Butkus Award Watch Lists

The Butkus Award is named after Chicago Bears Hall of Fame legendary linebacker, Dick Butkus, and is given to the top LB at both the collegiate and high school levels. The Watch List gives all the names of the players who have been nominated and one player at each level will be recognized with the position's highest honor, although the winner does not have to come from this list.

There are two players whose names should become familiar with you, if you are from the Baltimore area or around College Park. Kenny Tate, a LB with the University of Maryland Terrapins, is on the list and has already made himself a name as an All-ACC player and was up for national honors last season before being injured.

There are a couple of high school players from Maryland on the Butkus Watch List, but the one from the Baltimore area that fans should keep an eye on is Micah Kiser, a linebacker who plays at Gilman High School. Kiser is a 6'2", 220 pound LB who has committed to play at the University of Virginia after his senior year of 2012.