The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus, is presented by the Butkus Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports a number of health and wellness activities including the "I Play Clean" anti-steroid program. The award was first established by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, which relinquished control of the award in 2008 following a lawsuit by Butkus.[1]
| Awarded for | Given to the best linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando (1985–2007) Butkus Foundation (2008–present) |
| History | |
| First award | 1985 |
| Most recent |
|
| Website | http://www.thebutkusaward.com/ |
Traditionally, the award was given only to the top collegiate linebacker. The Butkus Award was expanded in 2008 to include high school and professional winners[2] as part of a makeover by the Butkus family to help end anabolic steroid abuse among young athletes. Three players have won both the high school and collegiate Butkus Awards: Notre Dame linebackers Manti Te'o (2008, 2012) and Jaylon Smith (2012, 2015) and also Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean (2018, 2021). Four players have won both the collegiate and professional Butkus Awards: San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis (2006, 2009), Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller (2010, 2012), Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly (2011, 2014, 2015, 2017), and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (2017, 2022, 2023)
| Year | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Manti Te'o | Punahou School (Honolulu, HI) |
| 2009 | Jordan Hicks | Lakota West High School (West Chester, OH) |
| 2010 | Tony Steward | Pedro Menendez High School (St. Augustine, FL) |
| 2011 | Noor Davis | Leesburg High School (Leesburg, FL) |
| 2012 | Jaylon Smith | Bishop Luers High School (Fort Wayne, IN) |
| 2013 | Raekwon McMillan | Liberty County High School (Hinesville, GA) |
| 2014 | Malik Jefferson | Ralph H. Poteet High School (Mesquite, TX) |
| 2015 | Caleb Kelly | Clovis West High School (Fresno, CA) |
| 2016 | Dylan Moses | IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) |
| 2017 | Solomon Tuliaupupu | Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, CA) |
| 2018 | Nakobe Dean | Horn Lake High School (Horn Lake, MS) |
| 2019 | Justin Flowe | Upland High School (Upland, CA) |
| 2020 | Prince Kollie | David Crockett High School (Jonesborough, TN) |
| 2021 | Shawn Murphy[11] | Unity Reed High School (Manassas, VA) |
| 2022 | Drayk Bowen | Andrean High School (Merrillville, IN) |
| 2023 | Sammy Brown | Jefferson High School (Jefferson, GA) |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)