Surprise! Nicholas Named to Butkus Watch List

[Brad]

Courtesy USF SID Office

USF’s Nicholas Named to Butkus Watch List for Third Straight Season

ORLANDO, FLA. (August 24, 2006)- 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 65 candidates for this year’s award, and USF’s Stephen Nicholas has made the list for the third straight season.  

Nicholas, 6-3, 225, enters his fourth season as a starter at USF, where he has 224 career tackles with 12.5 sacks, including seven in 2005. The graduate of Jacksonville Lee High School, is also on the Bronco Nagurski Trophy Watch List in 2006.

If 2005 Butkus Award® winner Paul Posluszny of Penn State repeats in 2006, he would become just the second linebacker to win the Butkus Award® twice in DACO’s 22-year history.  Posluszny would tie with Brian Bosworth of Oklahoma who won the Butkus Award® in 1985 and 1986 respectively.

The Butkus Award® Watch List will be trimmed to 10 semi-finalists on Thursday, October 19.  That semi-finalist list will be cut down to three finalists which will be announced via a national teleconference with players, coaches, media members and Butkus Award® officials on Thursday, November 9.  The winner will be announced Saturday, December 9, 2006 at the Butkus Award® Gala in Orlando, FL.  The Butkus Award® will be presented to the winner by the award’s namesake former University of Illinois and Chicago Bear NFL Hall of Fame member, **** Butkus.  The finalists, their coaches and families are invited to attend the Butkus Award® Gala festivities including a welcome reception, golf tournament and silent auction.  

The independent Butkus Award® Selection Committee for the 2006 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: 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, **** Butkus.

Abbate, Jon

Wake Forest

Alexander, Rufus

Oklahoma

 

Alston, Mike

Toledo

 

Andrews, Dwayne

Fresno State

Archer, Brandon

Kansas State

Beason, Jon

Miami (FL)

Bell, Beau

UNLV

 

Bishop, Desmond

California

 

Blades, H.B.

Pittsburgh

 

Bouie, Keyonvis

Florida International

Bunting, Nick

Tulsa

 

Caldwell, Rob

Navy

 

Castelo, Matt

San Jose State

Coleman, Nelson

Tulsa

 

Collavo, Troy

UTEP

 

Connor, Dan

Penn State

Crum, Maurice

Notre Dame

Davis, Buster

Florida State

Davis, Scott

Washington State

Dizon, Jordan

Colorado

 

Edwards, Larry

North Carolina

Everett, Earl

Florida

 

Felder, Anthony

California

 

Graves, Phillip

North Texas

Hall, KaMichael

Georgia Tech

Hall, Korey

Boise State

Hall, Vince

Virginia Tech

Harris, David

Michigan

 

Harris, Nate

Louisville

 

Herron, David

Michigan State

Highsmith, Ali

LSU

 

Holtzclaw, Dan

Eastern Michigan

Ismail, Ameer

Western Michigan

Jackson, Jarvis

Georgia  

 

Jensen, Cameron

BYU

 

Jones, Jeremy

UTEP

 

Koehl, Wade

Houston

 

Latimer, Zach

Oklahoma

 

Leman, J

 

Illinois

 

Maualuga, Rey

USC

 

McKeon, Corey

Nebraska

 

McLee, Kevin

West Virginia

Miles, Edmund

Iowa

 

Muncy, Matt

Ohio

 

Nicholas, Stephen

South Florida

Olajubutu, Sam

Arkansas

 

Phillips, Blair

Oregon

 

Phillips, Jason

TCU

 

Posluszny, Paul

Penn State

Rivers, Keith

USC

 

Sabb, J.K.

Middle Tennessee

Shelvin, John

Minnesota

Siler, Brandon

Florida  

 

Simpson, Juwan

Alabama

 

Smith, Corey

Cincinnati

 

Smith, Kelvin

Syracuse

 

Smith, Mastaki

UAB

 

Thornton, Dennis

Marshall

 

Toal, Brian

Boston College

Warren, Justin

Texas A&M

Washington, Thaddaeus Colorado

 

Waters, Anthony

Clemson

 

Willis, Patrick

Mississippi

Woodyard, Wesley

Kentucky

 

Zalewski, Mark

Wisconsin

 

[E.T.]

I expect Big Ben on that list during the season also ... really suprised he was left off.

Go BULLS !!!

[E.T.]

[smazza]

good company

[80mins]

We will also be facing watch list LBs at FIU, UNC, Pitt, Louisville, WVU, Cincinnasti, and Cuse.

[bulls96go]

he came back for senior year (smart) and probably will get drafted if he has a good season