It’s the season for watch lists and Penn State junior linebacker Micah Parsons is among the 42 candidates on the preseason watch list for the 17th annual Lott IMPACT Trophy.
The Lott IMPACT Trophy honors the top defensive player in college football who makes the biggest impact for his team, both on and off the field. The award is given to a distinguished young man who represents the qualities embodied by Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott – Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. Penn State’s Carl Nassib won the award in 2015.
Parson’s resume is extensive just two seasons into his collegiate career. The junior was named the 2019 Big Ten Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year, becoming the first sophomore in Big Ten history to win the award. He was also a 2019 first team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media and named a Consensus All-American by the NCAA.
The last time out Parsons tied a career high mark in tackles with 14 against Memphis and was named to the AP All-Bowl Team, ESPN All-Bowl Team and Sports Illustrated All-Bowl Team after the Nittany Lions’ win over the Tigers in Dallas.
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.
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.
