The 2011 Butkus Award Winner Left Off The AFCA All-America Team

by Brian Favat on Dec 5, 2011 5:00 PM EST in Boston College Football

Today the AFCA released the 2011 coaches' All-America team, and the 2011 Butkus Award winner is curiously absent from the list of All-Americans at the linebacker position. Here are this year's AFCA All-America selections at LB:

LB Don'ta Hightower, Alabama
LB Jarvis Jones, Georgia
LB Lavonte David, Nebraska

So Kuechly was just named the top linebacker in college football, but can't crack the top three on the AFCA All-America team?

Turns out the ACC was barely represented at all on this year's AFCA All-America team. Of the 25 players selected for this year's AFCA All-America team, just one -- Florida State punter Shawn Powell -- made the cut from the ACC. The SEC led the way with nine selections, followed by the Big Ten with six, Big 12 with five, Pac-12 with three, and the ACC and MAC with one apiece.

Unlike last year, where Kuechly claimed unanimous All-American status, his absence from this year's AFCA All-America team won't allow him to repeat this feat. According to the NCAA, unanimous status is given to players who appear on each of the following All-America teams: American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, Football Writers Association of America, Associated Press and The Sporting News.

Guess #40 is left with no choice but to return to school to try to become a unanimous All-American once again in his senior season.

Hat Tip: Team Speed Kills

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Comments

incompetent B-a-s-t-a-r-d-s

Too bad for Luke, but not being on a nationally ranked team, or even on a nationally ranked defense, in a top conference hurt his chances of repeating.

he’s already received enough hardware to make him happy though, i am sure

by eagleosprey on Dec 5, 2011 5:32 PM EST reply actions

preposterous

This is absolutely beyond belief. It just shows you that the people who vote for this kind of stuff have no real clue or understanding as to what’s happening ACROSS CFB. They see Sportscenter, read ESPN online and see the top 3-4 major games every weekend and that’s it. Someone should apologize for such an incredible oversight. Let’s hope this is not a foreboding of things to come!

by rcmbc81 on Dec 5, 2011 7:22 PM EST reply actions

What a f-ing joke.

Shameful, condemnation of the idiots voting.

My Twitter @totheights

by totheights on Dec 5, 2011 7:27 PM EST reply actions

Bullseye!

by bblaqus on Dec 5, 2011 7:40 PM EST up reply actions

This is a joke right? Luke better either show these guys wrong in his seinior season/in the NFL

by EagleAboveTheRim on Dec 5, 2011 8:09 PM EST reply actions

senior, scuse me

by EagleAboveTheRim on Dec 5, 2011 8:09 PM EST up reply actions

So who beat out Keeks?

Jarvis Jones, UGA! Red shirt soph, transfer from USc.

Much more disruptive that Kuechly with lots of sacks and TOFL. But way, way less tackles. JJ is also a key member of a great defense.

Here is some blurbage on JJ

Career Highs: 11 tackles vs. No. 5 Boise State in 2011
*4 sacks vs. Florida in 2011

2011: Appeared in 12 games making 12 starts.
*1-of-3 Finalists for the Butkus Award.
*Had eight tackles, including a sack, at No. 12 Georgia Tech.
*Recorded seven tackles, including 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a pass break-up vs. Kentucky.
*Had five tackles, including two sacks, vs. No. 24 Auburn.
*Had two tackles vs. New Mexico State.
*Named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Payer of the Week, Walter Camp Award Defensive Player of the Week, CFPA National Defensive Player of the Week, SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week and the Rivals.com SEC Player of the Week after he recorded five tackles, including four sacks, the second most in school history for a single game vs. Florida; also forced a fumble.
*Recorded six tackles, including one for a loss, at Vanderbilt.
*Named to Phil Steele’s 2011 Midseason All-SEC First Team.
*Had five tackles, including 3.5 for a loss, at Tennessee.
*Registered five tackles, including a pair of sacks, vs. Mississippi State.
*Recorded three tackles, including a sack, and had a pass break-up at Ole Miss.
*Had three tackles vs. Coastal Carolina.
*Recorded six tackles vs. No. 12 South Carolina.
*Second on the team with 11 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, vs. No. 5 Boise State.
*Named to the Nagurski Award Watch List.
*Recorded a tackle for loss in spring G-Day game.
*Recipient of the Ken & Jody Jackson Family Football Scholarship.