Butler Named to Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia defensive end Kam Butler has been named to the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List, as was announced by College Sports Communicators (CSC), Associated Press and the Fiesta Bowl Organization on Wednesday (Aug. 7). The preseason list consists of 90 college football student-athletes from 68 different schools currently under consideration for the award. 

Butler suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in UVA’s fourth game of the 2023 season against NC State. Prior to his injury, he led the Cavaliers in sacks (3.5), tackles for loss (5) and was third in total tackles (23), including 16 unassisted. Butler received a medical redshirt for the 2023 season as a result of his injury. A native of Florence, Kentucky, Butler transferred to Virginia after a four-year stint at Miami (Ohio), where he earned All-Mid-American Conference honors in three consecutive seasons (2019-21). 

Since 2018, the award has recognized college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness, or other circumstances. At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of college football writers, editors, and sports information directors, three college football student-athletes are honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. 

In 2023, former UVA running back and current graduate assistant Mike Hollins was named one of the three recipients of the award. Other previous winers of the Comeback Player of the Year Award include: 2023 – Blake Corum (Michigan); Jacob Dobbs (Holy Cross); 2022 – Mohamed Ibrahim (Minnesota); Laiatu Latu (UCLA); Michael Penix Jr. (Washington); 2021 – Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan); McKenzie Milton (Florida State); J.J. Weaver (Kentucky); 2020 – Jarek Broussard (Colorado); Kenneth Horsey (Kentucky); Silas Kelly (Coastal Carolina); 2019 – Jake Luton (Oregon State); Drew Wilson (Georgia Southern); Octavion Wilson (Salisbury); 2018 – Antwan Dixon (Kent State), Seth Simmer (Dartmouth); Antonio Wimbush (Carson-Newman). 

For a complete list of past honorees, visit www.Comeback-Player.com. 

College athletic communications professionals working with football programs are encouraged to nominate deserving candidates at www.Comeback-Player.com. Here’s a look at the 2024 Pre-Season Comeback Player of the Year Watch List. 

About College Sports Communicators
The second oldest management association in intercollegiate athletics, College Sports Communicators was founded in 1957 and rebranded in August 2022. The organization, now in its 67th year as an organization, was previously known as College Sports Information Directors of America, or CoSIDA. Today, College Sports Communicators is a vibrant 4,200-plus member international association, composed of the athletic communications, media relations, digital and creative professionals throughout all levels of intercollegiate athletics in the United States and Canada. CSC’s signature program is the Academic All-America® program, honoring thousands of outstanding scholar-athletes annually. To learn more, visit collegesportscommunicators.com.