Boston College's Luke Kuechly dives in for the score against Miami.
Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly had an unprecedented 2011 campaign sweeping the trophy ranks going 4-4 in which he was named a finalist. The 6’3, 237 pound junior took home four of the nation’s top accolades for his superb individual efforts on-and-off the field. Last night, he completed the trophy sweep when he was honored with the Bronko Nagurski Trophy awarded to the nation’s top college defensive player. Kuechly beat out Penn State’s Devon Still, LSU’s Morris Claiborne, Alabama’s Mark Barron, and Illinois’ Whitney Mercilus.
Earlier this week, Kuechly won the Rotary Lombardi Award (first recipient from BC) awarded to the nation’s top lineman, the Lott IMPACT Trophy awarded for on-field performance and personal character among defensive players, and the Butkus Award awarded to the nation’s top linebacker.
Kuechly, who is an honor student, finished the regular season leading the nation in total tackles with 191 and solo tackles with 102. He was also named first team all-ACC and ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He is currently on a tackling streak amassing at least 10 tackles per game in his last 33 games. Unfortunately, his on-field performance did not translate to much success as BC finished the season with a disappointing 4-8 record.
Kuechly, who hails from Cincinnati, Ohio and played for powerhouse St. Xavier, has yet to voice his intentions of turning pro. It is safe to say that the Boston College faithful are praying he returns for one more season.
