Colorado State University Athletics
James selected to Butkus Award Watch List
7/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
CHICAGO – The Butkus Award selected 51 players to its preseason watch list on Tuesday, including Colorado State senior Cory James. The award annually is presented to the top linebacker in college football.
As a junior in 2014, James recorded 51 tackles, including a team-most 8.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks. Over the past three seasons, James has played in all 39 of CSU’s contests, starting 34. He has 165 career tackles and 22 career sacks, the fifth-most ever by a CSU defender. As a freshman, he was awarded FWAA Freshman All-America honors.
James and Utah State’s Kyler Fackrell are two of six watch-list selections from Group-of-Five schools.
The 51 players represent the retired number that Dick Butkus – who is regarded by NFL Films as the best defensive player in football history – wore on his jersey. A selection panel of 51 deeply experienced coaches, evaluators and journalists will narrow the field by private ballot. Semifinalists will be named on Nov. 2, finalists will be released on Nov. 23 and the winner will be announced in early 2016.
Last week, CSU’s Rashard Higgins was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List, punter Hayden Hunt was selected to the Ray Guy Award Watch List and tight ends Kivon Cartwright and Steven Walker made CSU one of two schools nationally to have multiple players selected to the John Mackey Award Watch List. On Monday, Trent Matthews was announced to the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List.
