University of North Carolina Athletics
Carter, Sturdivant Named To Butkus Award Watch List
August 22, 2009 | Football
Aug. 22, 2009
Chapel Hill, N.C. ---- University of North Carolina linebackers Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant have been named to the 2009 Butkus Award watch list. The Butkus Award is presented annually to the nation's top linebacker.
A native of Oakboro, N.C., Sturdivant started all 13 games in 2008 and led the nation in solo tackles with 87. He ranked third in the ACC and 20th in the country with 9.4 tackles per game. In Carolina's 29-24 win over Notre Dame, Sturdivant picked off a pass and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown on the Irish's first possession of the second half.
Carter, a New Bern, N.C., native, started all 13 games last year and finished with 68 tackles, a team-best 11 tackles for loss, five sacks and one interception. He also led the country with five blocked kicks, including three in a row in Carolina's win over Connecticut.
Butkus Award watch list: Pat Angerer, Iowa; Navorro Bowman, Penn State; Bruce Carter, North Carolina; Jamar Chaney, Mississippi; Justin Cole, San Jose State; Kavell Conner, Clemson; Rennie Curran, Georgia; Ryan D'Imperio, Rutgers; A.J. Edds, Iowa; Obi Ezeh, Michigan; Chris Galippo, USC; Darryl Gamble, Georgia; Dont'a Hightower, Alabama; Nate Irving, North Carolina State; Micah Johnson, Kentucky; Greg Jones, Michigan State; Sean Lee, Penn State; Travis Lewis, Oklahoma; Rolando McClain, Alabama; Mike McLaughlin, Boston College; Rod Muckelroy, Texas; Eric Norwood, South Carolina; Joe Pawelek, Baylor; Ryan Reynolds, Oklahoma; Perry Riley, LSU; Daryl Sharpton, Miami (Fla.); Malcolm Smith, USC; Sean Spence, Miami (Fla.); Brandon Spikes, Florida; Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina; Daryl Washington, TCU; Dekoda Watson, Florida State; Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri; Kion Wilson, South Florida; Martez Wilson, Illinois
