Wolf
100% Texan
Even in sports, all awards are political awards in some fashion, symbols of perceived personal or professional virtue at least as much as they are of performance. Name a prize -- Oscars, Nobels, Heismans, anything -- and its winners are frequently steeped in sentiment on top of achievement, as a matter of course.
But the Butkus Award, handed out annually since 1985 to "the best of the best" high school, college and pro linebacker of the year, may be the first award to consider eschewing achievement entirely in this year's selection, unless inspirational charity work has become more important to playing linebacker than actually playing linebacker:
The Butkus Award for the top linebacker in college football could go to a player who isnt expected to make it onto the field this season.
Boston College's Mark Herzlich was among the 16 semifinalists announced on Friday. Herzlich is out for the season while recovering from a rare form of cancer called Ewings Sarcoma. He has helped raise more than $80,000 for research and education about the disease.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footba...fining-Best-Linebacker-very-?urn=ncaaf,196543