Lott IMPACT Trophy

January 10, 2012    

Boston College All-American Linebacker Luke Kuechly, the 2011 Lott IMPACT Trophy winner, will take his talents to the National Football League, he announced recently.

        The 6-3, 237-pound junior said his decision to forego his senior season at BC was a difficult one. "It's tough to end one thing and start another," he said. "It was a really tough decision. The biggest thing for me was talking to my family."

Kuechly led the nation in total tackles with 191 and solo tackles with 102 and was the only unanimous selection to the all-ACC first-team defense this season.

In addition to the Lott Trophy, Kuechly won the Lombardi, the Nagurski and the Butkus awards to become the most decorated defensive player in the history of Boston College. 

        Kuechly is expected to be a first-round pick in the April NFL draft. 

        GOODBYE ALABAMA: Joining Kuechly in the NFL draft will be another outstanding junior linebacker, Dont’a Hightower of Alabama, who was a Lott IMPACT Trophy finalist in December.

        Hightower had four tackles, a sack and forced fumble in the BCS National Championship game won by the Crimson Tide, 21-0, over LSU.

        SHINING STARS: The other two Lott finalists – Emmanuel Acho of Texas and Manti Te’o of Notre Dame finished their seasons in impressive manner.

        Acho had nine tackles, three quarterback hurries, a tackle for a loss and a pass broken up in the Longhorns’ 21-10 win over Cal in the Holiday Bowl.

        Te’o, who announced at the Lott IMPACT Trophy dinner in December that he would return to Notre Dame for his senior season, led the Irish with 13 tackles in their loss to Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl, 18-14.  Te’o also had a forced fumble and broke up a pass to conclude a banner junior season. 

        Acho and Te’o were both named academic All-Americans, too. 

        AND THE PROS, TOO: Patrick Peterson, the former LSU All-American and a Lott IMPACT Trophy finalist in 2009, was named to the Pro Bowl as a return man.  The Arizona Cardinal rookie returned four punts for touchdown to tie an NFL record.

        Kansas City Chief Linebacker Derrick Johnson, a finalist for the Lott Trophy back in 2004, was named to his first Pro Bowl this season.  The Texas star was also named All-Pro after a 131-tackle season (10^th in the NFL).

        And J.J. Watt of Wisconsin, the 2010 Lott winner, came up with a huge interception return for a touchdown in the Houston Texans’ playoff win against Cincinnati.