Contact Information: Contact: Ron Arp
Butkus Award(R) Collegiate Trophy Presented to Aaron Curry of Wake Forest University
| Source: Butkus Foundation
WINSTON-SALEM, NC--(Marketwire - December 9, 2008) - The 24th annual Butkus Award® honoring
the nation's top collegiate linebacker was presented today to Aaron Curry
from Wake Forest University. In a surprise presentation, Dick Butkus and
his son Matt presented the award to Curry who was featured at a media
luncheon here.
Curry, a 6'3" 243 lb. senior from E.E. Smith High School Fayetteville, N.C.
received 63 total points (14 first place), ahead of Rey Maualuga of USC
with 56 points (11 first place), and the 2007 winner James Laurinaitis from
Ohio State with 45 points (6 first place). Brian Cushing of USC (27
points) and Mark Herzlich of Boston College (11 points) finished fourth and
fifth, respectively. In addition to the top five, Rolando McClain of
Alabama, Scott McKillop of Pittsburgh, and Sean Weatherspoon of Missouri
all finished with at least one first place vote.
"We asked our selection committee to vote for the top three college
football linebackers in the country," said Hub Arkush of Pro Football
Weekly, who supervised the 51-person selection panel of coaches, scouts,
recruiters and journalists. "What ensued was a remarkably close race in
which 11 different players received votes, eight receiving first place
votes. In the end, a clear winner emerged in Aaron Curry from Wake Forest
University."
Curry finished the 2008 regular season with 101 tackles (63 solo, 15 for
loss) for the Demon Deacons. The team is #2 nationwide in takeaways with
35, with Curry credited for three fumble recoveries and an interception.
He was named to the all-Atlantic Coast Conference first team at linebacker.
The Demon Deacons will play in a school-record third consecutive Bowl game
Saturday, December 20 in Washington, DC.
Curry is the fifth linebacker from the Atlantic Coast Conference to win the
Butkus Award collegiate trophy. Others were E.J. Henderson of Maryland in
2002, Dan Morgan of Miami in 2000, Marvin Jones of Florida State in 1992,
and Paul McGowan of Florida State in 1987.
A Butkus Award reception is planned January 13 in Chicago to honor Wake
Forest's Curry, Punahou High School's Manti Te'o, and a yet-to-be-named
winner of the Butkus Award professional trophy. Ticket and sponsorship
information is available at www.thebutkusaward.com.
Selection Process Outlined
The Butkus family received the Butkus Award® property earlier this year
and called upon Hub Arkush of Pro Football Weekly to assemble a selection
panel. Butkus and Arkush became friends broadcasting NFL games together
beginning in 1985.
"Dick Butkus is a treasured and respected colleague. He envisioned the
Butkus Award being a perfect vehicle to showcase the I Play Clean™
campaign that he and Matt Butkus founded to educate our youth on the
dangers of performance-enhancing drugs. Given it is a cause I strongly
believe in, my job was to form the most credible selection committee ever
assembled for a major sports award, and oversee the balloting and selection
process."
The 51-person selection panel is comprised of the best-known NFL General
Managers, Head Coaches, Defensive Coordinators, Personnel Directors, Head
Scouts, College Head Coaches, Recruiting Coordinators, three senior
football journalists, and four highly regarded independent talent
evaluators. None of the NFL talent evaluators were allowed to have any
contact with any college underclassmen, and none of our college coaches and
evaluators were allowed to have any contact with any of the high school
candidates. All votes are kept confidential to assure compliance with all
NCAA and NFL rules and restrictions regarding scouting and recruiting.
About Dick and Matt Butkus
Butkus was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979, following
an illustrious career with the Chicago Bears, University of Illinois and
Chicago Vocational School. Meanwhile, his son Matt was a defensive lineman
for the University of Southern California's 1990 Rose Bowl-winning team,
and joins his father in philanthropic efforts.