July 27, 2004
Georgia Tech senior free safety James Butler has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2004 Jim Thorpe Award, presented annually to the nation’s best college defensive back by the Jim Thorpe Association.
Butler and Tech defensive end Eric Henderson were also named Tuesday to the CollegeSportsReport.com’s Pre-season All-American first team for 2004.
Butler, from Climax, Ga., was a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award in 2003, when he set a Tech record for tackles by a defensive back with 119 and was second in the Atlantic Coast Conference with five interceptions. He earned first-team All-ACC honors last fall and was also named to the ACC All-Academic team.
Henderson, a junior from New Orleans, La., led the ACC with 11 sacks last fall. He also made first-team All-ACC and Academic All-ACC.
The Jim Thorpe Award is named after history’s greatest all-around athlete, a man who excelled as a running back, passer and kicker on offense, but also was an outstanding defensive back. Recognized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame simply as “The Legend”, Thorpe also played professional baseball and won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon.
The watch list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists the first Monday in November and then to three finalists the Monday before Thanksgiving. The winner will be announced on ESPN’s College Football Awards Show, telecast from Disney World on December 9. The official presentation of the award will be in Oklahoma City on February 8.
The watch list is derived through a point system based on All-American teams and Honorable Mentions published in at least six pre-season football magazines. A candidate must be listed as high as third-team All-American in at least one publication or as a fourth team or honorable mention in at least three of these publications. Players not on the list who have exceptional seasons may be added at a later date.
JIM THORPE AWARD 2004 PRE-SEASON "WATCH LIST"
Jaxson Appel, Jr Texas A&M S 5-10 196 Oshiomoghe Atogwe, Sr Stanford S 6-0 205 Darnell Bing, So USC S 6-2 220 Jamal Brimmer, Sr UNLV S 6-1 215 Brandon Browner, So Oregon St CB 6-4 202 Josh Bullocks, Jr Nebraska S 6-2 205 James Butler, Sr Georgia Tech S 6-0 205 Thomas Davis, Jr Georgia S 6-1 220 Dustin Fox, Sr Ohio St CB 6-0 190 Aaron Francisco, Sr BYU S 6-2 206 Adam Jones, Jr W. Virginia CB 5-10 190 Marlin Jackson, Sr Michigan CB 6-1 199 Eric King, Sr Wake Forest CB 5-10 185 Jim Leonhard, Sr Wisconsin S 5-8 183 Donnie McClesky, Jr California S 5-10 180 Andre Maddox, Sr N.C. State S 6-1 200 Mitch Meeuwsen, Sr Oregon St S 6-3 211 Justin Miller, Jr Clemson CB 5-11 200 Donte Nicholson, Sr Oklahoma S 6-2 210 Antonio Perkins, Sr Oklahoma CB 6-0 188 Brodney Pool, Jr Oklahoma S 6-3 198 Antrel Rolle, Sr Miami CB 6-1 200 Carlos Rogers, Sr Auburn CB 6-1 194 Ernest Shazor, Sr Michigan S 6-4 226 Mark Walker, Sr TCU CB 5-10 200 Corey Webster, Sr LSU CB 6-0 2-1 Darrent Williams, Sr Oklahoma St CB 5-9 175 Jimmy Williams, Jr Virginia Tech CB 6-3 213 Alan Zemaitis, Jr Penn St. CB 6-2 194
