin Lloyd of Utah and five returning semi-finalists.

The High School Butkus Award watch list includes candidates from 51 secondary schools across 26 states, with Texas (6), Georgia (5) and Florida (4) fielding the most candidates.

Semi-finalists are expected to be named Nov. 1, finalists Nov. 22, and winners on or before Dec. 7. Appearing on the watch list is not a requirement to win the award.

The 2020 Butkus Award winners:

  • Collegiate: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame (now Cleveland Browns)
  • High School: Prince Kollie, David Crockett, Jonesborough, Tenn. (now Notre Dame)

Formed in 1985, the Butkus Award honors linebackers at three levels while supporting causes important to the Butkus family. Causes include Butkus Takes Heart™ initiative encouraging early cardiovascular screening among adults, and the I Play Clean® initiative encouraging athletes to train naturally without performance-enhancing drugs.

The Butkus Award is partnering with Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage to celebrate Butkus Award winners. The event is scheduled Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. Contact the Butkus Foundation for ticket and sponsorship information.

The Butkus Award® is presented by the Butkus Foundation and selected by a 51-member expert panel of coaches, scouts and journalists. The award is part of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. NCFAA's 25 awards have honored more than 800 recipients since 1935. Visit www.NCFAA.org for more information.

Butkus Foundation, Monday, July 26, 2021, Press release picture

2021 COLLEGIATE WATCH LIST

 

2021 HIGH SCHOOL WATCH LIST

ATHLETE

UNIVERSITY

 

ATHLETE

HIGH SCHOOL

CITY

STATE

ChristopherAllenAlabama T.J.DudleyMontgomery CatholicMontgomeryAL
WillAndersonAlabama RobertWoodyardLillie B. WilliamsonMobileAL
ChristianHarrisAlabama* TristanMondaySaguaroScottsdaleAZ
MerlinRobertsonArizona State DavidBaileyMater DeiSanta AnaCA
GrantMorganArkansas* NiuafeTuihalamakaBishop AlemanyMission HillsCA
BumperPoolArkansas EdwinKolengeLoomis ChaffeeWindsorCT
ZakobyMcClainAuburn WesleyBissaintheMiami CentralMiamiFL
TerrelBernardBaylor MelvinJordanCalvary ChristianClearwaterFL
JamesPattersonBuffalo TraviousLathanGulliver PrepPinecrestFL
PaytonWilgarBYU DeMarioTolanDr. PhillipsOrlandoFL
JamesSkalskiClemson DanielMartinMariettaMariettaGA
BaylonSpectorClemson AubreySmithBufordBufordGA
NateLandmanColorado* C.J.WashingtonCedartownCedartownGA
VentrellMillerFlorida DonovanWestmorelandGriffinGriffinGA
AmariGainerFlorida State JaronWillisLee CountyLeesburgGA
AdamAndersonGeorgia TevaruaTafitiPunahouHonoluluHI
NakobeDeanGeorgia* JaredBadieOswego EastOswegoIL
QuayWalkerGeorgia SebastianCheeksEvanston TownshipEvanstonIL
JakeHansenIllinois DasanMcCulloughBloomington SouthBloomingtonIN
MicahMcFaddenIndiana JavaeGilmoreAmiteAmite CityLA
MikeRoseIowa State TylerMartinBuckingham Browne & NicholsCambridgeMA
DamoneClarkLSU JaishawnBarhamSt. Frances AcademcyBaltimoreMD
LakiaHenryMississippi JoshuaBurnhamTraverse City CentralTraverse CityMI
SamWilliamsMississippi MichaelWilliamsWest BloomfieldWest BloomfieldMI
BlazeAlldredgeMissouri NolanZieglerCatholic CentralGrand RapidsMI
JeremiahGemmelNorth Carolina StoneBlantonMadison-Ridgeland AcademyMadisonMS
PaytonWilsonNorth Carolina State XavierSimmonsNorthwest GuilfordGreensboroNC
JacksonHankeyNorth Dakota State JalonWalkerSalisburySalisburyNC
ChrisBerginNorthwestern TorrenWrightA L BrownKannapolisNC
BrianAsamoahOklahoma DevonJacksonHarry A. BurkeOmahaNE
NikBonnitoOklahoma ZionCheeksPenns GroveCarneys PointNJ
MalcolmRodriguezOklahoma State NyairGrahamCamdenCamdenNJ
NoahSewellOregon C.J.HicksArchbishop AlterDaytonOH
AveryRobertsOregon State GabePowersMarysvilleMarysvilleOH
JesseLuketaPenn State Emar'rionWinstonCentral CatholicPortlandOR
BrandonSmithPenn State MalakiHamrickPerry Traditional AcademyPittsburghPA
OlakunleFatukasiRutgers* AnthonyJohnsonNeumann-GorettiPhiladelphiaPA
JordanStrachanSouth Carolina KeonWylieImotech InstitutePhiladelphiaPA
MikelJonesSyracuse JaylenSneedHilton HeadHilton HeadSC
DemarvionOvershownTexas LangstonPattersonChrist Presbyterian AcademyNashvilleTN
AaronHansfordTexas A&M KeatenWadeSummitSpring HillTN
ColinSchoolerTexas Tech MartrellHarris JrThe WoodlandsThe WoodlandsTX
CarltonMartialTroy TyKanaKatyKatyTX
DrakeJacksonUSC KipLewisCarthageCarthageTX
DevinLloydUtah** KobieMcKinzieLubbock CooperLubbockTX
AnferneeOrjiVanderbilt JustinMedlockManvelManvelTX
NickJacksonVirginia HaroldPerkinsCypress ParkCypressTX
ZionTupuola-FetuiWashington LanderBartonBrightonCottonwood HeightsUT
EdefuanUlofoshioWashington HarrisonTaggartCorner CanyonDraperUT
JackSanbornWisconsin ShawnMurphyUnity ReedManassasVA
ChadMumaWyoming DishawnMisaEastside CatholicSammamishWA
Note: * Returning semi-finalist, ** returning finalist      

List, selectors and selection criteria published online at www.thebutkusaward.com.

CONTACT:

Ron Arp 
[email protected]

SOURCE: Butkus Foundation

Topic:
Company Update
Back to newsroom
Back to Newsroom
Share by: