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The trophy is almost as imposing as the player it is named after.

Just ask Aaron Curry, the Seahawks’ first-round draft choice who was the 2008 recipient of the Butkus Award that is presented annually to the top collegiate linebacker in the country – and named after Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus.

“It’s not just what the trophy signifies, it’s him in his stance – No. 51, Dick Butkus,” Curry said. “Just to have it handed to me, by him, it was amazing.

“I don’t know what it’s made out of, but it weighs 50 or 60 pounds. So it’s not something you can carry around with you.”

The award is on his mother’s mantle, but there also was a double reward attached to it. First, and foremost, was receiving the trophy from Butkus during a ceremony at Wake Forest. But there also was the competition that Curry had to overcome to win the honor – a group that included James Laurinaitis, the 2007 winner; and the USC duo of Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga.

“When I was in school, my name wasn’t mentioned when it came to linebackers,” Curry said. “So it probably shocked the world by me winning it.

“For any linebacker that would have been cool. But to not have my name mentioned all season, I kind of gave up on it.”

While Curry might have been deemed the best – and was the fourth pick overall in the April NFL draft – the rest also are showing they can play during their rookie seasons in the NFL.

Cushing will be on the same field Sunday, when the Seahawks play the Texans in Houston – as his team’s leading tackler, and also the top tackler among all rookies. The Seahawks already have faced Laurinaitis, the leading tackler for the St. Louis Rams, twice. In two weeks, they will face Clay Matthews in Green Bay – another USC ’backer who has seven sacks.

Maualuga is starting for the Cincinnati Bengals, as his Kaluka Maiava – yet another linebacker from USC – for the Cleveland Browns. Larry English was a first-round draft choice by the San Diego Chargers who is playing behind Shawn Merriman.

It’s been a long time since the NFL got a one-season infusion of talent like this at the linebacker position.

“It was definitely a strong class, no doubt,” said Ruston Webster, the Seahawks’ interim general manager. “Our guy was top of the heap coming out, but they each kind of bring something different. They were all different, but they were all guys that you knew would be good players.

“We liked all those guys. They were all pretty solid.”

Rob Rang, a Tacoma-based senior analyst for NFLDraftScout.com/CBSSports.com, agreed before the draft and has not changed his mind after seeing each of these linebackers blend their skills into their respective defenses.

He gave the outside linebackers an A grade before the draft – with the offensive tackles the only other unit getting the top mark.

“The success of Curry, Cushing and English was particularly easy to forecast due to their number of career starts and production,” Rang said. “Matthews had only one true starting season, but he was drafted into the perfect scheme (a 3-4) to succeed quickly.”

The middle/inside linebacker group wasn’t as deep, drawing only a C grade from Rang, but the strength was definitely at the top in Maualuga and Laurinaitis.

“We rated Maualuga and Laurinaitis among the Top 32 senior prospects all year long,” Rang said. “So their success has not been a surprise. Considering the ‘fits’ with the clubs they went to, I felt they were two of the best picks in the entire draft.”

Cushing, the 15th pick overall, is looking forward to his matchup with Curry – even if it’s not for that our-’backer-is-better-than-your-’backer debate that many fans will be conducting.

“I don’t,” Cushing told the Texans’ website this week when asked if he was viewing this as an oh-yeah opportunity. “But that’s something in the back of my mind. I know that Aaron was drafted higher. My main goal is going out and helping the team as best I can.”

And help the Texans is exactly what Cushing has done, despite getting a late start.

“It’s been very impressive, especially when you go back to the fact that he didn’t have training camp,” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said this week. “Brian came into camp, he sprained an MCL I think about the third or fourth day of camp, missed the whole training camp, never played one play of the preseason, and then started from opening day on and hasn’t missed a play.

“That’s hard to do. But I think his background at SC and the games that he’s played in and what he stands for as a player, the environment he came out of, I think has been a big help to him.”

Curry didn’t have that pedigree – individually or institutionally. But there is no denying that he’s already a player, and one who will only get better.

“Obviously, he has a lot of power and speed. He definitely is going to be a force to be reckoned with,” said Mike Singletary, the 49ers coach and a Hall of Fame linebacker. “He’s a good linebacker, a solid guy, smart guy. He just continues to make progress. When you see the ball, nine times out of 10, you’re going to see him. That’s a good sign for a linebacker.”

So is winning the Butkus Award, sometimes. In addition to Curry and Laurinaitis, past recipients include the 49ers’ Patrick Willis (2006), the Vikings’ E.J. Henderson and the late Derrick Thomas (1988), who went on to a Hall of Fame career with the Chiefs. But the list also includes Brian Bosworth (1985 and 1986) and Andy Katzenmoyer (1997), whose NFL careers with the Seahawks and Patriots ended prematurely because of injuries.

But the ’08 Class had more than a few worthy candidates.

“We were strong in numbers,” Curry said. “In this linebacking class, you can’t go wrong with any linebacker you picked in the draft. We’re all contributing to our defense and, for the most part, I would say we’re playing lights-out.”

Curry, however, needed to have his overactive battery recharged a few weeks ago. The coaches reduced his contributions in the nickel defense, allowing Curry to focus on doing fewer things better.

“Aaron has had two good weeks in a row,” coach Jim Mora said of Curry, who has followed a four-game stretch when he had only 12 tackles with seven of his 55 tackles the past two weeks, as well as three of his six passes defensed and two of his seven QB hits.

“He seems very focused right now. I think that it was good for us to just back off just a little bit, then nudge him forward. He’s still involved with our nickel package; it’s just his role is not quite as prominent. I think it’s a good thing for him right now, and I think he’s playing well maybe because of it in some sense, but also because he’s focusing. He’s pushing through that rookie barrier.”

Mora will get no argument from Curry.

“I’m actually feeling rather fresh,” he said. “I feel like I’ve got my second wind.”

And it’s about to blow into Reliant Stadium for Sunday’s game against the Texans.