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Senior linebacker Mohamed Barry was chosen to the Butkus Award Watch list. Barry is one of 12 linebackers named to the 51-player watch list. The selection of 51 honors the No. 51 that Dick Butkus wore during his Hall of Fame career. It is the second watch list Barry has been named to, as he was on the initial Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list released earlier in the summer.
Barry, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound linebacker has embraced the role of team leader and is a critical part of the linebacking corps for the Huskers. In 2018, the Grayson, Ga., native led the Huskers and ranked second in the Big Ten with 112 tackles, including 55 solo tackles, and added 11 tackles for loss and two sacks. His 112 tackles were the most by a Husker since NFL All-Pro Lavonte David totaled 133 stops in 2011.
Barry was also a 2018 All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and media. He posted a career-high 12 tackles against Colorado and had 11 stops six other times as a junior. For his efforts, he was chosen by the Husker coaching staff as the team’s defensive MVP last season.
The finalists will be announced on Nov. 25, and the winner will be announced on or before Dec. 10. Trev Alberts is the only Husker to win a Butkus Award, in 1992.
Formed in 1985, the Butkus Award was expanded in 2008 to honor linebackers at three levels while supporting causes important to the Butkus family. They include the I Play Clean® initiative promoting training and nutrition instead of performance-enhancing drugs, and the Butkus Takes Heart™ initiative encouraging early cardiovascular screening among adults.
A nice honor for Mo as he prepares for his final season in scarlet and cream. Let’s hope his performance merits continued appearances on these lists as the season progresses!