The Butkus Award®, instituted in 1985, has been given annually to the top linebacker in college football. The Award, named in honor of Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus, is regarded as one of the elite individual honors in college football. This year, the Butkus family has taken stewardship of the Butkus Award to fully realize it's original purpose of honoring athletic achievement and service to the community. It will be presented by the Butkus Foundation, a registered 501 c (3) non-profit organization, and will be expanded to honor the nation’s best high school and professional linebackers. The Butkus Award will be presented January 13, 2009, at the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago.

An independent Butkus Award Selection Committee, headed by Pro Football Weekly's Hub Arkush and comprised of 51 experts including professional, college and high school scouts, and prominent sports journalists, will conduct the selection process.

2008 Butkus Award ® Watch List:

• Russell Allen, San Diego State
• Darry Beckwith, Louisiana State
• Tray Blackman, Auburn
• Will Bonilla, SMU
• Caleb Bostic, Miami, OH
• Jasper Brinkley, South Carolina
• Derrick Burrell, Kent State
• Reggie Carter, UCLA
• Jonathan Casillas, Wisconsin
• Jamar Chaney, Mississippi State
• Scotty Cooper, Clemson
• Maurice Crum, Notre Dame
• Rennie Curran, Georgia
• Aaron Curry, Wake Forest
• Brian Cushing, USC
• Dannell Ellerbe, Georgia
• Zack Follett, California
• Marcus Freeman, Ohio State
• Kevin Grant, Akron
• Bryant Haines, Ball State
• Joe Henderson, UAB
• Robert Henson, TCU
• Mark Herzlich, Boston College
• Anthony Heygood, Purdue
• Daniel Holtzclaw, Eastern Michigan
• Joey Hudson, Miami, OH
• Jake Hutton, Utah State
• Paul Igboeli, Utah State
• Micah Johnson, Kentucky
• Frantz Joseph, FAU
• Braxton Kelley, Kentucky
• James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
• Boris Lee, Troy
• Adam Leonard, Hawaii
• Scott Lutrus, Connecticut
• Ray Maualuga, USC
• Josh Mauga, Nevada
• Pat Maynor, Stanford
• Rolando McCain, Alabama
• Rico McCoy, Tennesee
• Gerald McGrath, Southern Mississippi
• Tyrone McKenzie, USF
• Scott McKillop, Pittsburgh
• Joe Mortensen, Kansas
• Clayton Mullins, Miami, OH
• Gerald Munns, Arizona State
• Eric Norwood, South Carolina
• Ben Owens, Arkansas State
• Ronnie Palmer, Arizona
• Joe Pawelek, Baylor
• Dave Philistin, Maryland
• Jason Phillips, TCU
• Brian Raines, Rice
• Ryan Reynolds, Oklahoma
• John Ryan, Notre Dame
• Frank Scappaticci, Army
• Clint Sintim, Virginia
• Clinton Snyder, Stanford
• Clint Sovie, Navy
• Brandon Spikes, Florida
• Stevenson Sylvester, Utah
• Brian Toal, Boston College
• Worrell Williams, California
• Reed Williams, West Virginia
• Martez Wilson, Illinois
• Sean Witherspoon, Missouri