Aug. 24, 2006
LAS VEGAS - UNLV junior Beau Bell is a member of the official 2006 watch list for the prestigious Butkus Award, which goes each year to the nation's best collegiate linebacker, the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando announced on Thursday.
Bell (6-3, 235) was named to the official 2006 preseason All-Mountain West Conference team last month. The native of Tustin, Calif., and younger brother of former Rebel linebacker Zach Bell (2001-04) was ranked this summer as the No. 16 outside linebacker in the college football by Sporting News. The league's leading returning tackler (92 in 2005), Bell was a near-unanimous preseason first team All-MWC choice by preview publications as he was named by Sporting News, Street & Smith, Lindy's, Athlon, CBS Sportsline, College Football News and Blue Ribbon.
The independent Butkus Award Selection Committee, comprised of some of the nation's foremost journalists, is solely and exclusively responsible for all voting in the honor's selection process.
The Butkus Award Watch List will be trimmed to 10 semifinalists on October 19. That list will be cut down to three finalists, who will be announced via a national teleconference with players, coaches, media members and Butkus Award officials on November 9. The winner will be announced December 9 in Orlando and the award will be presented by its namesake, former University of Illinois star and Chicago Bears NFL Hall of Fame member Dick Butkus.
Bell joins two of his teammates as members of official watch lists for major college-football awards this fall. Junior Sergio Aguayo is up for the Lou Groza Place-Kicker Award while senior nose tackle Howie Fuimaono was tabbed by the Outland Trophy, which goes annually to the nation's top offensive or defensive lineman.
2006 BUTKUS AWARD OFFICIAL WATCH LIST
Abbate, Jon Wake ForestAlexander, Rufus OklahomaAlston, Mike ToledoAndrews, Dwayne Fresno StateArcher, Brandon Kansas StateBeason, Jon Miami (FL)Bell, Beau UNLVBishop, Desmond CaliforniaBlades, H.B. PittsburghBouie, Keyonvis Florida InternationalBunting, Nick TulsaCaldwell, Rob NavyCastelo, Matt San Jose StateColeman, Nelson TulsaCollavo, Troy UTEPConnor, Dan Penn StateCrum, Maurice Notre DameDavis, Buster Florida StateDavis, Scott Washington StateDizon, Jordan ColoradoEdwards, Larry North CarolinaEverett, Earl FloridaFelder, Anthony CaliforniaGraves, Phillip North TexasHall, KaMichael Georgia TechHall, Korey Boise StateHall, Vince Virginia TechHarris, David MichiganHarris, Nate LouisvilleHerron, David Michigan StateHighsmith, Ali LSUHoltzclaw, Dan Eastern MichiganIsmail, Ameer Western MichiganJackson, Jarvis GeorgiaJensen, Cameron BYUJones, Jeremy UTEPKoehl, Wade HoustonLatimer, Zach OklahomaLeman, J. IllinoisMaualuga, Rey USCMcKeon, Corey NebraskaMcLee, Kevin West VirginiaMiles, Edmund IowaMuncy, Matt OhioNicholas, Stephen South FloridaOlajubutu, Sam ArkansasPhillips, Blair OregonPhillips, Jason TCUPosluszny, Paul Penn StateRivers, Keith USCSabb, J.K. Middle TennesseeShelvin, John MinnesotaSiler, Brandon FloridaSimpson, Juwan AlabamaSmith, Corey CincinnatiSmith, Kelvin SyracuseSmith, Mastaki UABThornton, Dennis MarshallToal, Brian Boston CollegeWarren, Justin Texas A&MWashington, T. ColoradoWaters, Anthony ClemsonWillis, Patrick MississippiWoodyard, Wesley KentuckyZalewski, Mark Wisconsin
