12/9/2018 football Edit

UK's Josh Allen adds Lott IMPACT Trophy to list of awards

Kentucky's Josh Allen honored for performance on and off the field. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)

Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated

Managing Editor

Joined the Cats Illustrated staff in the summer of 2017. Veteran reporter and photographer who has covered UK sports dating back to 1987.

Another day, another national honor for Kentucky's Josh Allen.

The senior linebacker was named the winner of the 2018 Lott IMPACT Trophy on Sunday at the foundation's annual awards banquet in Newport Beach, Calif.

The Lott IMPACT Trophy honors players who represent the qualities embodied by Hall of Famer and award namesake Ronnie Lott -- integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity.

A native of Montclair, N.J., Allen was one of four semifinalists, including Ben Burr-Kirven or Washington, Christian Wilkins of Clemson, and Ben Humphreys of Duke.

Allen had previously won the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy honoring the nation's top defensive player. He was also the AP SEC Defensive Player of the Year, the SEC coaches' Defensive Player of the Year, and a first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

As a senior, the 6-foot-5, 260-pound linebacker led Kentucky with 84 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, and five forced fumbles. He set new single-season and career records (28.5) for sacks by a Wildcat.

The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation will make a $25,000 donation to the general scholarship fund of the winner’s university and $5,000 to each of the schools of the runners-up. In 14 years, the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has now donated more than $1.5 million, including nearly $650,000 to universities throughout the country.