Johnson Among 51 Candidates

Vols sophomore linebacker A.J. Johnson has been named to the 2012 Butkus Award Preseason Watch List. (The Herald/Submitted Photo)

Vols sophomore linebacker A.J. Johnson was named to the 2012 Butkus Award Preseason Watch List. Johnson was a consensus Freshman All-American after the 2011 season. The Butkus Award list features 51 candidates, honoring its namesake No. 51 Dick Butkus.

The Gainesville, Ga., native was named a First-Team Freshman All-American by Football Writers of America, The Sporting News, Fox Sports, Phil Steele, Yahoo! Sports in 2011. The five Freshman All-American honors set a Tennessee record, breaking mark of four by Eric Berry in 2009. Johnson was also a 2011 SEC All-Freshman Team selection.

Johnson played in all 12 games, starting 10 and led all SEC freshmen in tackles with 80, which was the second-most by a Vols’ freshman all-time. Only current Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Eric Berry had more with 86 in 2007. Johnson was one of four true freshmen to rank among top two on his team in tackles among all D-I FBS schools. He shared the Vols’ lead in tackles on four occasions and became the only UT true freshman in UT history to have three double-figure tackle games in a season (Berry had two in 2007) with 10-plus in three games in a row (10/15-29).

Johnson had 36 tackles in a three game span (12.0 per game) against #1 LSU, #2 Alabama, and #14 South Carolina. He piled up 12 tackles and recovered a fumble vs. #14 South Carolina (10/29). Johnson racked up career-high 13 tackles at #2 Alabama (10/22), second-most tackles by a true freshman in a game in UT history (record Eric Berry, vs. Kentucky in 2007) to earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Johnson also had 11 tackles against #1 LSU (10/15), first double-figure tackle total by a freshman since Eric Berry in 2007.