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| 11/11/04 Johnson named one of three finalists for 2004 Butkus Award  2004 Derrick Johnson Highlight Video 2004 Longhorns Award Pages Texas senior LB Derrick Johnson (Waco, Texas/Waco HS) has been named one of three finalists for the 2004 Butkus Award, The Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Inc. (DACO) has announced. The award honors the best linebacker in college football and this marks the second time Johnson has been named a finalist. He earned the honor last year, when he became the first linebacker in UT history to do so. He is joined by USC senior Matt Grootegoed and Virginia junior Ahmad Brooks as finalists this year.
"Winning the Butkus is a linebackers dream," Johnson said. "It's an honor to be in the hunt for such a prestigious award. This year I'm up for it, and I can't say enough about the guys I play with. They speak for me and they helped me to get to this point. I want to give honor to Matt (Grootegoed) and Ahmad (Brooks) for doing a great job. My coaches have been helping me a lot, so I can't take all the credit. I have a lot of support behind me." Johnson, also a finalist for the Lombardi Award, a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award (nation's top defensive player) and the only defensive player of 10 on the watch list for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, leads Texas with 107 tackles this season and ranks third on the school's all-time tackle chart (435). The 2003 consensus first-team All-American and two-time first-team All-Big 12 pick has posted 14 tackles for loss, nine QB pressures, one interception and a UT single-season record eight caused fumbles (T-No. 1 on the NCAA all-time single-season list) and earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors three times this season. He is tied for first on the UT all-time TFL lists (60) and has posted nine career interceptions, a Longhorn record for LBs. His 25 career PBUs are a UT record for LBs while his 270 solo stops (No. 4 on the UT all-time list) and 10 fumble recoveries (T-No. 5 on the UT career chart) rank among UT's all-time top five. "Derrick Johnson is a primary reason we're still in the mix for good things at the end of the year," Texas head coach Mack Brown said. "We have two seniors on defense, and he was a great leader for us last year, but he's stepped it up even more. He's been a dominating player for us, and he's leading in about every defensive category in the history of our storied program at The University of Texas. To be the only finalist last year in history of our school, we've never had a guy win the Butkus in the 20 years of the award. The thing you like about Derrick Johnson is that he's a great player, but a much better young man, and he's on track to graduate in his four years." On Friday, December 10th, the DACO celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Butkus Award with a black tie Gala at the Renaissance Orlando Resort at Sea World. The evening will begin with a cocktail reception and Silent Auction at 6:30 p.m. followed by a three-course gourmet dinner. The Butkus Award presentation, emceed by former Butkus winner and ESPN analyst Trev Alberts, will honor each of this year's finalists, as well as past winners. The culmination of the evening is the announcement of the 2004 recipient. The Butkus Award is regarded as one of the most elite individual honors in college football. Past recipients include such outstanding linebackers as: 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. |
