UCLA cornerback Alterraun Verner and linebacker Reggie Carter were named to the Lott Trophy watch list. Below is the release:
Carter & Verner Named To 2009 Lott Trophy Watch List
Award honors top defensive player in the country for excellence on and off the field
April 7, 2009
UCLA’s Reggie Carter and Alterraun Verner have been named to the 2009 Lott Trophy Watch List, it was announced today by Ronnie Lott at a luncheon in Newport Beach, Ca.
The Watch List is made up of 42 of the nation’s top defensive players who have had the biggest IMPACT on their teams on and off the field. IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performanc e, Academics, Community and Tenacity.
Carter is a 6-1, 240-pound senior linebacker from Los Angeles. He led the Bruins in tackles last season with 83 and was named to the Pac-10’s all-conference second team. Verner is a 5-11, 178-pound cornerback from Carson, Ca. He was also a second-team all-conference selection and led the Pac 10 in passes defended with 20. He was an academic all-conference selection.
There are 14 repeat nominees, the most in the six years of the award, including seven quarter-finalists from a year ago and semi-finalist Eric Berry of Tennessee, an All-American and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore.
The other quarter-finalists nominated this year are Boston College Linebacker Mark Herzlich, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year; South Carolina’s Eric Norwood, who led the SEC in sacks, Florida’s Brandon Spikes, Missouri’s Sean Weatherspoon, Kentucky’s Jeremy Jarmon, BYU’s Jan Jorgensen and South Florida’s George Selvie.
Thirty-eight different schools are represented on the Watch List. Alabama, BYU, Georgia and UCLA each have two players nominated.
Named after Hall of Famer 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 only college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player.
Sponsored by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, the award is given to a player who exhibits the same characteristics Lott embodied during his distinguished career: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.
David Pollack of Georgia won the initial Lott Trophy in 2004. DeMeco Ryans of Alabama won the award in 2005, Daymeion Hughes of Cal was the recipient in 2006, Glenn Dorsey of LSU in 2007 and James Laurinaitis of Ohio Sta te last year.
Georgia, Alabama, Cal, L SU and Ohio State have each received $25,000 for their general scholarship funds. In five years, the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has now donated nearly $650,000 to various charities, including the four universities. In addition to Berry and Herzlich, Jerry Hughes (TCU, Mountain West) and Alex Carrington (Arkansas State, Sun Belt) were named the Defensive Players of the Year in their respective conferences.
Voters for the award include selected members of the national media, previous finalis ts, the Board of Directors of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, The IMPACT Foundation Board of Advisors comprised of many retired NFL players and Legends Coaches, a distinguish ed group of former head college coaches.
The winner will be announced at a gala black-tie banquet at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, Ca. on December 13th, 2009.
For further information on The Lott Trophy, please visit our website at Lotttrophy.com.
The 2009 Lott Trophy Watch List
Mike Anello, DB, Notre Dame, Sr., 5-10, 170 (Orland Park, IL)
Pat Angerer, LB, Iowa, Sr., 6-1, 232 (Bettendorf, IA)
Matthew Bauman, LB, BYU, Sr., 6-1, 232 (Salt Lake City, UT)
Patrick Benoist, LB, Vande rbilt, Sr., 6-0, 222 (Southlake, TX)
Eric Berry, DB, Tennessee, So., 5-11, 195 (Fairburn, GA)
Alex Carrington, DE, Arkansas State, Sr., 6-5, 275 (Tupelo, MS)
Terrence Cody, DT, Alab ama, Sr., 6-5, 365 (Ft, Myers, FL)
Reggie Carter, LB, UCLA, Sr., 6-1, 240 (Los Angeles, CA)
Harry Coleman, LB, LSU, Sr., 6-2, 205 (Baldwin, LA)
Kurt Coleman, S, Ohio State, Sr., 5-11, 188 (Clayton, OH)
Rennie Curran, LB, Georgia, Jr., 5-11, 228 (Snellville, GA)
Brian Duncan, LB, Texas Tech, Sr., 6-1, 238 (Baton Rogue, LA)
Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan, Sr., 6-2, 270 (Detroit, MI)
Mark Herzlich, LB, Boston College, Jr., 6-4, 238 (Wayne, PA)
Jerry Hughes, DE, TCU, Sr., 6-3, 267 (Sugar Land, TX)
Jeremy Jarmon, DE, Kentucky, Jr., 6-3, 268 (Collierville, TN)
Greg Jones, LB, Mi chigan State, Jr., 6-1, 222 (Cincinnati, OH)
Jan Jorgensen, DE, BYU, Jr., 6-3, 260, (Helper, UT)
Keaton Kristick, LB, Oregon State, Sr., 6-3, 226 (Fountain Hills, AZ)
Sean Lee, LB, Penn State, Sr. 6-2, 236 (Pittsburgh, PA)
Taylor Mays, S, USC, Jr., 6-4, 225 (Seattle, WA)
Rolando McCl ain, LB, Alabama, Jr., 6-4, 249 (Decatur, AL)
Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma, Jr., 6-4, 300 (Oklahoma City, OK)
Bo McNally, S, Stanford, Sr., 6-0, 210 (Salt Lake City, UT)
Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech, Jr., 6-4, 270 (Coatsville, PA)
Roddrick Muckelroy, LB, Texas, Sr., 6-2, 23 5 (Hallsville, TX)
Mike Nixon, LB, Arizona State, Sr., 6-3, 227 (Phoenix, AZ)
Eric Norwood, DE, South Carolina, Jr., 6-0, 258 (Acworth, GA)
Vince Oghobaase, DT, Duke, Sr., 6-6, 300 (Houston, TX)
Jeff Owens, DT, Georgia, Sr., 6-3, 298 (Sunrise, FL)
Joe Pawelek, LB, Baylor, Sr., 6-2, 240 (San Antonio, TX)
George Selvie, DE, South Florida, Jr., 6-4, 242 (Pensacola, FL)
Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida,=2 0Jr., 6-3, 245 (Shelby, NC)
Darrell Stuckey, DB, Kansas, Sr., 6-1, 205 (Kansas City, KS)
Ndamukong Suh, DE, Nebraska, Sr., 6-4, 300 (Portland, OR)
Syd’Quan Thompson, DB, Cal, Sr., 5-9, 18720(Sacramento, CA)
Alterraun Verner, DB, UCLA, Jr., 5-11, 178 (Carson, CA)
T.J. Ward, DB, Oregon, Sr., 5-11, 200 (Antoch, CA)
Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri, Jr., 6-1, 230 (Jasper, TX)
Ryan Winterswyk, DE, Boise State, Sr., 6-4, 258 (La Habra, CA)
Reed Williams, LB, Sr., West Virginia, 6-1, 228 (Moorefieild, WV)
Corey Wootton, DE, Sr., Northwestern, 6-7, 270 (Rutherford, NJ)