Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. had been announced as a candidate for the 2022 Lott IMPACT trophy at a luncheon Thursday in Newport Beach, CA. The award is named after College Football and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott. The Lott Trophy goes to the defensive player that makes the most impact on his team on and off the field.
The IMPACT is an acronym for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity, which are the traits that Lott had throughout his career. Porter is one of 14 defensive backs nominated for the award.
The 6-2, 196-pound Porter recorded 51 tackles, forced one fumble, four pass breakups, and one interception in 2021, earning himself a third-team All-Big Ten selection by the media for the second consecutive season. In 2020, he recorded 33 tackles, one sack, and four pass breakups on his way to a third-team All-Big Ten selection.
The redshirt junior was eligible for the 2021 NFL Draft but chose to stay in Happy Valley for another season. Porter has shown the ability to be a great corner, but his physical style sometimes draws penalties, and he would like to make more impact plays in the secondary. Porter has only one interception in his time at Penn State.
Penn State has had one Lott trophy winner, Carl Nassib back in 2015, when he set the Penn State school record with 15.5 sacks.
The winner will be announced at a black-tie event in Newport Beach on Dec. 11.
Twitter: @bwalkerdadon Â
