Allen Named Lott Quarterfinalist

From UGA Athletics:

Georgia's Asher Allen is one of 20 collegiate defensive players to earn a spot on the Lott Trophy quarterfinalist list, according to an announcement on Wednesday.

Allen, a 5-10, 190-pound junior from Tucker, is the Bulldogs' fourth-leading tackler with 32 stops, including 2.5 tackles for loss this season. Allen also leads Georgia with seven pass breakups and has recovered a fumble for the #8 Bulldogs (7-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference).

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 equally recognizes athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player.

Seven different conferences are represented on the list of 20 with the SEC leading the way with five candidates. There are nine linebackers on the list, seven defensive linemen and four defensive backs. While there are 10 seniors on the list, there are also nine juniors and one sophomore, the most underclassmen to be named Lott Trophy quarterfinalists.

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.

David Pollack of Georgia, DeMeco Ryans of Alabama, Dante Hughes of Cal and Glenn Dorsey of LSU were the winners of the first four Lott Trophies. Georgia, Alabama, Cal and LSU each received $25,000 for their general scholarship funds. In four years, the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has donated $450,000 to various charities, in addition to the universities.

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. The watch list will be trimmed to eight semifinalists on Nov. 11 and the four finalists, who will all be flown into California for the banquet, will be announced Nov. 26.

The winner will be announced at a gala black-tie banquet at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach Dec. 14. The keynote speaker will be long-time college football announcer Keith Jackson.