Wildcat Defensive Back on Watch List for Prestigious Award

senior Duke Butler, a defensive back for the Wildcats, has been placed to the watch list for the Jim Leonhard Award. The Jim Leonhard Award is presented annually to the state's top senior defensive back as part of the Wisconsin Sports Net Senior Football Awards.

Upon hearing that Butler was named to the watch list for this prestigious award, USM’s wide receiver coach Jason Woods, who coached Butler while serving as USM’s defensive backs coach for the past two seasons, said, “That is awesome.  Proof positive that it isn’t the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”

The award is named after Jim Leonhard who played at Flambeau High School in Tony, WI. After graduating he was a walk-on player at the University of Wisconsin.  He became a regular for the Badgers and was named All-Big Ten twice.  Leonhard made 21 total interceptions during his career at Wisconsin, and he is tied with Jamal Fletcher for the most career interceptions in University of Wisconsin history.  In 2005 Leonhard began a successful career as a safety in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills. He then went to the Baltimore Ravens and is presently with the New York Jets.  

The Jim Leonhard Award preseason watch list is compiled from all-conference teams, stats leaders, film evaluations, Wisconsinsports.net player rankings, and coach input.  The list will be trimmed down to 25 semi-finalists halfway through the year, with five finalists chosen at the start of the playoffs. Winners are announced the week of the state finals.