FightingIllini.com
The Official Home of University of Illinois Athletics
- Men's Sports
- MEN'S SPORTS
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Football
- Golf
- WOMEN'S SPORTS
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Soccer
  |
|
Jonathan Brown
|
Oct. 22, 2012
Follow @IlliniFootball Tweet #Illini
Butkus Award Semifinalist List
CHICAGO - Illinois junior Jonathan Brown was named one of 12 semifinalists for the 28th annual Butkus Award, honoring the nation's top linebacker, on Monday.
So far this season, Brown has 44 tackles, a team-high 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. In 2011, Brown was a second-team All-Big Ten selection at linebacker after he ranked sixth in the nation in tackles for loss per game with 1.63 (19.5 total). He led the Big Ten in TFLs (14.5) in conference games and ranked second in tackles (11.9 per game), pacing the Illini with 108 stops last season.
The Butkus Award is named after Fighting Illini great Dick Butkus, who was an All-American at Illinois in 1963 and '64 and is generally considered the greatest linebacker in football history. Illinois has had two Butkus Award winners, Dana Howard in 1994 and Kevin Hardy in 1995.
Prior to the season, Brown was named to five watch lists - the Bednarik, Butkus, Lombardi, Lott and Nagurski Awards. Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly was the winner of the Butkus Awards last season.
Collegiate 2012 Butkus Award Semifinalists:
Steve Beauharnais, Rutgers
Arthur Brown, Kansas State
Jonathan Brown, Illinois
Max Bullough, Michigan State
Gerald Hodges, Penn State
Jarvis Jones, Georgia
Dion Jordan, Oregon
Michael Mauti, Penn State
Kevin Minter, LSU
C.J. Mosley, Alabama
Trent Murphy, Stanford
Manti Te'o, Notre Dame
