USC's Claiborne Wins Butkus

Finally, someone was able to beat out Dat Nguyen for a major defensive honor as Southern California's Chris Claiborne earned the Butkus Award as the nation's best linebacker.

The 6-3, 250-pound Claiborne beat out Nguyen in the eyes of the 27-member committee comprised of media representatives from across the country. He was presented the award by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Inc.

Nguyen already won the Lombardi Award as the top lineman and the Chuck Bednarik Award as the country's top defensive player, but Claiborne won out positionally with his game-breaking abilities and exciting style of play.

Claiborne's positional coach, Shawn Slocum, is the son of Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum who convinced his father to give the undersized Nguyen a chance. It nearly turned out to undermine the USC star's hopes for the Butkus.

Claiborne registered 107 tackles and five sacks while showing amazing versatility with six interceptions. He is the first winner from the Pac-10 Conference. The only other player from a Los Angeles school to become a finalist was Ken Norton Jr. of UCLA in 1987.

Florida's Jevon Kearse was the third of this year's finalists. He had 54 tackles and seven sacks, moving around constantly in the scheme of defensive coordinator Bob Stoops, who since has left to become coach at Oklahoma.

Claiborne, a junior who likely is headed for the NFL Draft in April, has carried on the tradition of great linebackers at the school that have worn No. 55, succeeding Junior Seau of the San Diego Chargers and Willie McGinest of the New England Patriots.

The award is named for Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus, who played collegiately at Illinois and in the NFL for the Chicago Bears.

© 1998 SportsLine USA, Inc. All rights reserved