photo by Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee senior linebacker A.J. Johnson has been named one of 15 semifinalists for the 2014 Butkus Award, as the nation's top linebacker. He is the first Vol to be a semifinalist since Kevin Burnett in 2004 and just the sixth all-time.
Last week, Johnson was named a quarterfinalist for the 2014 Lott IMPACT Trophy.
Johnson has had a stellar senior campaign on Rocky Top. Through eight games, Johnson leads the SEC in tackles with 86 and tackles per game with 10.9, which ranks 14th nationally. In the Vols' game at #3 Ole Miss on Oct. 18, he became Tennessee's all-time career leader in assisted tackles as well as becoming the fourth Vol with 400 career tackles.
He has 410 career tackles, ranking third all-time at Tennessee, and is first in assisted tackles with 199. He also has 30 tackles for loss. Johnson has 22 games with double-figure tackles in 44 career games. He has a chance to become first Vol to led team in tackles for three consecutive season in program history.
In addition to Johnson and Burnett, Tennessee's other semifinalists for the Butkus Award were Keith DeLong in 1988, Al Wilson in 1998, Raynoch Thompson in 1999 and Eric Westmoreland in 2000. Both DeLong and Thompson were named finalists.
The Butkus Award finalists will be named November 24 and the winner by December 9, by the independent panel of 51 recruiters, scouts, coaches and journalists.
Five Southeastern Conference football players are among the 15 players selected as semifinalists for the 30th annual Butkus Award, honoring the nation's best linebacker at the collegiate level, as announced by the Butkus Foundation.
Butkus Award 2014 Collegiate Semifinalists:
Stephone Anthony, Clemson
Myles Jack, UCLA
Jordan Jenkins, Georgia
A.J. Johnson, Tennessee
Eric Kendricks, UCLA
Hau'oli Kikaha, Washington
Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State
Denzel Perryman, Miami (Fla.)
Hayes Pullard, USC
Reggie Ragland, Alabama
Jake Ryan, Michigan
Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
Eric Striker, Oklahoma
Shaq Thompson, Washington
Ramik Wilson, Georgia