Aug. 19, 2004
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State senior Kirk Morrison and junior Matt McCoy have been named to the Butkus Award preseason watch list announced by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Fla., Thursday.
Morrison (Oakland, Calif.) and McCoy (Tustin, Calif.) are among 65 candidates nominated for the award, which is presented annually to the nation's best collegiate linebacker. The preseason list of Butkus Award candidates will be trimmed to 10 semi-finalists and eventually three finalists.
Of the 65 Butkus candidates on this year's preseason watch list, Morrison and McCoy are two of three players from the Mountain West Conference, along with UNLV's Adam Seward.
Earlier this summer, Morrison was named to watch lists for the Rotary Lombardi Award, presented to the nation's top lineman (any player within five yards of the line of scrimmage), the Nagurski Award, given to the nation's outstanding defensive player, and the Bednarik Award, presented to the nation's top defensive player.
Morrison is the reigning Mountain West Conference defensive player of the year and has been listed as a first-team preseason All-America selection by three media outlets.
McCoy earned second-team all-MWC honors in 2003, after leading the conference in tackles (125) and tackles per game (10.4). McCoy reached double-figures in tackles six times a year ago, including a career-best 16 against league foes Colorado State and Air Force.
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. Recent recipients of the Butkus Award include: Teddy Lehman (2003-Oklahoma), E.J. Henderson (2002-Maryland), Rocky Calmus (2001-Oklahoma), Dan Morgan (2000-U. of Miami), and LaVar Arrington (1999-Penn State).