Brown and Parsons on Butkus Preseason Watch List

By Kenny Varner Jr.
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Updated: July 22, 2019

Courtesy of GoPSU Athletics

Pair of Lions among candidates for top collegiate linebacker

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Senior Cam Brown(Burtonsville, Md.) and sophomore Micah Parsons(Harrisburg, Pa.) both earned a spot on the Butkus Award watch list for the nation’s top linebacker. This is Parsons’ second preseason watch list appearance as he was previously named to the Bednarik Award (National Defensive of the Year) watch list.

The award, named in honor of legendary linebacker Dick Butkus, annually recognizes the nation’s top collegiate linebacker. Cabinda will be vying to become the first Nittany Lion to earn the honor since Paul Posluszny in 2005. LaVar Arrington also won the award in 1999, and five have previously been named finalists: Shane Conlan (1986), Andre Collins (1989), Brandon Short (1999), Posluszny (2006) and Dan Connor (2007).

Brown started in 12 of his 13 appearances last season. He led the team with three forced fumbles and was fifth on the squad with a career-high 63 tackles. Brown also registered a personal-best six pass breakups, which was fifth on the team. The senior linebacker has appeared in 37 games in the last three seasons. As a freshman, he was selected to the BTN.com and ESPN.com All-Big Ten Freshman Team. Brown spent part of this summer interning at The Bullis School.

Parsons was chosen as Freshman All-American by The Athletic, 247Sports and ESPN to go along with his honorable-mention All-Big Ten laurels. He finished the season, leading the Nittany Lions with 83 tackles, becoming the first freshman (true or redshirt) in Penn State history to lead the team in tackles in a season. Parsons had seven games with seven or more tackles and 10 contests with five or more tackles. In Penn State’s Citrus Bowl game against Kentucky, he posted a career-high 14 tackles, which ranks No. 13 in Penn State bowl history.

Seven different Nittany Lions have been named to preseason watch lists. They include: senior linebackerCam Brown – Butkus Award (nation’s top linebacker); senior punter Blake Gillikin – Allstate AFCA Good Works Team; junior defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos – Bednarik Award (National Defensive Player of the Year), Lott IMPACT Trophy (National Defensive Player of the Year on and off the field); junior wide receiver KJ Hamler – Maxwell Award (National Player of the Year), Biletnikoff Award (outstanding wide receiver); junior center Michal Menet – Rimington Trophy (top center); sophomore tight end Pat Freiermuth – Mackey Award (outstanding collegiate tight end); sophomore linebacker Micah Parsons – Bednarik Award (National Defensive Player of the Year), Butkus Award (nation’s top linebacker).

The Nittany Lions’ home schedule features three non-conference games and four Big Ten Conference match-ups. The Nittany Lions open the season against Idaho (Aug. 31; 3:30 p.m.), Buffalo (Sept. 7; 7:30 p.m.) and the 100^th all-time meeting with Pittsburgh (Sept. 14; noon) in non-conference action. In Big Ten play, Penn State welcomes Purdue (Oct. 5; noon), Michigan (Oct. 19), Indiana (Nov. 15) and Rutgers (Nov. 30) to Happy Valley.