Joseph Ossai named to Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list

By Steve Lansdale

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — A year after leading the Texas football team’s defense in tackles, tackles for loss, quarterback sacks and hurries, junior Joseph Ossai has been named to the preseason watch list for the 17^th annual Lott IMPACT Trophy.

Named after Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott, the Lott IMPACT Trophy is awarded to [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]college football’s Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year.

IMPACT stands for: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

The Lott IMPACT Trophy is given to the player who exhibits the same characteristics as its namesake did during his career. The award is voted upon by selected members of the national media, previous finalists, the Board of Directors of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation and a group of former college football head coaches.

One of 42 players on the watch list, Ossai will move from an outside linebacker position to the JACK position in 2020. In 2019, he started all 13 games and led the Longhorns with 90 tackles, including 62 solo stops. He also had 13.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and nine hurries, as well as two interceptions, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one blocked kick. His eight games with eight or more tackles were the most since Emmanuel Acho had nine games with eight or more tackles in 2011.

Ossai was the Defensive Most Valuable Player in UT’s victory over No. 11 Utah in last season’s Valero Alamo Bowl, with nine tackles, six tackles for loss and three sacks — the most sacks in a bowl game since Alex Okafor had 4.5 in the 2012 Alamo Bowl. He is the only FBS player over the last 20 seasons to record at least six tackles for loss and three sacks in a bowl game.

The 17^th Annual Lott IMPACT Trophy Award Show will be held Dec. 17, at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, Calif. For more information, visit http://www.LottImpactTrophy.org.
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