OU's Lewis And Wort Named To Butkus Award List

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Butkus Award has released its list of 2011 watch list candidates and it includes two Oklahoma linebackers, Travis Lewis and Tom Wort.

The award, which honors Dick Butkus is given annually to the nation's top linebacker.

Lewis, a senior for the Sooners has been Oklahoma's leading tackler in each of his first three seasons. He enters the 2011 season with 362 career tackles, just 82 shy of Oklahoma's career top 10 list.

Wort, a sophomore from New Braunfels, Texas, started nine games for the Sooners last season. He came in second in tackles for linebackers last year and recorded a total of 66 take downs and 4.5 sacks.

In total, eight players from the Big 12 were named to the list including Texas' Emmanuel Acho, Keenan Robinson, Kansas State's Arthur Brown, Missouri's Zaviar Gooden, Iowa State's Jake Knott and Texas A&M's Garrick Williams.

Oklahoma has the nation's most Butkus Award winners, with four. Brian Bosworth won the first two awards in

Lewis is also on the watch list for the Rotary Lombardi Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Bednarik Award.

View the entire Butkus Award Watchlist.