By John Werner

Tribune-Herald staff writer

After two superb seasons at Baylor, junior linebacker Joe Pawelek has been named to the 2008 Butkus Award Watch List.

Pawelek is one of 66 players named to the watch list that honors the nation’s top linebacker. Three other Big 12 linebackers also made the list including Kansas’ Joe Mortensen, Oklahoma’s Ryan Reynolds and Missouri’s Sean Witherspoon.

“I couldn’t be more excited for Joe,” said Baylor defensive coordinator Brian Norwood, who spent six seasons as Penn State’s safeties coach. “I’ve been around guys like that at Penn State, and Joe fits right in that boat. He’s a team player with a high football IQ.”

Pawelek was named to the freshman All-America team in 2006 when he collected 86 tackles including a pair of sacks. He sealed Baylor’s 34-31 triple-overtime road win over Colorado when he intercepted a pass in the end zone.

Last year, Pawelek recorded 99 tackles while forcing three fumbles and recovering a pair of fumbles. From his middle linebacker spot, the Baylor coaches depend on Pawelek to be the quarterback of the defense.

“Being one of the older guys on the squad, it’s part of my job to help the other guys out,” Pawelek said. “There’s a lot of responsibility at middle linebacker, and I’ve got to make sure everyone is on the same page. I feel like I’ve got the best of both worlds at linebacker because I get to tackle and drop back and defend passes.”