Two of the most prominent players on Penn State’s defense have been added to the watch list for the Lott IMPACT Trophy. [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] and [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag] are among 42 defensive players across the country that will have the spotlight on them for this prestigious award.
The award is named after legendary player and NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott. It’s handed out to the defensive player who had the biggest impact on their team on and off the field. Their website states that it’s the only major award in college football that considers character as one of its criteria.
IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity, which are characteristics that Lott exhibited while at USC.
The winner is announced on December 10th after votes are tallied from a panel of former winners of the award, members of the media, coaches and Board of Directors for The IMPACT Foundation.
A Lott to look forward to 😤😏@1NCRDB1 x @KalenKing21__ #WeAre | @TheLottTrophy pic.twitter.com/RYefpM9dLl
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) May 11, 2023
This is a huge spotlight for Carter who is going into his sophomore season. He had a massive first season of college football, tallying 6.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, earning freshman All-American honors. Carter is one of 16 linebackers who is on the watch list.
King is coming off a huge season as well. Despite the media coverage that [autotag]Joey Porter Jr.[/autotag] got last year, it was actually King who quietly put together a better statistical season. He was PFF’s highest rated defensive back in 2022 with a 93.3 rating. He also had 18 pass breakups which was third nationally and first in the Big Ten, helping him earn second team All-American honors. King is now thrust into the number one cornerback role this season with a lot of expectations on his shoulders.
The Lott IMPACT Trophy has been given out every year since 2004. David Pollock from Georgia was the first winner of the award. Last year’s winner was Will Anderson Jr. from Alabama. Winners of the trophy have a history of being impact players in the NFL after they leave college.
The only Penn State player to win the Lott IMPACT Trophy was [autotag]Carl Nassib[/autotag] in 2015.
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