Three Wolverines Selected to Butkus Award Candidate List
8/11/1998 12:00:00 AM | Football
Seniors Sam Sword (Saginaw, MI) and Clint Copenhaver (Brighton, MI) as well as junior Dhani Jones (Potomac, MD) were named candidates by an independent selection committee comprised of 27 national media members. This is Sword's second consecutive selection while Copenhaver and Jones are receiving their initial recognition for their positions top award.
The award, created in 1985 and carrying the name of one of the greatest middle linebackers in football history (Dick Butkus), was won by former Wolverine Erick Anderson in 1991.
The list of 68 preseason candidates will be trimmed to 10 semifinalists on October 15. The three finalists will be announced November 12 with the 1998 winner being named Friday, December 11 at the Butkus Award Gala at Universal Studios Florida.
The Wolverines three selections are tied for the most in this year's field of candidates. Michigan, Kansas State, Florida and Notre Dame each have three nominees. This is the first time in the history of the award that four different universities have three players nominated on the same Butkus Award List. The most candidates on the list from one school was four by North Carolina in 1997.
Following is an alphabetical list of the 68 candidates for the 1998 Butkus Award.
Rahim Abdullah (Clemson), Jo Juan Armour (Miami-OH), La Var Arrington (Penn State), Corey Atkins (South Carolina), Brendan Avanbadejo (UCLA), Eric Barton (Maryland), Matt Beck (California), Marcus Bell (Arizona), Aaron Brady (Rutgers), Brian Brown (Wyoming), Travis Carroll (Alabama), Hassan Champion (Cincinnati), Chris Claiborne (South Carolina), Danny Clark (Illinois), Phil Clarke (Pittsburgh), Roderick Coleman (East Carolina), Clint Copenhaver (Michigan), Tony D'Amato (Utah State), Jay Foreman (Nebraska), Jimmy Friday (Notre Dame), Barry Gardner (Northwestern), Stephen Gonzales (Hawaii), Phil Glover (Utah), Orentes Grant (Georgia), Lamont Green (Florida State), Warrick Holdman (Texas A&M), Bobbie Howard (Notre Dame), Matt Hughes (Iowa), Dhani Jones (Michigan), Andy Katzenmoyer (Ohio State), Jevon Kearse (Florida), Jeff Kelly (Kansas State), Nate Kvamme (Colorad State), Courtney Ledyard (Michigan State), Brad Martin (BYU), CJ McLain (Arkansas), Kory Minor (Notre Dame), Dan Morgan (Miami-FL), Kelvin Moses (Wake Forest), Hannibal Navies (Colorado), Keith Newman (North Carolina), Dat Nguyen (Texas A&M), Travis Ochs (Kansas State), Nick Palmer (Central Florida), Mike Peterson (Florida), Wali Rainer (Virginia), Jabar Robinson (Indiana), Brian Rogers (Oregon State), Johnny Rutledge (Florida), Brandon Short (Penn State), Peter Sirmon (Oregon), Mark Simoneau (Kansas State), Barrin Simpson (Mississippi State), Brian Smith (UAB), Armegis Spearman (Mississippi), Brandon Spoon (North Carolina), Donnie Spragan (Stanford), Gary Stills (West Virginia), Sam Sword (Michigan), Raynoch Thompson (Tennessee), Byron Thweatt (Virginia), Brett Timmons (Tulane), Lester Towns (Washington), Joe Wesley (Louisiana State), Parc Williams (Minnesota), Al Wilson (Tennessee), Demetrius Woods (South Florida), Kenyatta Wright (Oklahoma State).
Contact: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
