Alumni Newsletter - Lott IMPACT Trophy

ISSUE NO. 1
SUMMER
Alumni Newsletter
Lott IMPACT Trophy
Winners Re-united
in Minnesota
for the award. Kendricks was chosen in the
second round of the draft – by the Vikings.
"They're the best of friends. They play off
each other very well on the field. They have
synergy, and I think that will continue on the
Vikings,” said UCLA linebacker coach Scott
by Pete Donovan
White.
In their days on the UCLA campus, Anthony "I feel like Anthony will be a mentor," KenBarr and Eric Kendricks were more than
dricks told Chris Tomasteammates on some of
son of the St. Paul Piothe more accomplished
neer Press. Kendricks is
Bruin football teams in
actually 18 days older
recent years.
than Barr (they are both
23). "Even though we're
They were great friends
best friends and at the
off the field and even
same level, I feel he
roomed together for
can definitely be that
a time. Defensive
mentor going into the
standouts – Barr was
season and for the rest
converted from offense
of my career.''
and became a sack
master at defensive
Kendricks, who has
end while Kendricks
signed a four-year,
was a rock solid in$5.155 million contract,
side linebacker – they
has had a mentor in
helped craft
older brother Mychal
Kendricks, a linebacker
In 2013, UCLA had one
who played in college at
of its greatest seaCalifornia and is entersons in recent years,
ing his fourth NFL seaposting a 10-3 record
son with Philadelphia.
that included road wins LOTT IMPACT TROPHY WINNERS ERIC KENDRICKS
in Nebraska and Utah, AND ANTHONY BARR AT VIKINGS TRAINING CAMP Kendricks' hope before
the draft was being selected by either the
a decisive 35-14 victory over USC and a
39-point win over Virginia in the Sun Bowl. Eagles or Vikings.
Barr was a consensus All-American with 20 "A.B. (before the draft) was like, 'Hey, Eric,
tackles for losses and 10 sacks. Kendricks we could really use you,' and things like
led UCLA in tackles with 106. Barr then
that," Kendricks said. "He would tell me
won the Lott IMPACT Trophy for having the things throughout (last) season. He always
biggest IMPACT on his team on and off the just said it joking around kind of, but serifield.
ously at the same time, that he just wants
to play with me. So it's just awesome that
Following that season, Barr was the 9th
selection in the first round of the 2014 NFL that's going to happen."
draft, taken by the Minnesota Vikings. Ken- When the Vikings selected Kendricks, Barr
dricks returned to Westwood and recorded tweeted, "Are you serious?" "No way," "I
149 tackles and finished with a school
can't believe it" and "I feel like I just got
record 483 tackles in his career. Then he,
drafted again."
too, won the Lott IMPACT Trophy, the first
time any school had produced two winners
In This Edition
p2. Follow The Candidates
p3. David Pollack
p5. Sam Acho
p6. Jim Leonhard
AUGUST 2015:
News, opinion, events,
resources, and more
from The Lott IMPACT Trophy
www.lottimpacttrophy.org
Switching Teams
A.J. Hawk (2005 finalist) – From Green
Bay Packers to Cincinnati Bengals.
Brian Orakpo (2008 finalist)– From Washington Redskins to Tennessee Titans
Sam Acho (2010 finalist) – From Phoenix
Cardinals to Chicago Bears
Casey Matthews (2010 finalist)– From
Philadelphia Eagles to Minnesota Vikings
J.J. Watt Foundation
Reaches $1 million
in donations
The JJ Watt Foundation has provided
funding in excess of $1,000,000 to 6th –
8th grade after school athletic programs
and organizations.
The mission statement of the foundation:
Our mission is to provide after-school
opportunities for middle-school aged children in the community to become involved
in athletics, so that they may learn the
character traits of accountability, teamwork, leadership, work ethic, and perseverance, while in a safe and supervised
environment with their peers.
Below is an example of J.J.’s passion in
running his various charity events.
The annual Lott IMPACT Trophy Award Ceremony
will be held December 13th at the Pacific Club in
Newport Beach, CA.
For more information visit: www.lottimpacttrophy.org
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AUGUST 2015: News, opinion, events, resources, and more from The Lott IMPACT Trophy www.lottimpacttrophy.org
Lott IMPACT Trophy
Notes
Luke Kuechly, the 2011 winner, has
graduated from Boston College with a degree in marketing...
2009 Lott IMPACT Trophy winner Jerry
Hughes (TCU) recently signed a four-year,
$55 million extension with the Buffalo
Bills...A.J. Hawk (Ohio State), a finalist in
2005, signed a free-agent contract with the
Cleveland Browns after spending his first
nine seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
Hawk, a linebacker who was the fifth pick
in the 2006 draft, finished his Green Bay
Follow The 2015
Lott IMPACT Trophy
Candidates
H
ere’s the candidates for this year’s
Lott IMPACT Trophy. Follow them all
year – especially the players from your
school. Each week we award $1,000 to the
general scholarship fund of the University of
the student-athlete who has been named the
Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week. Each
of the four finalists, who will attend the annual
banquet in Newport Beach in December, will
earn a $5,000 gift to the general scholarship
fund of his university while the winner will
earn $25,000 for his school.
career with 922 tackles, 19 sacks and nine
interceptions...Aaron Curry, a 2008 finalist,
The 2015 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List:
(Wake Forest) is now coaching the defen-
KEVIN ANDERSON, LB, Stanford
DANTE BARNETT, S, Kansas State
JOE BOLDEN, LB, Michigan
BRIEAN BOODY-CALHOUN, DB, Minnesota
JOEY BOSA, DE, Ohio State
KELBY BROWN, LB, Duke
DeFOREST BUCKNER, DE, Oregon
MICHAEL CAPUTO, S, Wisconsin
SHILIQUE CALHOUN, DE, Michigan State
JEREMY CASH, S, Duke
SU’A CRAVENS, S, USC.
LEONARD FLOYD, LB, Georgia.
KENDALL FULLER, CB, Virginia Tech
NATE GERRY, DB, Nebraska
ADAM GOTSIS, DL, Georgia Tech
DEON HOLLINS, LB, UCLA
DYLAN HAINES, S, Texas
VERNON HARGREAVES, CB, Florida
RYAN JANVION, S, Wake Forest
JONATHAN JONES, CB, Auburn
KARL JOSEPH, S, West Virginia
BRONSON KAUFUSI, LB, BYU
DERRICK KINDRED, S, TCU
JORDAN LOMAX, S, Iowa
DEAN LOWRY, DE, Northwestern
BLAKE MARTINEZ, LB, Stanford
LAUI MOEAKIOLA, LB, Arizona State
CALVIN MUNSON, LB, San Diego State
ROBERT NKEMDICHE, DE, Ole Miss
JARED NORRIS, LB, Utah
SHAWN OAKMAN, DE, Baylor
sive line at North Carolina Charlotte....
Kermit Alexander, a member of the
Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation Board of
Directors, was recently named a Father of
the Year in Riverside County. Kermit and his
wife Tami adopted five children from Haiti
five years ago...Chairman of the Board John
Hamilton was inducted into the USC Hall of
Fame in May...
Eric Berry, a 2009 finalist from Tennessee, is recovering from lymphoma, which
sidelined him the last month of the NFL
season with the Kansas City Chiefs...UCLA,
with back-to-back winners now tops the list
of school donations with $58,000 over 11
years followed by Alabama ($46,000), Ohio
State ($36,000), LSU ($34,000) and Notre
Dame ($34,000...Total charitable giving is
now at $1,147,160 with $474,000 going to
universities throughout the country...
2015 WATCH LIST CANDIDATE ERIC STRIKER
EMMANUEL OGBAH, DE, Oklahoma State
JOSHUA PERRY, LB, Ohio State
REGGIE RAGLAND, LB, Alabama
JALEN RAMSEY, CB, Florida State
SHELDON RANKINS, DT, Louisville
JAYLON SMITH, LB, Notre Dame
WESTON STEELHAMMER, S, Air Force Academy
ERIC STRIKER, LB, Oklahoma
JEREMY TIMPF, LB, Army
SCOOBY WRIGHT III, LB, Arizona
ANTHONY ZETTEL, DT, Penn State
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
AUGUST 2015: News, opinion, events, resources, and more from The Lott IMPACT Trophy www.lottimpacttrophy.org
3
Lott IMPACT Trophy
Winners Re-united
in Minnesota
By Paul Thomas
Gwinnett Daily Post
Reprinted with permission
All his life Davey Pollack felt like he
was meant to play football.
As a four-year old, he roamed the
sideline of his brother’s youth football
games looking for someone to hit,
before he was finally able to put on his David Pollack on the set of College GameDay
own pads at the age of 6.
some form of football in it, whether
that was in coaching or broadcasting
Pollack went on to star at Shiloh High
or whatever it looked like.”
School and was only the second player
ever to be a three-time All-American at
the University of Georgia. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals 17th
overall in the 2005 NFL Draft.
During his second season in the
league, Pollack suffered a broken cervical vertebrae that ended his career.
During his rehab, while in a halo, Pollack said he decided to give broadcasting a try after watching so much ESPN
programming.
Since starting on local radio on Atlanta
in 2008, Pollack’s broadcasting career
has skyrocketed. He’s now one of ESPN’s lead college football analysts and
a member of “College GameDay.”
“I always thought, and we always
talked about it with my family and my
close friends, it was like ‘You were
made to play football,’” Pollack said.
“With my body, my personality and
kind of the way I am. Now it’s the
same type of thing. I feel like I was
made to be a commentator with my
personality. It’s still football man. You
get to talk Xs and Os. I think that’s one
thing since my neck injury, I’m not sure
life would be the same for me without
“I think the older you get
the more appreciative
you are of everybody that
helped you get to where
you got,” Pollack said.
“I think it’s just something that naturally happens with age. I look around
and it’s pretty cool to have such good
coaches, such a good mom and dad,
people that supported me that helped
me become successful. Had an interest in me becoming successful
and helping me accomplish all of my
goals.”
Pollack said that Gwinnett County
assistant superintendent Ed Shaddix,
who was a teacher and an assistant
coach at Shiloh when Pollack was
there, was one of his biggest influences. Shaddix coached defensive line for
Shiloh and said that he’s not surprised
that Pollack “makes a living with his
mouth.”
Shaddix, like most in Gwinnett County,
calls Pollack by his nickname Davey
— when most of the country knows
him as David — and knew that the
defensive end had a chance to be special from the moment he stepped onto
Shiloh’s campus.
“You could see that he had that desire
to compete,” Shaddix said. “He was
not going to be out-worked, whether
it be the weight room, practice or a
game. He had a great deal of potential
and trying to harness that to work
within our scheme took a little while,
but when he figured it out you knew he
had the skills. Now could I ever tell you
he was going to be a three-time All-American at the University of Georgia? No. But did
I know he was going to be pretty dang good?
Absolutely.”
After Shiloh, Pollack became a star at Georgia. He recorded 36 career sacks, the most
in school history. He and Herschel Walker are
the school’s only three-time All-Americans, he
was named SEC Player of the Year in ’02, SEC
Defensive Player of the Year in ’04 , racked up
numerous other awards, including the first Lott
IMPACT Trophy in 2004, and helped UGA capture the 2002 SEC title, its first in 20 years.
The Bengals then gave Pollack the chance to
live out his life-long dream of playing in the
NFL before his neck injury. He was cleared to
resume football in 2007, but never quite felt
comfortable returning to the gridiron so he re-
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AUGUST 2015: News, opinion, events, resources, and more from The Lott IMPACT Trophy www.lottimpacttrophy.org
tired in 2008 to avoid the potential for another
serious neck injury.
a really good friend — I wish I could
time, that it’s about entertainment.
have given the city and my teammates Chris (Fowler) is just the consummate
more.
professional. It’s unbelievable the
“I knew I was at more risk than anybody else,
amount of information he can retain,
any normal person playing the game,” Pollack “But it wasn’t in the cards and God
it’s unbelievable the way he can take
said. “For me it wasn’t a tough decision, but
had different plans and I had to go
something and spin it, move it in anthat doesn’t mean it was easy. That doesn’t
down a different path. I didn’t know
other direction when things are kind
mean all the sudden you just snap your fingers what it was going to be at first, but it
of stale or stagnant and need to be
and it’s gone you’re like, ‘Ah, life is normal.’
led to something that right now if you flipped around. He’s got an amazing
I think one of the most important thing for
asked me to choose between playing
feel for that. So I’ve been able to learn
athletes is when you do lose something like
in the NFL or doing what I’m doing
from them and have them teach me.”
football, that’s one of your main sources of
now I’d rather do what I’m doing now.
Pollack not only serves as an ancompetitiveness that you get to plug into and I don’t really have a choice, but I love
alyst for “GameDay”, but he also is a
really use, I think you have to find other paths what I do and I love the path that God color analyst for Thursday night ESPN
and other things that excited you and get you took me down.”
college football games and a studio
going that you can plug into and compete.
That path began on 790 the Zone analyst for the weekly ranking shows
in Atlanta in 2008. Pollack said he
for the College Football Playoff.
wasn’t as natural on the radio as he is
Once the ranking shows begin
on TV because he couldn’t smile or use several weeks into the season, Pollack
his hands to articulate his points. But
has to travel to Bristol, Conn. on Tuestelevision was a perfect fit, and he’s
day for the show, fly from there to the
said he’s grateful for the opportunity to site of the Thursday night game and on
learn from Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso
Friday go right to the “GameDay” set.
and Chris Fowler (who won’t return to
While the fall can be hectic, he
“GameDay” this season) the last few
said the reward is the rest of the year
years.
when he gets to be home outside of
“It’s been awesome,” Pollack
Athens with his wife Lindsey and their
said.” You talk about learning so much two children, Nicholas (6) and Leah (4).
and seeing what professional looks
“It’s a grind for sure,” Pollack said.
like and watching how these guys
“Sometimes by the end of the season
answer questions and handle themyou’re wondering what your own name
selves. Kirk has been awesome. Kirk’s is, or everyone else’s. You’re seeing
played a role in me being there and
double and stuff like that. Out of seahe’s played a big role in being kind of a son is the biggest blessing ever bementor to me and just listening to what cause it’s just me and my kiddos and
he has to say and learn, because he’s my wife. It’s awesome. I get to spend
been doing it for 20 years. And doing it every day with them and go to baseball
It also wasn’t easy leaving his NFL team.
very successfully.
practice and basketball practice and
“I’m not saying our styles are the
pick them up from the bus stop. It’s re“I sincerely wish I would have given the Bensame, because they’re not, but I beally rewarding to just come home and
gals a return on the investment,” Pollack said.
lieve you can watch people that are
be Dad. I love having a busy season
“I think it’s something you always think about.
very successful at what they do and
and then having that six, seven months
It sucks, because they wasted a first-round
take away little things that you think
where I get to spend time with just my
draft pick on me and I wish that I could
you should probably make sure that
wife, my kiddos and my friends.”
have given them more. I wish that I
you’re doing. And Kirk loves the game.
could have given (Bengals head coach)
Coach (Corso) is a constant reminder
Marvin Lewis more — who I love to
that it’s not about Xs and Os all the
this day and still talk to and consider
“Get that void filled, have
fun. I had dreamed about
being a football player
since I was 6 years old.
I told my parents when
I was 8 I was going to
play in the NFL and that
was going to be my job.
Every year that was what I
wanted to be and wanted
to do, so it was something
that I was always striving
for.”
AUGUST 2015: News, opinion, events, resources, and more from The Lott IMPACT Trophy www.lottimpacttrophy.org
Sam Acho Impresses
In Chicago
--Chicago Tribune
Sam Acho retreated from the TV camera
and bowed his head. After a moment to
collect himself, he stepped forward into
an imaginary spotlight.
The Bears' new outside
linebacker stood on
the sideline of Halas
Hall's practice fields
Wednesday, but he
might as well have
been on stage at the
Shakespeare Theater on
Navy Pier.
"Was ever a woman in
this humor wooed?"
he said. "Was ever a
woman in this humor
won? I'll have her, but I'll
not keep.”
He continued for nine
more lines, nailing the
famous soliloquy from
"Richard III" until he
figured that was enough and broke
down laughing. It was as impressive
a performance as any at Wednesday's
practice. How many NFL linebackers can
recite Shakespeare?
Acho, a former Lott IMPACT Trophy
finalist, clearly is comfortable as Act II
of his NFL career begins in Chicago. He
might even land a starring role with the
Bears, depending on a few variables that
will play out this summer.
For now, he's taking advantage of his
experience as a 3-4 outside linebacker,
and he's working to recapture the
form that once made him a promising
prospect with the Cardinals.
"The windshield is big and the rear-view
mirror is small," Acho said. "You never
want to look too far back, but also you
want to look at what you did well."
That would be the seven sacks as a
rookie in 2011. The Cardinals drafted
Acho (rhymes with "nacho") in the fourth
round that spring out of Texas, and
despite being affected by the lockout, he
became a starter by Week 8.
His intelligence and experience on
the edge of the Cardinals' 3-4 front
appealed to Bears general manager
Ryan Pace, who signed Acho to a oneyear, minimum salary benefit contract on
April 1.
"It couldn't have been a better fit for me,
from a physical perspective and what
we can do on defense," he said.
The gratitude in Acho's
voice was unmistakable.
As the second wave of
free agency passed in
late March, he wasn't
sure where he would
end up this season.
The key to doing so is
consistently making the
types of plays he did
as a rookie. Acho broke
his left leg in 2013
(he knows the theater
idiom is not to be taken
literally) and missed all
but three games.
He pushed to get back
into the Cardinals'
linebacker rotation and
trended upward by
the end of last year. He had a sack in
the season finale. Then he started the
Cardinals' only playoff game, finishing
with seven tackles, a forced fumble and
a sack in the loss to the Panthers.
"That's who I am and what I do," Acho
said. "It shows this is what I can do
when I'm healthy and I'm playing my
game."
While that remains to be seen in
Chicago, he already is affecting the
Bears with his personality and approach.
Besides his affinity for theater, which
spawned in high school in Texas, the
affable Acho came to Chicago with
a reputation for being active in the
community. He also is taking a Spanish
course to refresh his language skills,
and he's studying Igbo because his wife
is Nigerian.
"He's a smart player, so he grasps
things and is able to take them to the
field pretty well," coach John Fox said.
"We talked about leadership earlier; he
has that spark. He helps some of the
younger players grasp what we're doing.
He has been an excellent addition."
"The windshield
is big and the
rear-view mirror
is small," Acho
said. "You never
want to look too
far back, but also
you want to look
at what you did
well."
5
Professional Football Promposal with Philadelphia Eagle,
Emmanuel Acho
Younger Acho Also
Making His Mark
On Jan. 9 Emmanuel Acho, himself
a finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy
in 2011, was contacted by Eagles
fan Hannah Delmonte via Instagram.
Delmonte asked Acho to escort her
to her junior prom if she received
2,000 retweets on Twitter. Acho felt
2,000 retweets was too low, so he
increased it to 10,000 retweets and
gave Delmonte one week to achieve
the goal. Less than three hours later,
Delmonte posted a picture showing
that she received over 10,000
retweets, and Acho accepted the
invitation.
On Feb. 20, Emmanuel took time
off from his graduate studies at
the University of Texas and flew to
Purcellville, VA, to personally accept
Hannah's prom invitation, which
has been nicknamed 'Promposal' by
the media. He surprised her with an
autographed jersey that said "Prom
15" on the back. Since this event,
the story and the accompanying
video have gone viral and have
been covered by all of the major
news outlets. On May 9, Emmanuel
escorted Hannah to her junior prom
in Purcellville.
6
AUGUST 2015: News, opinion, events, resources, and more from The Lott IMPACT Trophy www.lottimpacttrophy.org
JIM LEONHARD –
A WORKING MAN
COMES TO REST
by Tom Reed, Northeast Ohio Media Group
Reprinted by permission
Pettine thinks Leonhard looks more
like a paperboy than pro athlete, but
has lobbied for his inclusion on the
Ravens', Jets', Bills' and Browns'
rosters. He also played one season
(2012) in Denver with Peyton Manning
and the Broncos.
BEREA, Ohio – Browns coach Mike
Pettine learned his longtime safety,
Jim Leonhard, was compiling an allstar list of teammates from his 10 NFL
seasons.
Cleveland is Leonhard's last stop
as he's announced he would retire
at season's end. He's made four
trips to the playoffs and was part of
three teams that reached the AFC
Championship Game.
The former University of Wisconsin
walk-on – and a finalist for the first
ever Lott IMPACT Trophy in 2004
-- keeps his dream team on a single
sheet of paper inside a spiral notebook.
It's a working document complete with
revisions and includes future Hall of
Famers at multiple positions.
Katie Leonhard still cannot watch her
husband return a punt.
Pettine, the Bills defensive coordinator
last season, jokingly asked Leonhard
one day who he'd choose to coordinate
a defense featuring Darrelle Revis,
Champ Bailey, Ray Lewis, Terrell
Suggs, Von Miller and Ed Reed. Would
it be Pettine or Jets coach Rex Ryan?
The one moment that truly scares
her is the sight of Leonhard, father of
two small boys, fielding a punt and
returning it. He's done it 107 times in
his career. She's looked away on every
occasion.
"(Leonhard) said, 'I've got bad news
for you, I'm the defensive coordinator.
I'll let you guys be my quality control
coaches,'" Pettine recalled.
Leonhard, 32, smiled when
reminded of the story and produced
the weathered notebook from his
backpack.
They met his freshman year in college
and she's been alongside him for the
entire journey, through all the wins
and injuries and seasons that ended
without contract offers.
While he's never run one back for a
touchdown, Pettine marvels at how far
Leonhard has traveled from growing
up as a pint-sized, three-sport athlete
coached by his father, Don. The only
thing smaller than the defensive
back is his hometown of Tony, Wisc.,
(population: 110).
"It's such a great story because
of the person he is and what he's
been able to overcome throughout
his career," Pettine said. "You're too
small you're too short, you're not
good enough. It's not just longevity,
but the production he's had for us. He
had four interceptions a year ago in
Buffalo."Leonhard has started 68 of
136 NFL games with 12 interceptions.
He once won a slam-dunk contest
at Wisconsin, but his gridiron career
has been played mostly below the
rim. "He's a guy who's never given
up regardless of the circumstance,"
Pettine said.
Don believes his son could play
one more season if the right offer
presented itself. Leonhard is at peace
with his decision, however, one he
made in 2012 after rehabbing a torn
patella tendon in his knee a year after
breaking his leg.
It's not just the physical toll on his
compact frame. It's the playoff losses,
rehab stints, endless relocation of
family and the disappointment of
having to change clubs so often after
forming bonds with teammates.
"I have too much respect for this
game -- it really comes down to that,"
Leonhard said. "I know what needs to
be put into this game. It's more of the
emotional and mental side of it and I'm
ready to move on and start the next
chapter."
Leonhard gets his work ethic from
his parents. Don, 57, has labored as
There are no farewell tours for the Jim
"It's pretty obvious I'd have to be the
a roofer, truck driver and skidder,
Leonhards of the NFL. No scoreboard
coordinator because I'm not good
someone who helps pull cut trees from tributes or victory laps.
enough to play on (the team)," he said. the woods.
"And, with the defensive personnel I
But it was surely a career of
The parents believe "you're only a kid accomplishment, distinction and
have, anyone could call it."
once," Don said, and allowed their
character.
The fact a 5-foot-8, 188-pound
three boys to focus on sports rather
undrafted free agent has lasted a
than taking summer jobs. Leonhard
decade playing safety and special
had an opportunity to play baseball
teams in the NFL is a testament to his in the Twins' organization, but went
intellect, work ethic, athletic ability and to Wisconsin as a 165-pounder with
perseverance. He's the last player out only one goal – make the Badgers'
of a meeting room and the first one
traveling football squad. He left as a
into a pile for a fumble – even when
first-team, all-Big Ten performer.
he's not wearing a helmet.
AUGUST 2015: News, opinion, events, resources, and more from The Lott IMPACT Trophy www.lottimpacttrophy.org
ABOUT THE LOTT
IMPACT TROPHY
Named after Pro Football Hall of
Fame member, Ronnie Lott, The
Lott IMPACT Trophy is awarded
to college football's top defensive
player who exemplifies the best
in character and performance.
Founded in 2004 by The Pacific
Club IMPACT Foundation, the
Lott IMPACT Trophy is given to
the player who exhibits the same
characteristics Lott embodied
during his distinguished career:
Integrity, Maturity, Performance,
DOWNLOAD THE
OFFICIAL LOTT
IMPACT TROPHY
MOBILE APP
The Lott IMPACT Trophy is
proud to announce the release of
the official Lott IMPACT Trophy
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.
UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks
became the 11th Lott IMPACT
Trophy winner in 2014, joining a
stellar list of past winners including
Anthony Barr, JJ Watt, Luke
Kuechly, James Laurinaitis and
a host of NFL stars. Sponsors for
the Lott IMPACT Trophy include
7
Mercedes-Benz and United Airlines
and to date, the Foundation has
donated more than $1.2 million to
various charities throughout the
country.
For more information about the
Lott IMPACT Trophy visit:
www.lottimpacttrophy.org
The annual Lott IMPACT Trophy
Award Ceremony will be held
December 13th at the Pacific Club
in Newport Beach, CA.
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Media Contact: Pete Donovan, PR Director / pdonovan@lottimpacttrophy.org