Butkus Award®
and Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando

2006 BUTKUS AWARD® WATCH LIST

ANNOUNCED


AUGUST 24, 2006 - The Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Inc. (DACO), announced the preliminary list of 66 candidates for this year’s award. 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, Dick 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-U. of Miami); 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.

2006 Butkus Award® Watch List

Conference Break-Down

ACC
Antohny Waters Clemson
Brian Toal Boston College
Buster Davis Florida State
Jon Abbate Wake Forest
Jon Beason Miami
KaMichael Hall Georgia Tech
Larry Edwards North Carolina
Vince Hall Virginia Tech

Big East
Corey Smith Cincinnati
H.B. Blades Pittsburgh
Kelvin Smith Syracuse
Kevin McLee West Virginia
Nate Harris Louisville
Stephen Nicholas South Florida

Big Ten
Dan Connor Penn State
David Harris Michigan
David Herron Michigan State
James Laurinaitis Ohio State
Edmund Miles Iowa
J Leman Illinois
John Shelvin Minnesota
Mark Zalewski Wisconsin
Paul Posluszny Penn State

Big 12
Brandon Archer Kansas State
Corey McKeon Nebraska

Jordan Dizon Colorado
Justin Warren Texas A&M
Rufus Alexander Oklahoma
Thaddaeus Washington Colorado
Zach Latimer Oklahoma

Conference USA
Dennis Thornton Marshall
Jeremy Jones UTEP
Mastaki Smith UAB
Nelson Coleman Tulsa
Nick Bunting Tulsa
Troy Collavo UTEP
Wade Koehl Houston

Pac 10
Anthony Felder California
Blair Phillips Oregon
Desmond Bishop California
Keith Rivers USC
Rey Maualuga USC
Scott Davis Washington State

SEC
Ali Highsmith LSU
Bradon Siler Florida
Earl Everett Florida
Jarvis Jackson Georgia
Juwan Simpson Alabama
Patrick Willis Mississippi
Sam Olajubutu Arkansas
Wesley Woodyard Kentucky

Mountain West
Beau Bell UNLV
Cameron Jensen BYU
Jason Phillips TCU

MAC
Ameer Ismail Western Michigan
Dan Holtzclaw Eastern Michigan
Matt Muncy Ohio
Mike Alston Toledo

Sun Belt
J.K. Sabb Middle Tennessee
Keyonvis Bouie Florida International
Phillip Graves North Texas

WAC
Dwayne Andrews Fresno State
Korey Hall Bosie State
Matt Castelo San Jose State

Ind.
Maurice Crum Notre Dame
Rob Caldwell Navy


Media Release and list of players in alpha order

Media Relations Chairman:
Bobby Olszewski robert.olszewski@erqu.edu

For more information on how you can become more involved with the Butkus Award, please contact Shelley Ferguson at (407) 774-7813

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Copyright © Butkus Award® is a registered trademark of the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Inc.

Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Inc. P.O. Box 4062, Orlando, FL 32802
(407)774-7813 / Fax (407)788-7408
e-mail: dacorlando@hotmail.com www.dacorlando.org