USC linebacker Rey Maualuga named to AFCA All-America team
USC FOOTBALL
The Trojan senior, who leads the team with 68 tackles, is a finalist for the Butkus Award for college football's top linebacker.
USC linebacker Rey Maualuga began collecting what is expected to be a haul of postseason awards and recognition today when he was announced as a member of the American Football Coaches Assn. All-America team.
Maualuga, a 6-foot-2, 260-pound senior from Eureka, Calif., has a team-leading 68 tackles and also has two interceptions for the fifth-ranked Trojans, who conclude the regular season against UCLA on Saturday at the Rose Bowl.
Maualuga is a finalist for the Butkus Award, presented annually to college football's top linebacker.
Florida's Brandon Spikes and Ohio State's James Laurinaitis are the other linebackers on the AFCA team. Laurinaitis won the Butkus Award last season.
Maualuga made a national impression in the Trojans' second game, returning an interception for a touchdown against Ohio State.
He made 12 tackles before suffering a knee sprain late in the fourth quarter of the Trojans' loss at Oregon State on Sept. 25 but missed only one game.
Maualuga was the team's leading tackler in seven of the 10 games he has played.
Klein is Times staff writer.
gary.klein@latimes.com
