Here's the press release...
OHIO STATE’S SIMON NAMED LOTT TROPHY SEMI-FINALIST(Nov. 15, 2012, For Immediate Release)
NEWPORT BEACH, Ca. – Ohio State’s John Simon has been named one of eight semi-finalists for the annual Lott IMPACT Trophy.
The 6-2, 270-pound senior from Youngstown has 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks for the undefeated Buckeyes.
Says Ohio State Head Football Coach Urban Meyer: “ John possesses a burning passion for success that I have never witnessed in a college student-athlete. His performance on the field speaks for itself, but the off-the-field commitment and performance is what distinguishes John from every other player I have ever coached! His training and study habits are off the charts. He is the ultimate team player.”
The semi-finalists are:
Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi StateArthur Brown, LB, Kansas StateTravis Johnson, DE, San Jose StateJarvis Jones, LB, GeorgiaEric Reid, S, LSUJohn Simon, DL, Ohio StateManti Te’o, LB, Notre DameChase Thomas, LB, Stanford
Simon was a semi-finalist a year ago and Te’o a finalist. There are four linebackers, two defensive linemen and two defensive backs on the list. Georgia (David Pollack in 2004), LSU (Glenn Dorsey in 2007) and Ohio State (James Laurinaitis in 2008) have all had previous winners.
The Lott IMPACT Trophy recognizes the student-athletes throughout the nation who have had the biggest IMPACT on their teams both on and off the field. IMPACT is an acronym for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity, characteristics that Ronnie Lott exhibited throughout his brilliant Hall of Fame career at both USC and in the National Football League.
A National Voter Panel of more than 300 former coaches, players, members of the media, members of the Lott IMPACT Foundation Board of Directors and former Lott Trophy winners will select the winner. The four finalists will attend the black-tie gala on Dec. 9 where former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice will be the keynote speaker.
The Lott IMPACT Foundation awards $25,000 to the general scholarship fund of the winner’s university and $5,000 to each of the three runnerups.
In its first eight years, the Lott IMPACT Foundation has donated nearly $900,000 to various charities throughout the United States.
Previous winners of the Lott IMPACT Trophy:
2004 – David Pollack, Georgia2005 – DeMeco Ryans, Alabama2006 – Dante Hughes, Cal2007 – Glenn Dorsey, LSU2008 – James Laurinaitis, Ohio State2009 – Jerry Hughes, TCU2010 – J.J. Watt, Wisconsin2011 – Luke Kuechly, Boston College
Named after College Hall of Famer and Pro Football Hall of Fame member, Ronnie Lott, The Lott IMPACT 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 a distinguished group of former college football head coaches. To date, the Foundation has donated more than $850,000 to various charities throughout the country. The ninth annual Lott Trophy dinner will be held Dec. 9th at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, California. For more information on The Lott Trophy visit: www.LottTrophy.com.
