University of Tennessee Athletics
Westmoreland Chosen as Butkus Award Semifinalist
October 20, 2000 | Football
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| Eric Westmoreland was the only SEC linebacker chosen as a semifinalist for this year's Butkus Award |
Westmoreland is the only representative of the Southeastern Conference on the Butkus semifinalist list. The Jasper, Tenn., native ranks second on the team in tackles this season with 40 stops in five games, including five tackles for loss. Westmoreland also has a fumble caused, an interception and three passes broken up to rank second on the team in big plays with 10.5. He is coming off a career-high 15 tackles at Georgia (12 unassisted) and has had seven or more tackles in four of five games this season.
UT head coach Phillip Fulmer said Westmoreland is deserving of the honor and is a major part of the Vols' defensive success.
Eric is very deserving of any honors that might come his way, Fulmer said. Obviously we think an awful lot of him as a player and as a person and that is also reflected from the players standpoint in the fact that he was elected as one of our captains. He is a guy that can make a lot of plays, be it against the run or pass, and he is very much the leader of our defensive football team. It's a real honor for him to be in this mix of outstanding players."
The semifinalists were determined by confidential balloting of the 28-member Butkus Award Selection Committee, comprised of the nation's foremost media members. The Selection Committee made their selections from the initial Butkus Award Watch List of 71 college linebackers, which was announced back on August 24, 2000.
The 11 semi-finalists (in alphabetical order) for the 2000 Butkus Award are:
Keith Adams (Clemson)
Brian Allen (Florida State)
Adam Archuleta (Arizona State)
Rocky Calmus (Oklahoma)
Dan Morgan (Miami)
Carlos Polk (Nebraska)
Tommy Polley (Florida State)
Matt Smith (Oregon)
Ben Taylor (Virginia Tech)
Robert Thomas (UCLA)
ERIC WESTMORELAND (Tennessee)
