If you asked Wisconsin fans which player is the heart and soul of this year’s team, most would name Chris Orr without hesitation.
The senior linebacker has always been known to have outstanding character throughout his time in Madison, but he has stepped into a prominent leadership role on the defense this year and emerged as an unquestioned leader among his teammates, both on and off the field. Orr also happens to be having a fantastic statistical season, leading the Badgers in both total tackles (55) and sacks (10) and trailing only Zack Baun in tackles for loss (11).
As a result of his special combination of leadership and on-field production, Orr has earned recognition as a semifinalist for the prestigious Lott IMPACT Trophy, an honor that is “awarded annually to individuals who demonstrate excellence in the field of athletics and recognizes college football’s Defensive Player of the Year who best exemplifies the IMPACT acronym: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.”
The heartbeat of our squad.
Congrats @Chris_Guwap!#OnWisconsin » #Badgers pic.twitter.com/zETcZTIyTc
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 22, 2019
The other semifinalists are Derrick Brown (Auburn), Cole Christiansen (Army), Jordan Fuller (Ohio State), Brandon Jones (Texas), Kenneth Murray (Oklahoma), Isaiah Simmons (Clemson), Curtis Weaver (Boise State) and Evan Weaver (California).
Orr would be the second Badger to take home the award since its inception in 2004, as J.J. Watt received the honor in 2010.
The winner will be announced on Dec. 15.