TUSCALOOSA, Ala.– The Dick Butkus Award Foundation announced Alabama’s Reuben Foster as the winner of the 2016 Butkus Award on Sunday, following the SEC title game. Named after College Football and Pro Hall of Fame member Dick Butkus, the honor is presented to the best linebacker in high school, college and professional football since 1985. The Butkus Award Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports a number of health and wellness activities, including the “I Play Clean” anti-steroid program.
A feared signal caller, Foster has been remarkable all season.
The senior leads Alabama in tackles (94), while having 12 tackles for loss, four sacks and eight quarterback hurries. He was named most valuable player of the Southeastern Conference Championship Game, after recording a game-high 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Foster aided a Tide defense that generated four sacks, while Florida to nothing in the run game (30 carries) in a 54-16 win in Atlanta.
Kendall Beckwith (LSU), Zach Cunningham (Vanderbilt), Jarrad Davis (Florida) and Josey Jewell (Iowa) all joined Foster as finalists, but the Auburn native takes the award. He joins ex-Alabama standouts Derrick Thomas (1989), Rolando McClain (2009) and C.J. Mosley (2013), as the fourth player to earn the honor.
Stephen M. Smith is a senior analyst and columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
