Aug. 28, 2007
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State linebacker Russell Allen (Oceanside, Calif.) has been named to the 2007 Butkus Award Watch List, the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando announced Tuesday. He is one of 66 candidates for the annual honor, which is presented to the nation's best collegiate linebacker.
Allen is the Aztecs' top returning tackler, finishing last season with a career-best 88, including six behind the line of scrimmage at both weakside and strongside linebacker. His 7.3 stops per game ranked ninth in the Mountain West Conference and among the top 100 nationally. For his career, Allen has 149 total tackles, four pass breakups and two interceptions in 24 contests.
The Vista High graduate was named one of SDSU's six team captains for the upcoming season and the only non-senior so honored. Allen is the third Aztec linebacker to be named to the Butkus Award Watch List, joining current NFL standouts Matt McCoy (2004) and Kirk Morrison (2002-04), who was one of 12 semifinalists in 2004.
The watch list will be trimmed to 10 semifinalists on Oct. 18, and to three finalists on Nov. 9. The winner of the Butkus Award, which last season went to Mississippi's Patrick Willis, will be announced in December in Orlando, Fla.