NEWPORT BEACH, CA. – The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, sponsors of the Lott IMPACT Trophy, today announced the quarter-finalists for the 14th annual award.
The 20 players represent the best college defensive players in the nation who make the biggest IMPACT on their team both on and off the field. IMPACT is an acronym for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.
Named after College and Pro Football Hall of Fame member, Ronnie Lott, The Lott IMPACT Trophy was founded in 2004. It 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. There are nine linebackers on the list, six defensive linemen and five defensive backs. Virginia and Penn State are the only schools with two players represented.
Semi-finalists will be announced Nov. 8 and four finalists will be announced Nov. 28. The finalists will attend the Lott IMPACT Trophy Awards Banquet Dec. 10 at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach where the winner will be announced by Ronnie Lott. Each of the schools of the finalists will receive $5,000 for their general scholarship fund while the school of the winner will receive $25,000.
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 $1.4 million to various charities throughout the country. For more information on The Lott Trophy visit: www.LottImpactTrophy.org.
The 2017 Lott IMPACT Trophy Quarter-Finalists:
Marcus Allen, S, Penn State
Quin Blanding, S, Virginia
Ben Burr-Kirven, LB, Washington
Jason Cabinda, LB, Penn State
Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech
Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
Zaire Franklin, LB, Syracuse
Derwin James, CB, Florida State
Malik Jefferson, DE, Texas
Josey Jewell, LB, Iowa
Micah Kiser, LB, Virginia
Christian LaCouture, DL, LSU
Tyquan Lewis, DE, Ohio State
Courtney Love, LB, Kentucky
Hercules Mata’afa, DL, Washington State
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, LB, Oklahoma
Harrison Phillips, DL, Stanford
Cameron Smith, LB, USC
Drue Tranquill, S, Notre Dame
Christian Wilkins, DL, Clemson
Previous Winners of the Lott IMPACT 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
2010 – J.J. Watt, Wisconsin
2011 – Luke Kuechly, Boston College
2012 – Manti Te’o, Notre Dame
2013 – Anthony Barr, UCLA
2014 – Eric Kendricks, UCLA
2015 – Carl Nassib, Penn State
2016 – Jabrill Peppers, Michigan
Read the official release here: Lott IMPACT Trophy Names 2017 Quarter-Finalists
