Named after College Football Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus, the Butkus Award is awarded annually to the top linebacker in college football. The award has been presented by the Butkus Foundation since 2008, after originally being established by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando in 1985.
All Butkus Award winners, listed by year, can be found below.
Butkus Award Winners Listed by Year
- 2023 – Payton Wilson, NC State
- 2022 – Jack Campbell, Iowa
- 2021 – Nakobe Dean, Georgia
- 2020 – Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
- 2019 – Isaiah Simmons, Clemson
- 2018 – Devin White, LSU
- 2017 – Roquan Smith, Georgia
- 2016 – Reuben Foster, Alabama
- 2015 – Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
- 2014 – Eric Kendricks, UCLA
- 2013 – C.J. Mosley, Alabama
- 2012 – Manti Te’o, Notre Dame
- 2011 – Luke Kuechly, Boston College
- 2010 – Von Miller, Texas A&M
- 2009 – Rolando McClain, Alabama
- 2008 – Aaron Curry, Wake Forest
- 2007 – James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
- 2006 – Patrick Willis, Ole Miss
- 2005 – Paul Posluszny, Penn State
- 2004 – Derrick Johnson, Texas
- 2003 – Teddy Lehman, Oklahoma
- 2002 – E.J. Henderson, Maryland
- 2001 – Rocky Calmus, Oklahoma
- 2000 – Dan Morgan, Miami (FL)
- 1999 – LaVar Arrington, Penn State
- 1998 – Chris Claiborne, USC
- 1997 – Andy Katzenmoyer, Ohio State
- 1996 – Matt Russell, Colorado
- 1995 – Kevin Hardy, Illinois
- 1994 – Dana Howard, Illinois
- 1993 – Trev Alberts, Nebraska
- 1992 – Marvin Jones, Florida State
- 1991 – Erick Anderson, Michigan
- 1990 – Alfred Williams, Colorado
- 1989 – Percy Snow, Michigan State
- 1988 – Derrick Thomas, Alabama
- 1987 – Paul McGowan, Florida State
- 1986 – Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma
- 1985 – Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma