August 22, 2002
Texas A&M senior linebackers Brian Gamble and Jarrod Penright are among 11 Big 12 Conference players included on the 2002 Butkus Award watch list compiled by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando on Thursday.
Gamble, from Alto, Texas, is the Aggies' active career leader in tackles, while Penright, from Aldine, Texas, ranks among the national leaders in quarterback sacks.
"I am very pleased that two of our linebackers are on the initial watch list for the Butkus Award," A&M coach R.C. Slocum said. "We have had a long line of outstanding linebackers with the Wrecking Crew defense at Texas A&M and Brian Gamble and Jarrod Penright are worthy of this attention."
Gamble has started in 34 straight games and begins his fourth season as one of the starting inside linebackers. The signal caller for the famed Wrecking Crew defense, Gamble earned preseason All-America third team honors from Street & Smith's. He also ranks as one of the top 25 middle linebackers in the nation according to The Sporting News.
"Brian is a solid guy on the inside," Slocum said. "You know you will get great effort and he makes the calls on the defense. He is a student of the game and one of our team leaders."
Penright, who is also on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, earned first team All-Big 12 honors after recording 10.5 sacks in his first year as a starter last season. A preseason first team All-America selection by Athlon and The Sporting News, Penright also ranks as the No. 3 outside linebacker nationally by TSN and No. 7 by Lindy's.
"The Wrecking Crew is known for those linebackers who disrupt things on the offensive side of the football and Jarrod Penright has a chance to put his name among that group," Slocum said. "I thought he had an excellent season last fall and if he stays healthy, he has a chance to earn post-season honors."
The Butkus Award is presented each season to the nation's best collegiate linebacker. The watch list is trimmed to 10 semifinalists on October 17 and then three semifinalists are announced on November 14. The award is named for former University of Illinois and Chicago Bears' NFL Hall of Fame member Dick Butkus.
The watch list includes 67 players and Texas A&M is joined by Nebraska as the only Big 12 schools to place two players on the list.
Former A&M standout and Lombardi Award winner Dat Nguyen finished as a runner-up for the Butkus Award in 1998. Other A&M players who have been named semifinalists were Reggie Brown and Keith Mitchell in 1995, Antonio Armstrong in 1994, Marcus Buckley in 1992 and Aaron Wallace in 1989.
Gamble and Penright are the latest in a group of A&M football players being included on national watch lists for this season. Penright and Sammy Davis are cadidates for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, while Mark Farris is on the watch list for the Davey O'Brien Award. The Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy voters are keeping an eye on Ty Warren and punter Cody Scates is a nominee for the Ray Guy Award.
The No. 23-ranked Aggies kickoff the 2002 season by hosting Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday, August 31 at 6 p.m. at Kyle Field.