CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - Nov 24, 2014) - Finalists for the 30th annual Butkus Award® honoring the nation's best linebackers at the collegiate and high school levels were announced today by the Butkus Foundation.
The five collegiate finalists include 2013 collegiate semifinalist Denzel Perryman of Miami and 2012 high school Butkus winner Jaylon Smith of Notre Dame.
| Butkus Award 2014 Collegiate Finalists | |
| Eric Kendricks | University of California Los Angeles |
| Hau'oli Kikaha | University of Washington |
| Denzel Perryman | University of Miami (Fla.) |
| Jake Ryan | University of Michigan |
| Jaylon Smith | University of Notre Dame |
| Butkus Award 2014 High School Finalists | ||||
| Jerome Baker | Benedictine High School | Cleveland, OH | ||
| Justin Hilliard | St. Xavier High School | Cincinnati, OH | ||
| John Houston | Junipero Serra High School | Gardena, CA | ||
| Malik Jefferson | Ralph H. Poteet High School | Mesquite, TX | ||
| Leo Lewis | Brookhaven High School | Brookhaven, MS | ||
Winners will be named by December 9 by the independent panel of 51 recruiters, scouts, coaches and journalists. A professional Butkus Award honoree will be named in early 2015. Selectors and selection criteria are posted at www.thebutkusaward.com
2013 Butkus Award winners:
- Professional: NaVorro Bowman, San Francisco 49ers
- Collegiate: C.J. Mosley, Alabama (now Baltimore Ravens)
- High School: Raekwon McMillan, Liberty County, Ga. (now Ohio State)
Created in 1985, the Butkus Award was expanded in 2008 to honor linebackers at three levels while spreading the word about Butkus' I Play Clean™ initiative which encourages teens to eat well, train hard, and play with attitude instead of using performance-enhancing drugs. The I Play Clean initiative is supported in part by the NFL and NFL Players Association Research and Education Foundation. More information is available at www.iplayclean.org and on Facebook at i.play.clean.
The Butkus Award, www.thebutkusaward.com, and on Facebook at 51.butkus, is presented by the Butkus Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization. The Butkus Award is part of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which includes the 21 most prestigious awards in college football with 678 years of selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org for more information.
Contact Information:
Contact:
Ron Arp
360.601.2991