Pitt linebacker Scott McKillop Heads Walter Camp and Butkus Awards

Photo - LB Scott McKillop - Pittsburgh

The preseason Walter Camp “watch list” is comprised of 35 players. The list will be narrowed to 15 semifinalists in early November. The 2008 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, who is selected by a vote of the 119 NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced on the ESPN/Home Depot College Football Awards Show in December.
Scott McKillop is coming off an outstanding junior campaign in which he led the nation in tackles, averaging 12.58 per game, and finished second in solos (8.17 avg.). He received a slew of postseason honors in 2007, including selection to four different All-America squads. McKillop additionally was a unanimous first-team All-Big East pick by the league’s coaches. The centerpiece of one of Pitt's finest defenses in recent memory, McKillop spearheaded a unit that finished fifth nationally in total defense, yielding just 297.67 yards per game. Teammate running back LeSean McCoy was also nominated for the Walter Camp preseason watch list.
Three Pitt players have won the Walter Camp Player of the Year award, including running back Tony Dorsett (1976), defensive end Hugh Green (1980) and receiver Larry Fitzgerald (2003). This year’s winner will be honored at the Walter Camp Foundation’s annual national awards banquet on January 10, 2009, at the Yale University Commons in New Haven, Conn.

2008 Walter Camp Player of the Year “Watch List”

Travis Beckum, TE, Senior, Wisconsin
Arrelious Benn, WR, Sophomore, Illinois
Sam Bradford, QB, Sophomore, Oklahoma
Tom Brandstater, QB, Senior, Fresno St
Joe Burnett, DB, Senior, Central Florida
Rudy Carpenter, QB, Senior, Arizona St
Michael Crabtree, WR, Sophomore, Texas Tech
Chase Daniel, QB, Senior, Missouri
James Davis, RB, Senior, Clemson
Nate Davis, QB, Junior, Ball St
Jarett Dillard, WR, Senior, Rice
Max Hall, QB, Junior, Brigham Young
Percy Harvin, WR, Junior, Florida
P.J. Hill, RB, Junior, Wisconsin
Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Senior, Ohio St
Ian Johnson, RB, Senior, Boise St
James Laurinaitis, LB, Senior, Ohio St
Marlon Lucky, RB, Senior, Nebraska
Dan LeFevour, QB, Junior, Central Michigan
Sen’Derrick Marks, DT, Senior, Auburn
Ray Maualuga, LB, Senior, USC
Colt McCoy, QB, Junior, Texas
LeSean McCoy, RB, Sophomore, Pittsburgh
Scott McKillop, LB, Senior, Pittsburgh
Knowshon Moreno, RB, Sophomore, Georgia
Nick Reed, DL, Senior, Oregon
Todd Reesing, QB, Junior, Kansas
Javon Ringer, RB, Senior, Michigan St
George Selvie, DE, Junior, South Florida
Alphonso Smith, DB, Senior, Wake Forest
Rusty Smith, QB, Junior, Florida Atlantic
C.J. Spiller, RB, Junior, Clemson
Tim Tebow, QB, Junior, Florida
Chris Wells, RB, Junior, Ohio St
Pat White, QB, Senior, West Virginia

The Dick Butkus Watch List Award
The Butkus Award was instituted in 1985 and has been given annually to the top linebacker in college football. The Award, named in honor of Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus, is regarded as one of the elite individual honors in college football. It will be presented by the Butkus Foundation and will be expanded to honor the nation’s best high school and professional linebackers. The Butkus Award will be presented January 13, 2009, at the Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago.

Butkus Watch List
Russell Allen #46, San Diego St
Darry Beckwith #11, Louisiana St
Tray Blackman #10, Auburn
Will Bonilla #27, SMU
Caleb Bostic #44, Miami, (Oh)
Jasper Brinkley #52, South Carolina
Derrick Burrell #19, Kent St
Reggie Carter #51, UCLA
Jonathan Casillas #2, Wisconsin
Jamar Chaney #22, Mississippi St
Scotty Cooper #44, Clemson
Maurice Crum #40, Notre Dame
Rennie Curran #35, Georgia
Aaron Curry #59, Wake Forest
Brian Cushing #10, USC
Dannell Ellerbe #33, Georgia
Zack Follett #56, Cal - Berkeley
Marcus Freeman #1, Ohio St
Kevin Grant #30, Akron
Bryant Haines #49, Ball St
Joe Henderson #51, Alabama - Birmingham
Robert Henson #51, TCU
Mark Herzlich #94, Boston College
Anthony Heygood #42, Purdue
Daniel Holtzclaw #44, Eastern Michigan
Joey Hudson #48, Miami, (Oh.)
Jake Hutton #53, Utah St
Paul Igboeli #31, Utah St
Micah Johnson #4, Kentucky
Frantz Joseph #56, Florida Atlantic
Braxton Kelley #56, Kentucky
James Laurinaitis #33, Ohio St
Boris Lee #2, Troy
Adam Leonard #44, Hawaii
Scott Lutrus #32, Connecticut
Ray Maualuga #58, USC
Josh Mauga #30, Nevada
Pat Maynor #44, Stanford
Rolando McCain #25, Alabama
Rico McCoy #5, Tennessee
Gerald McGrath #24, Southern Mississippi
Tyrone McKenzie #27, South Florida
Scott McKillop #40, Pittsburgh
Joe Mortensen #8, Kansas
Clayton Mullins #9, Miami, (Oh)
Gerald Munns #47, Arizona St
Eric Norwood #40, South Carolina
Ben Owens #40, Arkansas St
Ronnie Palmer #33, Arizona
Joe Pawelek #41, Baylor
Dave Philistin #34, Maryland
Jason Phillips #39, TCU
Brian Raines #31, Rice
Ryan Reynolds #8, Oklahoma
John Ryan #90, Notre Dame
Frank Scappaticci #49, Army
Clint Sintim #51, Virginia
Clinton Snyder #20, Stanford
Clint Sovie #44, Navy
Brandon Spikes #51, Florida
Stevenson Sylvester #10, Utah
Brian Toal #16, Boston College
Worrell Williams #1, California
Reed Williams #47, West Virginia
Martez Wilson #2, Illinois
Sean Witherspoon #12, Missouri