2011 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List Announced

NEWPORT BEACH, Ca. – The 2011 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List, honoring the top collegiate defensive player in the country, was announced today at a luncheon hosted by Ronnie Lott and the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation.  

 

          This is the eighth year that the IMPACT Foundation has recognized the student-athletes throughout the nation who have had the biggest IMPACT on their teams both on and off the field.  IMPACT is an acronym for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity, characteristics that Ronnie Lott exhibited throughout his brilliant Hall of Fame career at both USC and in the National Football League.  

 

          The 2011 list of 42 (Lott’s uniform number) includes 19 defensive backs, 14 linebackers and nine defensive linemen.  There are 11 players from the ACC, eight from the SEC, seven from the Big Ten, six from the Pac-10, six from the Big 12, one from the Big East, one from the Mountain West, one from the Western Athletic Conference and one from Notre Dame.

 

          Eleven of the nominees received All-American honors a year ago and 10 were accorded academic honors in their respective conferences.  

 

          The Lott Trophy has now donated nearly $850,000 to charities since its inception in 2004, including $275,000 to 23 different universities.  The winners’ school receives $25,000 annually, each of the three runner-ups $5,000 and the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week $1,000.   

 

          A national voter panel, made up of more than 200 former collegiate stars, former college coaches, members of the media and both the Lott IMPACT Board of Directors and Board of Advisors, will select the four finalists who will be honored at the annual Lott IMPACT Trophy banquet Dec. 11 in Newport Beach. 

 

 

The 2011 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List

 

Emmanuel Acho, Texas, LB,

Ray-Ray Armstrong, Miami, DB

Mark Barron, Alabama, S

Jake Bequette, Arkansas, DL

Omar Bolden, Arizona State, CB

Nigel Bradham, Florida State, LB

Brodrick Brown, Oklahoma State, CB

Tank Carder, TCU, LB

Quinton Coples, North Carolina, DE

Jared Crick, Nebraska, DL

Lavonte David, Nebraska, LB

Matt Daniels, Duke, S

Tony Dye, UCLA, S

Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina, CB

Cliff Harris, Oregon, CB

Aaron Henry, Wisconsin, DB

Dont’a Hightower, Alabama, LB

Joe Holland, Purdue, LB

Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech, CB

Delano Howell, Stanford, DB

Brandon Jenkins, Florida State, DE

Janois Jenkins, Florida, CB

Mychal Kendricks, Cal, LB

Jordan Kovacs, Michigan, S

Luke Kuechly, Boston College, LB

Travis Lewis, Oklahoma, LB

Chris Marve, Vanderbilt, LB

T.J. McDonald, USC, S

Matt Merletti, North Carolina, S

Chase Minnifield, Virginia, CB

Tyler Nielsen, Iowa, LB

Kendall Reyes, Connecticut, DT

John Simon, Ohio State, DT

Shayne Skov, Stanford, LB

Jacquies Smith, Missouri, DE

Sean Spence, Miami, LB

Kenny Tate, Maryland, S

Brandon Taylor, LSU, S

Manti Te’o, Notre Dame, LB

Prentiss Waggner, Tennessee, S

Billy Winn, Boise State, DE

Jerel Worthy, Michigan State, DT

 

Past winners of The Lott Trophy:

          2004 – David Pollack, Georgia

          2005 – DeMeco Ryans, Alabama

          2006 – Dante Hughes, California

          2007 – Glenn Dorsey, LSU

          2008 – James Laurinaitis, Ohio State

          2009 – Jerry Hughes, TCU

          2010 – J.J. Watt, Wisconsin

 

 

Named after Pro Football Hall of Fame member, Ronnie Lott, The Lott 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 the Legends Coaches which is 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 December 11th at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, California. For more information on The Lott Trophy visit: www.LottTrophy.com.

 

LOTT TROPHY NAMES 2010 WATCH LIST

Newport Beach, Ca. – The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has announced the 2010 Watch List for the seventh annual Lott Trophy. 

One spends summers on medical missions in Africa; one was diagnosed with a brain tumor in high school; another is coming back from cancer.

One led the country in sacks last season, another in interceptions.

They are just five of the 42 selected to the 2010 Lott Trophy Watch List, a cross-section of the finest student-athletes on the college football landscape.

Sam Acho of Texas (missions), Robert Quinn of North Carolina (high school tumor) and Mark Herzlich (cancer survivor) of Boston College have unique stories off the field, but like the other nominees they are outstanding performers on it, making them ideal candidates for the seventh annual Lott Trophy.

Von Miller (sack leader) of Texas A&M and Rahim Moore (interception leader) of UCLA are back, looking to be leaders once again.

The 2010 Lott Trophy Watch List was announced at a luncheon in Newport Beach by Ronnie Lott. 

As a group, the 42 intercepted 81 passes last season and sacked opposing quarterbacks 185 times.

Thirty-six different schools are represented on the annual Lott Watch List with six schools -- UCLA, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oregon, LSU and Virginia Tech -- each having two candidates.

“This is a superb list of young men,” said Ronnie Lott, announcing the Watch List at a luncheon in Newport Beach.  “We at the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation are always pleased to see the accomplishments of such outstanding student-athletes, all of whom are worthy of consideration for the Lott Trophy.”

Sponsored by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation in Newport Beach, Ca., the award is given to a player who exhibit’s 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, members of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation Board of Directors and distinguished alumni of various schools around the nation.

The winner, who will be announced at the annual black-tie gala in December, receives $25,000 for his school’s general scholarship fund.  Three runner-ups each receive $5,000. 

        The previous winners of the Lott Trophy:

        2004 - David Pollack, Georgia

        2005 - DeMeco Ryans, Alabama

        2006 - Dante Hughes, Cal

        2007 - Glenn Dorsey, LSU

        2008 - James Laurinaitis, Ohio State

        2009 - Jerry Hughes, TCU

In six years, the IMPACT Foundation has now donated more than $750,000 to various charities. 


View the entire 2010 Lott Trophy Watch List at www.thelotttrophy.com.

LOTT TROPHY NAMES FOUR FINALISTS

Newport Beach, Ca. – The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has announced the four finalists for the 2009 Lott Trophy.

They are Safety Eric Berry of Tennessee, Defensive End Jerry Hughes of TCU, Linebacker Rolando McClain of Alabama and Defensive Tackle Ndaumkong Suh of Nebraska.

The sixth annual Lott Trophy Banquet will be held Dec. 13 at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, Ca. where the winner will be announced.  All four finalists will be invited to the banquet where the keynote speaker will be Peter Ueberroth.  Fox Sports will televise the event live. 

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 sixth 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 four finalists have been highly recommended for their off-field endeavors as well as their accomplishments on the field. 

Berry is a junior from Fairburn, Georgia who was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore and is widely considered the best defensive back in the country.  He was twice selected the Lott Player of the Week this season.  “Players gravitate to him,” says Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin.

Hughes is a senior from Sugar Land, Texas who was converted from a high school running back to defense as a freshman.  He was the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year last season when he led the country in sacks with 15.  This year, in addition to his continued stellar play on the field, he has been honored as a local hero for his community involvement in the Fort Worth area. 

McClain is a junior from Decatur, Georgia who is the driving force on an Alabama defense that has been superb in leading the Crimson Tide to an undefeated (12-0) season.  He has matured into a team captain and academic standout. 

Suh is a 300-pound senior from Portland, Oregon who has been the dominant defensive player in the country, credited with 22 quarterback hurries and 16 tackles for losses.  He’s been named the Lott Player of the Week a record three times this season.

It is the first time Tennessee, TCU and Nebraska have had a finalist for the Lott Trophy. Alabama’s DeMeco Ryans won the award in 2005. 

            Past winners of The Lott Trophy:

            2004 – David Pollack, Georgia

            2005 – DeMeco Ryans, Alabama

            2006 – Dante Hughes, California

            2007 – Glenn Dorsey, LSU

            2008 – James Laurinaitis, Ohio State

In five years, the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has donated more than $650,000 to various charities, including $25,000 to each of the winners’ universities.

Voters for the award include selected members of the national media, previous finalists, the Board of Directors of the IMPACT Foundation, the IMPACT Foundation Board of Advisors comprised of retired NFL players and the Legends Coaches, a distinguished group of former college head coaches.

LOTT TROPHY NAMES EIGHT SEMI-FINALISTS

Newport Beach, Ca. – The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has announced the eight semi-finalists for the 2009 Lott Trophy.

The list includes two safeties, two defensive tackles, one linebacker and three defensive ends.

The eight semi-finalists are: Safety Eric Berry of Tennessee (a semi-finalist last year), Safety Taylor Mays of USC, Defensive Tackle Ndaumkong Suh of Nebraska, Defensive Tackle Gerald McCoy of Oklahoma, Linebacker Rolando McClain of Alabama, Defensive End Sam Acho of Texas, Defensive End Jerry Hughes of TCU and Defensive End Eric Norwood of South Carolina.

Ballots will be sent to over 300 members of the Lott Trophy National Voter Panel, a list that includes Hall of Fame coaches and players, select members of the media and distinguished business leaders throughout the country.

The four finalists will be announced Nov. 24 and they will travel to the sixth annual Lott Trophy Banquet Dec. 13 where the winner will be announced.

A look at the eight semi-finalists:

Eric Berry (Safety, Jr., Tennessee, 5-11, 195, Fairburn, Ga.): Has 14 career interceptions and 494 return yards, second most in NCAA history. Consensus All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year last season. Lott Player of the Week twice. “That guy is one of the most dominant players in the country. There is no better safety in college football today.” - Former UCLA Coach Terry Donahue, a member of the Board of Directors of the IMPACT Foundation.

Taylor Mays (Safety, Sr., USC, 6-4, 225, Seattle): All-American his last two seasons at Southern California. Team captain. Lott Player of the Week against Cal. “Taylor Mays is a man of character and integrity. His leadership skills are demonstrated on and off the field.” - Mimi Butler, USC Student Athlete Academic Services.

Gerald McCoy (DT, Jr., Oklahoma, 6-4, 300, Oklahoma City): All-American and team captain. Has 12 tackles for losses this season. “One of the most outstanding young men I have been honored to coach. He is a young man focused on goodness in his own life and in finding ways to spread it to others.” - Bob Stoops, Head Football Coach, Oklahoma.

Ndamukong Suh (DT, Sr., Nebraska, 6-4, 300, Portland, Oregon): Has blocked three kicks this year. Lott Player of the Week twice. Eleven tackles for losses. ” I have had the good fortune to work with a number of outstanding players, great leaders and men of excellent character. I can assure you that Ndamukong Suh ranks right near the top of that list when you evaluate his total impact on our football program.” - Bo Pelini, Head Coach, Nebraska.

Rolando McClain (LB, Jr., Alabama, 6-4, 249, Decatur, Ga.): Leads undefeated Tide in tackles with 66. “He is the best defensive player I have seen this year. No, make that the best defensive player I’ve seen in many years.” – Former Auburn Head Coach Pat Dye.

Sam Acho (DE, Jr., Texas, 6-3, 260, Dallas): Leads nation with four fumbles recovered*26 tackles, 5 sacks, 8 tackles for losses*Texas Athletic Director’s Honor Roll four straight times*Academic All-District in ‘09*Went on medical mission to Nigeria with his father and brother this past summer* “Sam stands out to me as an especially accomplished and earnest student-athlete. Quite simply, he is a great young man—and a tremendous football player.” - William Powers, Jr., President, University of Texas

Jerry Hughes (DE, Sr., TCU, 6-3, 267, Sugar Land, Texas): Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year last season when he led the country in sacks with 15. Has nine sacks this year for undefeated TCU. “Jerry Hughes is among the very few… Few who have the integrity to always, without fail, select the right path. Instead, he is an encourager who motivates and uplifts others.—Le Ann Roberts, Communications Studies, TCU.

Eric Norwood (DE, Sr., South Carolina, 6-0, 249, Acworth, Ga.): “Has 62 tackles, seven sacks (28 in his career with 51.5 tackles for losses). Team captain. “He’s the way we want our student-athletes to be, I think he epitomizes it. I can talk forever about him, that’s how strongly I feel about him and his character.” - Raymond M. Harrison, Jr., Director of Academics and Life Skills, University of South Carolina.

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 sixth 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.

Past winners of The Lott Trophy:

2004 – David Pollack, Georgia

2005 – DeMeco Ryans, Alabama

2006 – Dante Hughes, California

2007 – Glenn Dorsey, LSU

2008 – James Laurinaitis, Ohio State

In five years, the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has donated more than $650,000 to various charities, including $25,000 to each of the winners’ universities.

Voters for the award include selected members of the national media, previous finalists, the Board of Directors of the IMPACT Foundation, the IMPACT Foundation Board of Advisors comprised of retired NFL players and the Legends Coaches, a distinguished group of former college head coaches.


Named after Pro Football Hall of Fame member, Ronnie Lott, The Lott 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 the Legends Coaches which is a distinguished group of former college football head coaches. The sixth annual Lott Trophy dinner will be held December 13th at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, California. For more information on The Lott Trophy visit: www.LottTrophy.com.

Lott Trophy Finalists Announced

NEWPORT BEACH, CA. – The Lott Trophy, the only collegiate football award where character counts, has announced its four finalists for 2008.

Linebacker Aaron Curry of Wake Forest, Linebacker James Laurinaitis of Ohio State, Defensive End Brian Orakpo of Texas and Defensive Back Myron Rolle of Florida State are this season’s finalists, chosen from an initial Watch List of 42 outstanding student-athletes throughout the country, who have all performed at a high level on the football field and exhibited selfless character off the field.

The winner will be announced at a black-tie banquet at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, Ca. Dec. 14.

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 fifth year, The Lott Trophy is the first and only college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player.

Sponsored by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, the Lott award is given to a player who exhibits the same characteristics Lott embodied during his distinguished career: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

The four finalists:
*Curry (6-3, 240, Sr., Fayetteville, NC): Has 101 tackles on the season and 16 tackles for loss. Curry has successfully combined his academics and football during his career at Wake Forest.

*Laurinaitis (6-3, 244, Sr., Hamel, Mn.): A Lott finalist last year, he has won the Butkus and Nagurski awards in previous seasons. Laurinaitis is a two-time Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time Ohio State captain. He led the Buckeyes in tackles again this season with 121.

*Orakpo (6-4, 260, Sr., Houston): Twice named the Lott Player of the Week this season. Orakpo has 10 sacks and 16 tackles for losses. He’s been on the Texas honor roll.

*Rolle (6-2, 218, Jr., Galloway, NJ): Named winner of a Rhodes Scholarship on Nov. 22. A grad student in public administration, he has a 3.71 GPA. He is second on the Seminole team with 46 tackles, has 5 passes defended and 5 passes broken up.

David Pollack of Georgia, DeMeco Ryans of Alabama, Dante Hughes of Cal and Glenn Dorsey of LSU were the winners of the first four Lott Trophies. Georgia, Alabama, Cal and LSU each received $25,000 for their general scholarship funds. In four years, the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has donated $450,000 to various charities, including the universities. Each finalist receives $5,000 for his school’s general scholarship fund.

Voters for the award include selected members of the national media, previous finalists, the Board of Directors of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation and Legends Coaches, a distinguished group of former head college coaches.

For more information on the Lott Trophy, go to: thelotttrophy.com

THE FIFTH ANNUAL LOTT TROPHY PRESENTATION

One-Hour Telecast Airs Live on Sunday, December 14th; College Football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year Will Be Awarded

Los Angeles -- On Sunday, December 14, Fox Sports WEST will telecast a one-hour live telecast of The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation 2008 Lott Trophy Award presentation. Event coverage from the Pacific Club in Newport Beach, Calif., begins at approximately 9:30 PM immediately after the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers post-game "Lakers Live" show. Reporters Bill Macdonald and Michael Eaves will host the Fox Sports WEST coverage of the event.

Hall of fame sports commentator Keith Jackson is the keynote speaker for the event. Best known for broadcasting college football, Jackson has received many awards throughout his 50-plus years of contribution to the sport. He was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1995.

Since 2004, the Lott Trophy has been awarded annually to college football's most deserving Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. The athlete who is bestowed with this honor signifies the epitome of the IMPACT acronym - Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity - through his mastery of the sport and reputation as a role model. The award is named after the former USC All-American, College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Ronnie Lott. David Pollack of Georgia (2004), DeMeco Ryans of Alabama (2005), Dante Hughes of Cal (2006) and Glenn Dorsey of LSU (2007) were the winners of the first four Lott Trophies.

The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation will make a $25,000 contribution to the general scholarship fund of the winner's university and a $5,000 donation to the schools of the other finalists.

Voting for the 2008 Lott Trophy consist of ballots distributed to The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation Board of Directors, a Board of Advisors made up of former NFL players and coaches, 17 members of the Master Coaches, offensive and defensive college coordinators, and sports journalists.