Cotton Named To Butkus Award Watch List
August 28, 2007 | Football
Aug. 28, 2007
IRVING, Texas - The Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Inc. (DACO), the organization which annually presents the prestigious Butkus Award to the nation's best collegiate linebacker, has announced the preliminary list of 66 candidates for this year's award. Six of the candidates hail from Conference USA.
Tulsa teammates Chris Chamberlain and Nelson Coleman are joined by East Carolina's Quentin Cotton, Rice's Brian Raines, SMU's Reggie Carrington and UTEP's Jeremy Jones as C-USA's representatives on the list.
The Butkus Award ® Watch List will be trimmed to 10 semi-finalists on Thursday, October 18. That semi-finalist list will be cut down to three finalists and will be announced on Thursday, November 9. The winner will be announced in December in Orlando, Fla.
The independent Butkus Award® Selection Committee for the 2007 Butkus Award®, comprised of some of the nation's foremost journalists, is solely and exclusively responsible for all voting in the Butkus Award® selection process. Additional Watch List candidates may be added in the coming weeks due to outstanding in-season play. Voting for the three finalists and the Butkus Award® winner will be conducted by exclusive confidential ballots of the selection committee.
The Butkus Award ® is regarded as one of the most elite individual honors in college football. Past recipients include such outstanding linebackers as: Patrick Willis (2006-Mississippi), Paul Posluszny (2005-Penn State); Derrick Johnson (2004-Texas) Teddy Lehman (2003-Oklahoma); E.J. Henderson (2002-Maryland); Rocky Calmus (2001-Oklahoma); Dan Morgan (2000-Miami (FL); LaVar Arrington (1999-Penn State); Chris Claiborne (1998-Southern California); Andy Katzenmoyer (1997-Ohio State); Matt Russell (1996 Colorado); Kevin Hardy (1995-Illinois); Dana Howard (1994-Illinois); Trev Alberts (1993-Nebraska); Marvin Jones (1992-Florida State); Erick Anderson (1991-Michigan); Alfred Williams (1990-Colorado); Percy Snow (1989-Michigan State); Derrick Thomas (1988-Alabama); Paul McGowan (1997-Florida State); and Brian Bosworth (1985 and 1986-Oklahoma). Created in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando Inc., the Butkus Award® carries the name and support of one of the greatest middle linebackers in football history, Dick Butkus.
The following candidates have been recommended for the 2007 Butkus Award® Watch List by the Butkus Award® Selection Committee comprised of national media members.
2007 Butkus Award Watch List:
Adibi, Xavier-Virginia Tech
Allen, Russell-San Diego State
Bell, Beau-UNLV
Bobino, Rashad-Texas
Bowen, Alvin-Iowa State
Brinkley, Jasper-South Carolina
Butler, Ezra-Nevada
Campbell, Ian-Kansas State
Carrington, Reggie-SMU
Carter, Reggie-UCLA
Casillas, Jonathan-Wisconsin
Castello, Matt-San Jose State
Chamberlain, Chris-Tulsa
Coleman, Nelson-Tulsa
Collins, Chris-Oklahoma State
Connor, Dan-Penn State
Cotton, Quentin-East Carolina
Crable, Shawn-Michigan
Crum, Maurice-Notre Dame
Cushing, Brian-Southern California
Dizon, Jordon-Colorado
Dobbs, Ward-Wyoming
Doggett, Derrick-Oregon State
Dunbar, Jolonn-Boston College
Follett, Zach-California
Fowler, Drew-Air Force
Freeman, Marcus-Ohio State
Goff, Jonathan-Vanderbilt
Hall, Prince-Alabama
Hall, Vince-Virginia Tech
Hayes, Geno-Florida State
Henderson, Erin-Maryland
Henegan, Ryan-Connecticut
Highsmith, Ali-LSU
Holman, Maurice-North Texas
Hudson, Joey-Miami-Ohio
Jackson, Malik-Louisville
Jiannoni, Joe-Utah
Jones, Jeremy-UTEP
Joseph, Franz-Florida Atlantic
Keith, Red-Central Michigan
Klinkenberg, Mike-Iowa
Lansanah, Danny-Connecticut
Larsen, Spencer-Arizona
Laurinaitis, James-Ohio State
Lavine, Patrick-Oklahoma State
Leman, J-Illinois
Leonard, Adam-Hawaii
Maualuga, Rey-Southern California
Mayo, Jerod-Tennessee
McCarthy, Tim-Northern Illinois
McKinnon, Koby-Arkansas State
Moffitt, Ben-South Florida
Pawelek, Joe-Baylor
Phillips, Jason-Colorado
Raines, Brian-Rice
Renkart, Brandon-Rutgers
Rivera, Mike-Kansas
Rivers, Keith-Southern California
Ruud, Bo-Nebraska
Tauiliili, Michael-Duke
Taylor, Christian-UCLA
Vobora, David-Idaho
Wheeler, Phillip-Georgia Tech
Williams, Reed-West Virginia
Woodyard, Wesley-Kentucky
