Alabama Football’s Minkah Fitzpatrick Named Lott IMPACT Trophy Finalist
11/29/2017 11:21:00 AM | Football
The junior is one of four candidates for defensive player of the year honor
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama junior Minkah Fitzpatrick has been named a finalist for the 2017 Lott IMPACT Trophy, the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation announced Wednesday.
Fitzpatrick is one of four student-athletes from around the country named to the finalist list. Former Crimson Tide linebacker DeMeco Ryans became Alabama's first Lott Trophy honoree when he won the award in 2005.
Already regarded as one of the top defensive backs in the nation, Fitzpatrick is the Tide's fifth-leading tackler with 52 stops this season and has added six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, seven pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and a blocked kick through 12 games in 2017. The Old Bridge, N.J., native is also a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and was a first team midseason All-America selection by CBS, Sports Illustrated, the Associated Press, USA Today and The Athletic.
The Lott IMPACT Trophy honors college football's best in character and performance. The award is unique because it represents the first college football award to give equal weight to personal character as well as athletic performance from a defensive college player and is the first national college football award based on the West Coast.
Joining Fitzpatrick as a finalist are: Josey Jewell (University of Iowa), Micah Kiser (University of Virginia) and Harrison Phillips (Stanford University). The 2017 Lott IMPACT Trophy winner will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 10 at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach, Calif.
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