BC's Kuechly Wins Butkus Award
BOSTON (CBS) – Not only did Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly win the Dick Butkus Award as the best linebacker in the country, the Eagles defensive star got an extra surprise on Sunday.
Butkus, a Hall of Fame linebacker with the Chicago Bears, was on hand to present the award to Kuechly at BC's team awards banquet at the Sharaton Hotel in Needham.
The presentation took Kuechly by surprise.
"I didn't know what was going on," Kuechly said. "These two big guys were standing right behind me and I was like wow, what is going on right now?"
"I used to watch football growing up and I used to watch NFL Films," Kuechly continued. "They would always be talking about Dick Butkus. I just remember watching those games and he is one of the all-time linebackers and they always mentioned his name. ... That's the best award if you are a linebacker."
Kuechly was selected by a panel of 51 coaches, recruiters, scouts and journalists coordinated by Pro Football Weekly. He received 58 points and 18 first-place votes after amassing 191 total tackles, 102 solo, and three interceptions including one for touchdown this season at BC.
He finished runner-up in the 2010 voting.
The junior has recorded 532 career tackles, including 299 solo tackles, in 37 career games and is averaging 14 tackles and 7.9 solo tackles per game. He broke the school's career record of 524 tackles this season, and has registered the top two single-season tackle totals in ACC history (191 in 2011 and 183 in 2010).
Kuechly is Boston College's first Butkus Award recipient.
