On the field, Junior Colson is one of the most ferocious tacklers in the country. Off the field, the University of Michigan linebacker is humble, polite and quick to praise others.
When asked his favorite moment of the 2023 season, Colson said “my teammates and my coaches, and I wouldn’t be here without my family.”
Colson, who will play for the top-ranked Wolverines in the Rose Bowl game Jan. 1 against Alabama in a College Football Playoff semifinal, won the 20th annual Lott IMPACT Trophy Dec. 10 at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach.
“Yeah, I’ll be out here again real soon,” said Colson, referring to Michigan’s anticipated showdown in Pasadena against Coach Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide.
The Lott IMPACT Trophy is awarded annually to individuals who demonstrate excellence in athletics and recognizes college football’s Defensive Player of the Year, as well as exemplifying the IMPACT acronym: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity. Established by the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, the trophy honors college football’s best in character and performance.
Colson, a junior who is expected to declare for the NFL Draft in 2024, said he hopes his future NFL employer “is somewhere warm. I don’t like the cold. But, yeah, it’s cold in Michigan, but we’re inside a lot.”
Colson, who added he is grateful to win the Lott Trophy, shared the evening’s spotlight with three other finalists: Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner, Utah defensive lineman Jonah Elliss and UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu.
Latu said his favorite moment was the Bruins’ goal-line stand in the third quarter against San Diego State in Week 2, a 34-14 UCLA victory that “solidified our defense and was the start of much more to come. A big part of our team this year was our defense, that you can trust us, you don’t have to worry about us.”
Latu won the Lombardi Award (best lineman) and the Ted Hendricks Award (best defensive end), and also finished as a finalist for the Bednarik Award. UCLA’s defense ranked 11th in the nation, allowing just 299 yards per game.
Elliss said he “loved” the fact that Utah beat USC for a fourth straight season, after the Utes’ 34-32 victory over the Trojans in Week 7.
“It’s just something different when we play them,” Elliss said. “To us, it’s like USC always thinks they’re better than everyone, so it was a lot of fun to whip them.”
Turner said his favorite on-field moment came against LSU in the Southeastern Conference title game when he tipped a pass that led to teammate Terrion Arnold’s interception, which “sealed the deal” in Alabama’s 42-28 victory.
“It was a home game and it was as loud as I’ve ever heard that stadium,” Turner said.
The Lott IMPACT Trophy is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, who played 14 years in the NFL, earned All-Pro eight times and won four Super Bowls with the 49ers.
“When you’re representing character, that in itself is something a lot of us take for granted,” Lott said before the black-tie banquet. “All of our finalists this year have great principles and character. All of these kids handled it well outside of the football field, so (the trophy) gives many other people a chance to see the other quarter of your life.”
The school of the player who wins the trophy receives a $25,000 award to the its general scholarship fund, while $5,000 each is donated to the school of each of the other three finalists for general scholarship funds.
Richard Dunn, a longtime sportswriter, writes the Dunn Deal column regularly for The Orange County Register’s weekly, The Coastal Current North.
