IOWA CITY, Iowa – – University of Iowa senior linebacker Josey Jewell is one of nine semifinalists for the 2017 Lott IMPACT Trophy. The announcement was made Thursday by the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, which is responsible for honoring the nation’s best defensive IMPACT player at the end of the season.
The Senior CLASS Award is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, and focuses on the total student-athlete. Jewell is the only Big Ten Conference player among the semifinalists.
Jewell (6-foot-2, 236-pounds), a native of Decorah, Iowa, has played in eight of Iowa’s nine games, leading the team with 92 tackles, which leads the Big Ten and is fourth in the nation. Jewell has led Iowa in tackles in each of the last two seasons (126 in 2015, 124 in 2016). His totals in 2017 include three sacks (24 yards), 9.5 tackles for loss, seven pass break-ups, one interception, one forced fumble, and one recovered fumble.
Jewell is also a semifinalist for the Butkus Award and Bednarik Award. He is one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award. Jewell was named a midseason first-team All-American by five media outlets, and earlier in the season earned national award recognition for his play against Wyoming and Penn State.
Four finalists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy will be named Tuesday, Nov. 28, with the winner announced Dec. 10 at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach, California, by Ronnie Lott. Each finalist will receive $5,000 for the university’s general scholarship fund, with the winner earning $25,000 for the general scholarship fund. Former Iowa linebacker James Morris was a finalist for the award in 2013, while former defensive back Desmond King was a semifinalist in 2016.
The 25th-ranked Hawkeyes (6-3, 3-3) travel to sixth-ranked Wisconsin (9-0, 6-0) on Saturday (2:36 p.m., ABC).
Tickets for Iowa’s final home game against Purdue (Nov. 18, TBA) are available online at hawkeyesports.com or over the phone at (800) IA-HAWKS.
