Lott Trophy The Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to the college football Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year . IMPACT is an acronym for : Integrity , Maturity , Performance , Academics , Community , and Tenacity . The award purports to equally recognize the personal character of the winning player as well as his athletic excellence . The award selection is voted on by members of the national media , previous finalists , the board of directors of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation . The award is named in honor of USC Trojan , College Football Hall of Fame , San Francisco 49er , and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back , Ronnie Lott . Purpose and criteria . The 2011 Lott IMPACT Trophy was awarded to the college football Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach , California on December 11 , 2011 . The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has donated $ 930 , 000 to charities including $ 400 , 000 for college scholarships since its formation in 2004 . The IMPACT Player of the Week is selected each week of the college football season from the players on the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List . A $ 1 , 000 scholarship was awarded to the winner ' s university general scholarship fund . Board of directors . The board of directors of The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation include : Ronnie Lott , Marcus Allen , Kermit Alexander , Jeff Bitetti , Tom Brown , Robert J Cristiano ( President ) , Steve Craig , Terry Donahue , Pete Donovan , Ann Meyers Drysdale , Dick Enberg , Mike Garrett , Craig Gibson , Frank Gifford , Michael Gordon , Dan Guerrero , Pat Haden , John Hamilton ( Chairman ) , Jeremy Hogue , Darrell F . Hoover , Charles Hurst , Mike Izzi , Bill Junkin , the late Jack Kemp , Dennis Kuhl , Bonner Paddock , Stephen B . Paulin , John Robinson , Anthony M . Salerno ( Secretary ) , Mike Salmon ( Vice - Chairman ) Rocky A . Tarantello , Joe Tavarez , Peter Ueberroth , Mike White , Phil Wilson ( Treasurer ) and the late Bill Walsh . Foundation board of advisors . The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation board of advisors include : Peter Arbogast , Steve Atwater , Harris Barton , John Brodie , Brad Budde , Dick Butkus , Mark Carrier , Chuck Cecil , Sam Cunningham , Jack Del Rio , Chris Doleman , Vince Ferragamo , Mike Giddings , Kevin Greene , Rosey Grier , John Hall , Phil Hansen , John Holecek , Ed Hookstratten , Keith Jackson , Tom Holmoe , Jim Jeffcoat , Brent Jones , Henry Jones , Chuck Knox , Willie Lanier , Jim Leonhard , Howie Long , Pat McInally , Mark May , Matt Millen , Joe Montana , Tory Nixon , Ken Norton , Jr . , Mel Owens , Rodney Peete , Clancy Pendergast , Gary Plummer , Rich Saul , Junior Seau , John Seymour , Lynn Swann , Keena Turner Honorary Lott IMPACT Trophy Recipients . On December 11 , 2011 , the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation saluted Sgt . Dakota Meyer , a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient , with the fifth Honorary Lott Trophy . On September 8 , 2009 , Meyer was one of 13 American military trainers embedded with a unit of 80 Afghan soldiers headed for a routine meeting with local elders in the village of Ganjgal , located in a valley along the border with Pakistan . Four trainers at the front of the U . S . - Afghan force were immediately trapped by the heavy enemy fire believed to be coming from as many as 150 Taliban fighters . Positioned at the rear when the ambush began , Meyer and other members of his unit disobeyed orders to remain in place and used a Humvee to rush into the kill zone to try and rescue the four trapped at the head of their column . Manning the Humvee ’ s turret gun , Meyer killed at least eight insurgents and rescued 36 Afghan and American troops in his first four attempts to reach the four trapped trainers . He and his team members finally broke through to their position on the fifth attempt and moved on foot through a hail of gunfire only to find they had been killed in the fighting . Meyer then retrieved their remains . When he presented the award to Meyer in September , President Barack Obama said : “ You did your duty above and beyond , and you kept the faith with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps you love . You represent the best of a generation that has served with distinction through a decade of war . ” Meyer was presented the Honorary Lott Trophy by Major General Ronald Bailey . Before opening the envelope for the winner of the 2011 Lott IMPACT Trophy , Ronnie Lott paused and asked Meyer to come to the stage to do the honors . Meyer then announced , on behalf of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation , that Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly was the 2011 Lott IMPACT Trophy winner . In 2010 , Tyrone Fahie ( Nebraska ) and Owen Marecic ( Stanford ) received Honorary Lott Trophies . Fahie ( pronounced FOY ) was the oldest walk - on ( he ’ s 28 ) in Cornhuskers team history . Prior to playing college football , Fahie served his country in the U . S . Navy . Fahie was deployed twice to Iraq during his six years in the military , rising to the rank of Petty officer , second class . Upon completing his service time , he enrolled at Nebraska and a year later tried out for the team and made it . On Sept . 11 , 2009 , Fahie , a 6 - 5 , 255 - pound defensive end , ran through the tunnel and into Memorial Stadium to a thundering applause . He had the honor of carrying the American flag on the anniversary of the terrorist bombings nine years earlier . Flanked by two policemen and two firefighters , all with American flags , Fahie represented his team and his teammates . Marecic played fullback and linebacker at Stanford and also received the inaugural Paul Hornung Award in 2010 , which is presented to a versatile , high - level performer in major college football . In 2009 , Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich was presented with the second Honorary Lott Trophy . Herzlich missed the entire 2009 season due to Ewing ' s Sarcoma , a rare form of bone cancer , which he overcame and earned numerous honors for his courage and outreach , including the Disney Spirit Award , Nils V . " Swede " Nelson Award , and the ACC Commissioner ’ s Cup . The first Honorary Lott Trophy was awarded posthumously to Pat Tillman , an American football player who left his professional career and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11 , 2001 , attacks . He joined the Army Rangers and served several tours in combat before he died in the mountains of Afghanistan . Trophy sculptor . In 2004 , Los Angeles - based Michelle Armitage was commissioned to design the Lott IMPACT Trophy . Armitage is an experienced artist with an extensive and diverse background in sculpture , painting and design . The Lott IMPACT Trophy depicts the impact of Ronnie Lott ' s explosive hit , dominating the opponent player . The trophy defines Lott ' s legendary ability to disrupt a play , force a turnover and gain possession of the ball . Made of cast bronze on a marble base , the original trophy weighs fifty pounds and is 13 " x 14 " x 9 " .