CHICAGO, Nov. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Finalists for the 33rd annual Butkus Award® honoring the nation’s best collegiate and high school linebackers were announced today by the Butkus Foundation.
| Butkus Award 2017 Collegiate Finalists | ||
| Devin Bush | Michigan | |
| Tremaine Edmunds | Virginia Tech | |
| T.J. Edwards | Wisconsin | |
| Dorian O'Daniel | Clemson | |
| Roquan Smith | Georgia | |
| Butkus Award 2017 High School Finalists | ||
| Matthew Bauer | Cathedral Prep School, Erie, Pa. | |
| Bo Calvert | Oaks Christian, Westlake Village, Calif. | |
| Palaie Gaoteote | Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas, Nev. | |
| Teradja Mitchell | Bishop Sullivan, Virginia Beach, Va. | |
| Solomon Tuliaupupu | Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. | |
| | ||
Collegiate and prep winners will be announced on or before December 6. The pro winner will be announced in early 2018. Selection is handled by a panel of 51 coaches, recruiters, scouts and journalists who vote separately and confidentially using a 3-2-1 process with write-ins allowed. Selectors and selection criteria are posted at www.thebutkusaward.com.
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.