University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Manny Flores
Davis Named To Butkus Watch List
7/25/2022 6:50:00 AM | Football
CHICAGO - North Texas senior linebacker KD Davis (Ennis, Texas) was named on Monday to the 2022 Butkus Award watch list.
The award is presented annually to the nation's best linebacker, and the season begins with 51 players on the watch list, matching the jersey number of NFL Hall of Famer and Chicago Bears great Dick Butkus. Semifinalists will be announced on Oct. 31, and the finalists will be announced on Nov. 21. The award will be presented on or before Dec. 7, and the winner will be recognized at an awards ceremony on Jan. 21, in Rancho Mirage, California.
Davis has led the Mean Green in total tackles for the past three seasons - the first UNT player to accomplish that feat since Zach Orr (2011-13) - and had 121 stops in 2021. He had 18 tackles in a win over Rice last season, marking the most tackles for a UNT player since at least 2000. Last season, Davis earned first-team All-Conference USA honors to go with second-team All-Texas College honors by Dave Campbell's Texas Football. He enters the 2022 season as a fourth-team selection to the Phil Steele Preseason All-American team looking to become the first player in program history to lead the team in tackles in four straight seasons.
The Butkus Award is focused on awarding linebackers who play off the ball in a traditional two-point stance and does not include players who are predominantly edge rushers. It was first handed out in 1985 when Oklahoma's Brian Bosworth won his first of two consecutive Butkus Awards.
Â
The award is presented annually to the nation's best linebacker, and the season begins with 51 players on the watch list, matching the jersey number of NFL Hall of Famer and Chicago Bears great Dick Butkus. Semifinalists will be announced on Oct. 31, and the finalists will be announced on Nov. 21. The award will be presented on or before Dec. 7, and the winner will be recognized at an awards ceremony on Jan. 21, in Rancho Mirage, California.
Davis has led the Mean Green in total tackles for the past three seasons - the first UNT player to accomplish that feat since Zach Orr (2011-13) - and had 121 stops in 2021. He had 18 tackles in a win over Rice last season, marking the most tackles for a UNT player since at least 2000. Last season, Davis earned first-team All-Conference USA honors to go with second-team All-Texas College honors by Dave Campbell's Texas Football. He enters the 2022 season as a fourth-team selection to the Phil Steele Preseason All-American team looking to become the first player in program history to lead the team in tackles in four straight seasons.
The Butkus Award is focused on awarding linebackers who play off the ball in a traditional two-point stance and does not include players who are predominantly edge rushers. It was first handed out in 1985 when Oklahoma's Brian Bosworth won his first of two consecutive Butkus Awards.
Â
Players Mentioned
LB
/ FootballSaturday, April 18
Wednesday, April 15
Wednesday, April 08
Wednesday, April 01