Photo credit: gostanford.com

By: Ana Kieu

All-American defensive back Paulson Adebo was one of 42 student-athletes named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy preseason watch list last Friday.

As a sophomore, Adebo was named second-team All-America by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). Adebo’s the youngest Cardinal defensive player to earn FWAA All-America recognition and joins Christian McCaffrey as the only Cardinal sophomores to make the list.

In his first year of action, Adebo led the country with a school-record 20 pass breakups and 24 passes defended. A first-team All-Pac-12 selection, Adebo also led the team and was third in the Pac-12 with four interceptions in 2018.

Harrison Phillips was a finalist for the award in 2017 and Chase Thomas was a finalist in 2013. Owen Marecic was awarded an honorary Lott IMPACT Trophy in 2010.

The 42 (Ronnie Lott’s number) nominees represent the finest in college football — defensive players who have had the biggest IMPACT on their teams both on and off the field. IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

Candidates will be evaluated during the season with a Player of the Week chosen each week (and his school receiving $1,000 for its general scholarship fund). The four finalists will attend the 15th annual Lott IMPACT Trophy banquet on December 9 in Newport Beach.

Adebo and the Cardinal begin the 2019 season against the Northwestern Wildcats at Stanford Stadium on August 31.