NEWPORT BEACH, CA. – Notre Dame defensive lineman Howard Cross III is the Lott IMPACT® Trophy Player of the Week for week 5 of the 2023 college football season, after forcing two fumbles, to go with a game high 13 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, including a sack in the Fighting Irish 21-14 win at #19 Duke.
A senior from Paramus, NJ, Cross III led the team in tackles for a defensive lineman last season. Cross is the son of Howard Jr., who played 13 seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants.
The Lott IMPACT® Trophy player of the week is determined in part by a panel of Lott Trophy board members, former players and coaches, as well as members of the media. That panel represents sixty percent of votes, while an online fan vote is used to determine the other forty percent.
The Lott IMPACT® Trophy is awarded annually to individuals who demonstrate excellence in the field of athletics and recognizes college football’s Defensive Player of the Year who best exemplifies the IMPACT acronym: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.
The mission of The Pacific Club IMPACT® Foundation is to recognize and support both national and local charities that serve the youth of America with a focus on education and have a positive IMPACT® on the lives of young men and women.
Other nominees for the Lott IMPACT® Trophy Player of the Week in Week 5:
BILLY BOWMAN, DB, Oklahoma, Jr. – Returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown to go with 3 tackles in Sooners 50-20 win over Iowa St.
JIHAAD CAMPBELL, LB, Alabama, So. – Game high 14 tackles, 1 for a loss, including a half sack, to go with an interception in Crimson Tides 40-17 win at Mississippi.
COOPER DEJEAN, DB, Iowa, Jr. – Had an interception to go with 6 tackles and returned a punt for a touchdown in the Hawkeyes 26-16 win over Michigan State.
EASTON MASCARENAS-ARNOLD, LB, Oregon State, Jr. – Game high 9 tackles, including a sack, with an interception in the Beavers 21-7 win over then #10 Utah.
Previous Winners of the Lott IMPACT® Trophy
2004 – David Pollack, Georgia
2005 – DeMeco Ryans, Alabama
2006 – Dante Hughes, Cal
2007 – Glenn Dorsey, LSU
2008 – James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
2009 – Jerry Hughes, TCU
2010 – J.J. Watt, Wisconsin
2011 – Luke Kuechly, Boston College
2012 – Manti Te’o, Notre Dame
2013 – Anthony Barr, UCLA
2014 – Eric Kendricks, UCLA
2015 – Carl Nassib, Penn State
2016 – Jabrill Peppers, Michigan
2017 – Josey Jewell, Iowa
2018 – Josh Allen, Kentucky
2019 – Derek Brown, Auburn
2020 – Paddy Fisher, Northwestern
2021 – Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
2022 – Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
The 20th Annual Lott IMPACT® Trophy Award Presentation will be held December 10th at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, California. To purchase tickets for the event, click here or for more information on The Lott Trophy visit: www.LottImpactTrophy.org