Tackling Maching Kuechly Wins Butkus Award

BUTKUS and KUECHLY (John Quackenbos/Boston College)

Boston College junior Luke Kuechly has been named the recipient of the 27th annual Butkus Award honoring the nation's top linebacker.

As it should be, Dick Butkus, a Hall of Famer for the Chicago Bears, was on hand to present the award to Kuechly at the Eagles' team awards banquet on Sunday at the Sharaton Hotel in Needham, Mass. The presentation took Kuechly completely by surprise.

Kuechly was selected by a panel of 51 coaches, recruiters, scouts and journalists coordinated by Pro Football Weekly. Kuechly amassed 191 total tackles, including 102 solo, and three interceptions including one for touchdown. He finished runner-up in the 2010 voting.

Kuechly received 58 points and 18 first-place votes. 

Kuechly has recorded 532 career tackles, including 299 solo tackles, in 37 career games and is averaging 14.0 tackles per game and 7.9 solo tackles per game. All four standards are unmatched among active collegiate football players.

He broke the school's career record of 524 (formerly held by linebacker Stephen Boyd) in his 37th collegiate game registered the top two single-season tackle totals in ACC history (191 in 2011 and 183 in 2010).