(Wyoming release)
CHICAGO - The Butkus Foundation announced on Monday the semifinalists for the 35th Annual Butkus Award® honoring the nation’s best linebackers. A total of 12 collegiate semifinalists and 15 high school semifinalists were announced, and Wyoming’s Logan Wilson was selected as one of the 12 collegiate semifinalists. Wilson is the only semifinalist from a non-Automonous Five conference team.
The 12 collegiate semifinalists are:
Butkus Award 2019 Collegiate Semi-Finalists and College
Logan Wilson, Wyoming
Joe Bachie, Michigan State
Zack Baun, Wisconsin
Jordyn Brooks, Texas Tech
Tae Crowder, Georgia
Jordan Glasgow, Michigan
Jake Hansen, Illinois
Anfernee Jennings, Alabama
Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
Micah Parsons, Penn State
Isaiah Simmons, Clemson
Evan Weaver, California
The committee noted three probable semi-finalists had their season not been interrupted due to injury: Dylan Moses of Alabama, Markus Bailey of Purdue and Cale Garrett of Missouri.
Butkus Award 2019 High School Semi-Finalists, School and City
Sergio Allen, Peach County, Fort Valley, Ga.
Jordan Botelho, Saint Louis School, Honolulu, Hawaii
Jackson Bratton, Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Bryson Eason, Whitehaven, Memphis, Tenn.
Bryson Eason, Whitehaven, Memphis, Tenn.
Demouy Kennedy, Theodore, Ala.
Demouy Kennedy, Theodore, Ala.
Antoine Sampah, Woodbridge, Va.
Damian Sellers, Saguaro, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Noah Sewell, Orem, Utah
Mekhail Sherman, St. John’s College, Washington, DC
Trenton Simpson, Mallard Creek, Charlotte, NC
Sav’ell Smalls, Kennedy Catholic, Burien, Wash.
Kevin Swint, Carrollton, Ga.
Derek Wingo, St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Finalists will be named on Monday, Nov. 25, and winners on or before Dec. 10. The professional winner will be annnounced in early 2020.
The 2018 Butkus Award winners were:
•Professional: Khalil Mack, Chicago Bears
•Collegiate: Devin White, LSU (now Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
•High School: Nakobe Dean, Horn Lake, Miss. (now Georgia)
The Butkus Award® is presented by the Butkus Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization which advances health and wellness through special initiatives. This includes the I Play Clean® program encouraging athletes to play using their natural ability, and the Butkus Takes Heart™ program encouraging preventive heart scans and screening among adults.
The Butkus Award a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored more than 800 since 1935.
Formed in 1985, the Butkus Award was expanded in 2008 to honor linebackers at three levels while supporting causes important to the Butkus family. They include the I Play Clean® initiative promoting training and nutrition instead of performance-enhancing drugs, and the Butkus Takes Heart™ initiative encouraging early cardiovascular screening among adults.
The Butkus Award, www.thebutkusaward.com and on Facebook at 51.butkus, is presented by the nonprofit Butkus Foundation. Selectors and selection criteria are located on the official website. Search social media for #butkusaward2019.
The Butkus Award® is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored more than 800 recipients since 1935. Visit www.NCFAA.org for more information.
