GEORGIA TECH’S MORGAN NAMED LOTT TROPHY PLAYER OF THE WEEK
NEWPORT BEACH, Ca. – Georgia Tech Defensive End Derrick Morgan has been named the Lott Trophy IMPACT Player of the Week.
Morgan, a 6-4, 275-pound junior from Coatesville, Pa., had four tackles for losses, three sacks and a team best 10 tackles in Georgia Tech’s 30-27 win over Clemson.
“Morgan was making plays all over the field early,” said former Auburn Coach Pat Dye, a member of the Legends Coaches who selected the Player of the Week. “His two quick sacks kept Clemson’s offense disrupted. Clemson couldn’t begin to block him early. He’s an outstanding player.”
Morgan was also named the ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week.
Other players nominated for the Player of the Week were Sean Lee of Penn State, Reggie Carter of UCLA, Jerry Hughes of TCU and Eric Norwood of South Carolina. Mike Nixon of Arizona State won the Player of the Week Award last week.
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.
Watching The Watch List
Sean Lee, Penn State – Led Nittany Lions with 13 tackles, including 3 tackles for losses and a quarterback sack in 28-7 win over Syracuse. Penn State defense held Syracuse to 65 rushing yards.
Reggie Carter, UCLA – Had team-high 14 tackles with one behind line of scrimmage in 19-15 win over Tennessee.
Jerry Hughes, TCU – Led team with 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for losses and 1.5 sacks in 30-14 win over Virginia. Defense held Virginia to average of 1.7 yards per rush.
Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska – 3 tackles for losses, 1.5 sacks, 1 quarterback hurry, 5 total tackles in 38-9 win over Arkansas State.
Harry Coleman, LSU – Led Tigers with 10 tackles in win against Vandy, 23-9.
Taylor Mays, USC – Led Trojans with 8 tackles in 18-15 win over Ohio State.
Eric Norwood, South Carolina – Scored on 35-yard touchdown with interception, had a sack and 5 tackles in loss to Georgia, 41-37.
Patrick Benoist, Vanderbilt – Had 9 tackles, 2 for losses and a fumble recovery in loss to LSU, 23-9.
Terrance Cody, Alabama – 2.5 tackles for losses in 40-14 win over Florida International.
Rolando McClain, Alabama – Led team with 10 tackles (1.5 tackles for loss) in 40-14 win over Florida International.
Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri – Had team best 14 tackles, including one tackle for a loss in 27-20 win over Bowling Green.
Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma – Recorded one sack and forced a fumble in 64-0 shutout of Idaho State.
Alterruan Verner, UCLA – Had one of three Bruin interceptions, 6 tackles in win over Tennessee, 19-15.
Greg Jones, Michigan State – Led Spartans with 15 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for losses in 29-27 loss to Central Michigan.
Bo McNally, Stanford – Team best 10 tackles (one for loss) in loss to Wake Forest, 24-17.
BERRY, BERRY – Tennessee Captain Eric Berry saw his father honored prior to Saturday’s UCLA-Tennessee game. James Berry was captain of the 1981 Tennessee team.
IF HE HAD A VOTE – University of Tennessee Defensive Coordinator Monte Kiffin, one of the most successful defensive coaches during his tenure in the NFL, says, if had the choice, he would draft Berry with the first overall pick in the draft next spring.
PLAYING ON SUNDAYS – Ten former Lott Trophy winners or finalists were starters in the NFL the first week of the season. The list:
Derrick Johnson, finalist, 2004 – Kansas City Chiefs Linebacker
Jim Leonhard, finalist, 2004 – New York Jets Safety
DeMeco Ryans, winner, 2005 – Houston Texans Linebacker
A.J. Hawk, finalist, 2005 – Green Bay Packers Linebacker
Paul Posluszny, finalist 2006 – Buffalo Bills Linebacker
Glenn Dorsey, winner, 2007 – Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Tackle
Chris Long, finalist, 2007 – St. Louis Rams Defensive End
James Laurinaitis, winner, 2008 – St. Louis Rams Linebacker
Aaron Curry, finalist, 2008 – Seattle Seahawks Linebacker
Brian Orakpo, finalist, 2008 – Washington Redskins Defensive End
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: http://www.LottTrophy.com.
Media Contact: Pete Donovan
Media Relations, The Lott Trophy
714.315.9575 /