A lot of national awards for college football players claim things like character and integrity in their selection criteria.
But none of them walk that talk quite like the Lott IMPACT Trophy, named for San Francisco 49ersHall of Famer Ronnie Lott. While no NFL club can be assured of how a prospect will play based on a Heisman Trophy or a Jim Thorpe Award, they can at least check the character box in their scouting evaluations of UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks.
Kendricks won the Lott IMPACT Trophy, edging Alabama safety Landon Collins, Washington linebacker Hau'oli Kikaha and Duke's David Helton for the honor. The award uses IMPACT in its name as an abbreviation for integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity. Past winners include Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Demeco Ryans, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt and Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly. Last year's winner was also from UCLA: Minnesota Vikings first-round pick Anthony Barr.
Kendricks, a senior, also won the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker after amassing 139 tackles for the Bruins this season. He has been projected as high as a second-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
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