CHICAGO, Oct. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Semi-finalists for the 33rd annual Butkus Award® honoring the nation’s best linebackers at the collegiate and high school levels were revealed today by the Butkus Foundation.
Fifteen collegiate linebackers from 13 universities were named semi-finalists, with Georgia and Alabama each having two semi-finalists. The list includes 2016 finalist Josey Jewell, and 2016 semi-finalists Jerome Baker, Malik Jefferson and Micah Kiser. Jefferson won the high school award in 2014.
| Butkus Award 2017 Collegiate Semi-Finalists | ||
| Josh Allen | Kentucky | |
| Jerome Baker | Ohio State | |
| Devin Bush | Michigan | |
| Lorenzo Carter | Georgia | |
| Tremaine Edmunds | Virginia Tech | |
| T.J. Edwards | Wisconsin | |
| Rashaan Evans | Alabama | |
| Shaun Dion Hamilton | Alabama | |
| Malik Jefferson | Texas | |
| Josey Jewell | Iowa | |
| Micah Kiser | Virginia | |
| Dorian O'Daniel | Clemson | |
| Ogbonnia Okoronkwo | Oklahoma | |
| Roquan Smith | Georgia | |
| Cameron Smith | USC | |
Meanwhile, 16 high school linebackers from 13 states were named semi-finalists.
| Butkus Award 2017 High School Semi-Finalists | ||
| Matthew Bauer | Cathedral Prep School, Erie, Pa. | |
| Bo Calvert | Oaks Christian, Westlake Village, Calif. | |
| Damone Clark | Southern Lab, Baton Rouge, La. | |
| Dallas Gant | St. John's, Toledo, Ohio | |
| Palaie Gaoteote | Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas, Nev. | |
| Dax Hollifield | Shelby HS, Shelby, N.C. | |
| Adrian Jackson | Mullen, Denver, Colo. | |
| Teradja Mitchell | Bishop Sullivan, Virginia Beach, Va. | |
| Ovie Oghoufo | Harrison, Farmington Hills, Mich. | |
| J.J. Peterson | Colquitt County, Norman Park, Ga. | |
| K'Vaughan Pope | Dinwiddie County, Dinwiddie, Va. | |
| Raymond Scott | Narbonne, Harbor City, Calif. | |
| Shayne Simon | St. Peter's Prep, Jersey City, N.J. | |
| Solomon Tuliaupupu | Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. | |
| Jake Venables | D.W. Daniel, Central, S.C. | |
| Eli’Jah Winston | Central Catholic, Portland, Ore. | |
Selection is handled by a panel of 51 coaches, recruiters, scouts and journalists who vote separately and confidentially using a 3-2-1 process. Selectors and selection criteria are posted at www.thebutkusaward.com.
Finalists in both divisions will be announced November 20, and winners will be announced on or before December 5. The pro winner will be announced in early 2018.
The 2016 Butkus Award winners:
- Professional: Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders
- Collegiate: Reuben Foster, Alabama (now San Francisco 49ers)
- High School: Dylan Moses, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (now Alabama)
The Butkus Award® is presented by the Butkus Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization which advances health and wellness through special initiatives including the I Play Clean® program. The Butkus Award is part of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which includes 23 awards honoring 800 individuals since 1935.
Contact: Ron Arp
rarp@butkusfoundation.org
360.601.2991