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Courtesy UM
CHICAGO – Miami Hurricanes junior LB Denzel Perryman has been named one of 12 semifinalists from the 2013 Butkus Award, the Butkus Foundation announced Monday. The award is given to the nation’s top football linebacker.
Perryman, a Coral Gables native, is the only ACC representative on the list. Perryman leads the Hurricanes (7-0, 3-0 ACC) with 52 tackles, including 33 solo stops, and has 1.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and one forced fumble to his credit through seven games.
The 2012 All-ACC honorable mention performer has started 18 of 28 games through two-plus season for the Hurricanes. He has 185 career tackles – 125 solo stops – and 14.0 tackles for loss as well as four forced fumbles.
Finalists for the 2013 Butkus Award will be announced Nov. 26 and winners will be announced by Dec. 10. The Butkus Award honors outstanding linebackers at three levels of play, while spreading the word about the I Play Clean™ initiative, which encourages teens to eat well, train hard, and play smart, instead of resorting to performance-enhancing drugs. More information is available at www.iplayclean.org or at www.facebook.com/i.play.clean.
2013 BUTKUS AWARD SEMIFINALISTS (COLLEGE)
Anthony Barr, UCLA
Lamin Barrow, LSU
Chris Borland, Wisconsin
Khairi Fortt, Cal
Khalil Mack, Buffalo
C.J. Mosley*, Alabama
Denzel Perryman, Miami
Trevor Reilly, Utah
Ryan Shazier, Ohio State
Shayne Skov, Stanford
Yawin Smallwood, UConn
Kyle Van Noy, BYU
* Denotes 2012 semifinalist
Butkus Award honorees are selected by a 51-person panel comprised of scouts, coaches and journalists. Selectors follow all rules of their leagues, including limitations on contact with players. Individual votes remain completely confidential. Last season’s Butkus Award winners were: Manti Te’o, Notre Dame (San Diego Chargers); Jaylon Smith, Bishop Luers Fort Wayne, Ind. (Notre Dame); and Von Miller, Denver Broncos.
Considered one of the greatest football players in history, Dick Butkus was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979, following an illustrious career with the Chicago Bears, University of Illinois and Chicago Vocational School. Meanwhile, his son Matt, a defensive lineman for USC’s 1990 Rose Bowl winning team, joins his father in philanthropic efforts. More information is at www.thebutkusaward.com
The Butkus Award, www.thebutkusaward.com or www.facebook.com/51.butkus, is presented by the Butkus Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization. It is part of the National College Football Awards Association, a coalition of the major collegiate awards. More information is available at www.NCFAA.org.
No. 7 Miami (7-0, 3-0 ACC) takes its nine-game winning streak to Tallahassee to face No. 3 Florida State (7-0, 5-0 ACC) for yet another Top 10 showdown in the epic rivalry. Saturday's game will kick at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and will be the feature site for College GameDay Built by the Home Depot.