July 27, 2004

Georgia Tech senior free safety James Butler has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2004 Jim Thorpe Award, presented annually to the nation's best college defensive back by the Jim Thorpe Association.

Butler and Tech defensive end Eric Henderson were also named Tuesday to the CollegeSportsReport.com's Pre-season All-American first team for 2004.

Butler, from Climax, Ga., was a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award in 2003, when he set a Tech record for tackles by a defensive back with 119 and was second in the Atlantic Coast Conference with five interceptions. He earned first-team All-ACC honors last fall and was also named to the ACC All-Academic team.

Henderson, a junior from New Orleans, La., led the ACC with 11 sacks last fall. He also made first-team All-ACC and Academic All-ACC.

The Jim Thorpe Award is named after history's greatest all-around athlete, a man who excelled as a running back, passer and kicker on offense, but also was an outstanding defensive back. Recognized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame simply as "The Legend", Thorpe also played professional baseball and won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon.

The watch list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists the first Monday in November and then to three finalists the Monday before Thanksgiving. The winner will be announced on ESPN's College Football Awards Show, telecast from Disney World on December 9. The official presentation of the award will be in Oklahoma City on February 8.

The watch list is derived through a point system based on All-American teams and Honorable Mentions published in at least six pre-season football magazines. A candidate must be listed as high as third-team All-American in at least one publication or as a fourth team or honorable mention in at least three of these publications. Players not on the list who have exceptional seasons may be added at a later date.

JIM THORPE AWARD 2004 PRE-SEASON "WATCH  LIST"

Jaxson Appel, Jr	Texas A&M	S	5-10	196
Oshiomoghe Atogwe, Sr	Stanford	S	6-0	205
Darnell Bing, So	USC		S	6-2	220
Jamal Brimmer, Sr	UNLV		S	6-1	215
Brandon Browner, So	Oregon St	CB	6-4	202
Josh Bullocks, Jr	Nebraska	S	6-2	205
James Butler, Sr		Georgia Tech	S	6-0	205
Thomas Davis, Jr	Georgia		S	6-1	220
Dustin Fox, Sr		Ohio St		CB	6-0	190
Aaron Francisco, Sr	BYU		S	6-2	206
Adam Jones, Jr		W. Virginia	CB	5-10	190
Marlin Jackson, Sr	Michigan	CB	6-1	199
Eric King, Sr		Wake Forest	CB	5-10	185
Jim Leonhard, Sr	Wisconsin	S	5-8	183
Donnie McClesky, Jr	California	S	5-10	180
Andre Maddox, Sr	N.C. State	S	6-1	200
Mitch Meeuwsen, Sr	Oregon St	S	6-3	211
Justin Miller, Jr	Clemson		CB	5-11	200
Donte Nicholson, Sr	Oklahoma	S	6-2	210
Antonio Perkins, Sr	Oklahoma	CB	6-0	188
Brodney Pool, Jr	Oklahoma	S	6-3	198
Antrel Rolle, Sr	Miami		CB	6-1	200
Carlos Rogers, Sr	Auburn		CB	6-1	194
Ernest Shazor, Sr	Michigan	S	6-4	226
Mark Walker, Sr		TCU		CB	5-10	200
Corey Webster, Sr	LSU		CB	6-0	2-1
Darrent Williams, Sr	Oklahoma St	CB	5-9	175
Jimmy Williams, Jr	Virginia Tech	CB	6-3	213
Alan Zemaitis, Jr	Penn St.	CB	6-2	194