Lott Trophy Awards Banquet to Air on TV
12/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 15, 2008
Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis on Sunday night was named the fifth annual recipient of The Lott Trophy, awarded annually to the nation's top college defensive player.
Wake Forest senior linebacker Aaron Curry was one of the other three finalists along with Florida State defensive back Myron Rolle and Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo.
The Lott Trophy awards banquet will be shown on TV several times in the next few days. It is scheduled to air Monday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. on SportSouth (cable channel 71 on Time Warner Cable in Winston-Salem). It is also slated to air at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 16 and at 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 16 on Fox College Sports Pacific (FCSP, cable channel 182).
Curry was presented for the award by Dennis Kuhl, the president of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Among the notable celebrities at the ceremony were former NFL stars Marcus Allen and Howie Long, former college and NFL coaches Terry Donahue and Mike White, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Legendary announcer Keith Jackson was the keynote speaker.
Curry, a 6-3, 247-pound senior from Fayetteville, N.C. (E.E. Smith), led the Deacons in tackles this fall with 101 including 63 solos and 38 assists. He also was the team leader with 15 tackles for loss. Curry collected three pass breakups, three fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and one interception. He led the team in tackles seven times during the year including a career-high 16 stops against Duke.
The announcement was made at a black-tie banquet at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, Calif. on Sunday night, Dec. 14.
Named after Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, The Lott Trophy is awarded to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. Now in its fifth year, The Lott Trophy is the first and 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 Lott award is given to a 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 Legends Coaches, a distinguished group of former head college coaches.
