Boston College Football: LB Steele Divitto on 2013 Butkus Award Watch List
By Joe Micik
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
A third Boston College Eagles football player has been named to a national award watch list. That individual is linebacker Steele Divitto, a senior who is on the 2013 Butkus Award Watch List.
The Butkus Award is given each year to the best linebacker in college football. It was last won by a Boston College player in 2011, when all-time great Dick Butkus personally presented it to Luke Kuechly.
Today, Steele Divitto is one of 51 players on the list — which is no coincidence, because that was Butkus’s number.
Last season, Divitto was second on the team with 92 tackles, including one-half of a tackle for a loss. 92 tackles (7.67 per game) got Divitto 11th place in the ACC; his teammate, Nick Clancy, led both the Eagles and the conference with 145. Divitto led the team in fumble recoveries with four, forcing two, and he defended six passes.
Those tackles are all there for the taking this season. With a more aggressive defensive system now in place, many of us are expecting better results, and that might reflect well on Divitto if he has an outstanding season. In any event, it is an honor to be named and he should be congratulated for standing out in this way.