NEWPORT BEACH, Ca. – The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has announced 20 quarter-finalists for the annual Lott IMPACT Trophy.
The list includes four defensive linemen, six linebackers and 10 defensive backs. There are six players from the Big Ten, four from the SEC, three from the Pac-12, three from the ACC, two from the Big-12 and one each from the Big East and an independent, Notre Dame.
Previous Lott IMPACT Trophy winners:
2004: David Pollack, DL, Georgia
2005: DeMeco Ryans, LB, Alabama
2006: Dante Hughes, DB, Cal
2007: Glenn Dorsey, DL, LSU
2008: James Laurinaites, LB, Ohio State
2009: Jerry Hughes, DL, TCU
2010: J.J. Watt, DL, Wisconsin
Named after Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, the Lott Trophy is awarded to college football’s Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. Now in its eighth year, the Lott Trophy is the first college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player.
Sponsored by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation in Newport Beach, the award is given to the player who exhibits the same characteristics Lott embodied during his distinguished career: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.
The quarter-finalists (alphabetically)
Emmanauel Acho (LB, Texas)
Mark Barron (S, Alabama)
John Boyett (S, Oregon)
Brodrick Brown (CB, Oklahoma State)
Quinton Coples (DL, North Carolina)
Lavonte David (LB, Nebraska)
Stephon Gilmore (CB, South Carolina)
Aaron Henry (DB, Wisconsin)
Dont’a Hightower (LB, Alabama)
Joe Holland (LB, Purdue)
Delano Howell (S, Stanford)
Jordan Kovacs (S, Michigan)
Luke Kuechly (LB, Boston College)
Chase Minnifield (CB, Virginia)
T.J. McDonald (S, USC)
Kendall Reyes (DL, Connecticut)
John Simon (DL, Ohio State)
Brandon Taylor (DB, LSU)
Manti Te’o (LB, Notre Dame)
Jerel Worthy (DL, Michigan State)
The 2011 Lott IMPACT Trophy Quarter-Finalists
Emmanuel Acho , Texas (4-2), LB, 6-2, 240 (Dallas): All Big-12 (mid-season, Phil Steele)…Leads Longhorns with 58 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hurries and two sacks…Honor student at Texas, two-time Academic All Big-12…On the American Football Coaches Assn. Good Works team and a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award…Finalist for Campbell Trophy…Brother Sam was a Lott finalist in 2010…Goes on medical missions to Nigeria with his family each summer.
Mark Barron , Alabama (8-0), S, 6-2, 210 (Mobile, Al): ESPN Mid-season All-American, Phil Steele Mid-season All-American and CBS mid-season All-American…Returning All-American…On Lott Watch List a year ago…Has 39 tackles, interception, fumble recovery and five passes defended…Led SEC with seven interceptions as a junior…Team captain.
John Boyett , Oregon (6-1), 5-11, 202, Napa, Ca. All Pac-12 (mid-season, Phil Steele)…44 tackles leads team…Has two blocked kicks, 2 tackles for loss, 5 passes defended…Second team All-American last year.
Brodrick Brown , Oklahoma State (7-0), CB, 5-8, 188 (Houston): Lott IMPACT POW Week 4….Four interceptions this season…Second on team with 77 tackles last year…Academic All Big-12.
Quinton Coples , North Carolina (5-3), DE, 6-6, 275 (Kinston, NC): All ACC second team (mid-season, Phil Steele)…Has played both tackle and end for Tar Heels…Projected first round pick…Has 31 tackles, 4.5 sacks…Led Tar Heels in tackles for loss (15.5), sacks (10) and quarterback hurries (12) as a junior…Double major in communications and African-American studies.
Lavonte David , Nebraska (6-1) , LB, 6-1, 210 (Miami, Fl): Phil Steele All-American (second team)…CBS mid-season All-American (second team)…Leads team with 69 tackles and seven tackles for loss…Lott IMPACT POW Week 6…Set Nebraska record with 152 tackles last year…Rated No. 2 Linebacker in country…All-American as a junior.
Stephon Gilmore , South Carolina (6-1), CB, 6-1, 189 (Rock Hill, SC): Rated No. 5 defensive back in country…29 tackles, two interceptions and one fumble recovery to date…ALL SEC…Academic All SEC.
Aaron Henry , Wisconsin (6-1), DB, 6-0, 204 (Immokalee, Fl): All Big Ten (mid-season, Phil Steele)…third on team with 30 tackles…two interceptions…Academic All-Big Ten…58 tackles, 2 interceptions last season…second team All-Big Ten.
Dont’a Hightower , Alabama (8-0), LB, 6-4, 260 (Lewisburg, Tn): Phil Steele Mid-season All-American and CBS mid-season All-American…Lott IMPACT POW Week 8…Leads Tide with 47 tackles, 6 tackles for losses and has an interception…second team All SEC last year…Rated No. 4 linebacker by Rivals.com.
Joe Holland , Purdue (4-3), LB, 6-1, 225 (Indianapolis): Leads team with 54 tackles this season…Academic All-American with a 3.99 GPA in Movement and Sports Science…73 tackles last season and 7.5 tackles for loss.
Delano Howell , Stanford (7-0), DB, 5-11, 198 (Newhall, Ca): Injured, missed Washington game…25 tackles this season (third on team)… Had team high five interceptions in 2010…60 tackles…Second team all-conference.
Jordan Kovacs , Michigan (6-1), S, 6-0, 195: All Big Ten (mid-season, second team, Phil Steele)…Lott IMPACT POW Week 1…Second in Big Ten in tackles last season with 116…Has five career interceptions…Honorable mention All-Big Ten…Was Academic All Ohio in high school.
Luke Kuechly , Boston College (1-6), LB, 6-3, 235 (Cincinnati): Named on all four mid-season All-American teams (ESPN, CBS, Sporting News, Phil Steele)… Leads country in tackles (118) for second straight year…Lott POW Week 3…Leads team with 7.5 tackles for loss…Led the nation in tackles with 183 last season…His 459 career tackles leaves him 86 shy of the all-time NCAA record for tackles (545)…Consensus All-American…Finalist for both the Butkus and Nagurski awards last year…No. 1 linebacker by Rivals.com.
T.J. McDonald , USC (6-1), S, 6-3, 205 (Fresno): Second team Phil Steele Mid-season All-American and second team CBS mid-season All-American…Lott POW Week 5…Had two interceptions in win against Arizona…Led Trojans in tackles with 89 last year…Had three interceptions…Son of former USC All-American Tim McDonald.
Chase Minnifield , Virginia (4-3), CB, 6-0, 185 (Lexington, Ky): Phil Steele Mid-season All-American (third team)…Has 32 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and a blocked field goal…Rated No. 6 defensive back….Lowe’s Senior Class Award finalist…Had six interceptions (tied for fifth in the country) and 48 tackles…Honorable mention All-American…Academic all-state in high school…Son of former NFL star Frank Minnifield.
Kendall Reyes , Connecticut (3-4), DT, 6-4, 298 (Nashua, NH): Has 11 tackles for loss this season, among leaders in country…Team captain had 10 tackles for loss and two interceptions last season…Was high school honor student and class president.
John Simon , Ohio State (4-3), DT, 6-2, 270 (Youngstown): LOTT Player of the Week 7 when he had four tackles for loss and two sacks against Illinois…Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week…Eight tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries…High school national honor society.
Brandon Taylor , LSU (8-0), S, 6-0, 195 (Franklinton, La): Leads LSU in tackles with 48, two interceptions, four passes broken up…Had 44 tackles, four tackles for loss and five passes broken up last season before injury…Two-year starter.
Manti Te’o , Notre Dame (4-3), LB, 6-2, 245 (Laie, Hi): Phil Steele Mid-season All-American…CBS mid-season All-American (second team)…His 69 tackles are among the most in NCAA…Has 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks… Led Irish with 144 tackles and 16 tackles for losses last season...Was named Sporting News High School Athlete of the Year (first Hawaiian and first Polynesian to receive that honor)…Prep honor student…Second team All-American last season.
Jerel Worthy , Michigan State (6-1), DT, 6-3, 305 (Huber Heights, Oh): Named mid-season All-American (ESPN, Sporting News, Phil Steele, CBS)…Has 15 tackles, 5.5 tackles for losses, 2.5 sacks, one blocked kick…Michigan State No. 1 defense in country, allows 2.8 yards per rush attempt…Projected first-round draft pick…Ranked No. 3 defensive lineman…Active in Athletes in Action sports ministry…Freshman All-American.
Lott IMPACT Players of the Week, 2011
Week 1 – Jordan Kovacs, Michigan
Week 2 – Shayne Skov, Stanford
Week 3 – Luke Kuechly, Boston College
Week 4 – Brodrick Brown, Oklahoma State
Week 5 – T.J. McDonald, USC
Week 6 – Lavonte David, Nebraska
Week 7 – John Simon, Ohio State
Week 8 – Dont’a Hightower, Alabama
Named after Pro Football Hall of Fame member, Ronnie Lott, The Lott IMPACT Trophy is awarded to college football’s Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. Founded in 2004 by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, The Lott Trophy is the first and only college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player. The Lott Trophy is given to the player who exhibits the same characteristics Lott embodied during his distinguished career: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. Voters for the award include selected members of the national media, previous finalists, the Board of Directors of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation and a distinguished group of former college football head coaches. To date, the Foundation has donated more than $850,000 to various charities throughout the country. The eighth annual Lott Trophy dinner will be held Dec. 11th at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, California. For more information on The Lott Trophy visit: www.LottTrophy.com . Follow college football by going to the Lott Blog at www.LottTrophy.com