Peppers Named Walter Camp, Lott IMPACT Finalist
11/30/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 30, 2016
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Junior all-purpose contributor and starting linebacker Jabrill Peppers of the No. 5-ranked University of Michigan football team was named as a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy, it was announced on Wednesday (Nov. 30).
Peppers is the fourth player in program history to be named as a finalist for this prestigious award and the first since running back Chris Perry in 2003. The last winner of the award from U-M was Charles Woodson in 1997.
The award is intended to honor the nation's most outstanding college football player and was first presented in 1967. This year's five finalists are made up of three quarterbacks and two linebackers, including Peppers, who is the lone representative from the Big Ten Conference.
Peppers is the first Wolverine to be chosen as a finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which is awarded to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. The trophy seeks to reward young men who represent the qualities of Hall of Fame player Ronnie Lott: integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity. Peppers is one of four finalists and the lone Big Ten representative for both awards.
Peppers has been the nation's most versatile player all season, lining up in at least 15 different positions for the Wolverines this fall (five on offense, six on defense, four on special teams). He has one interception this year in addition to four total touchdowns (three rushing, one punt return) and became the first player in Big Ten history to win three individual awards on Tuesday (Nov. 29) when he was named the conference's Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year, Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year and Rodgers-White Return Specialist of the Year.
He has accumulated 27 carries, two receptions, 21 punt returns and 10 kickoff returns, averaging 12.3 positive yards each time he touches the ball while racking up 751 all-purpose yards. That ranks third on the U-M roster, trailing only the team's leading rusher (De'Veon Smith, 869) and leading receiver (Amara Darboh, 826).
Peppers helps direct a Michigan defense that leads the nation in pass defense, tackles-for-loss and third down conversion percentage allowed. U-M ranks top-three in five other categories and top-15 in 10 of 11 major defensive categories overall and leads the Big Ten in eight defensive measurements.
The East Orange, New Jersey, native, is second on the team in tackles with a career-best 72 stops on the year (47 solo tackles). He leads U-M in tackles-for-loss (16), averaging 1.3 per game, and is a major reason why U-M is the only team in the nation averaging more than 9.0 TFL's per contest (9.6 average). Primarily a linebacker, Peppers has proven his value on both sides of the ball, playing over 700 snaps on defense, while also contributing more than 200 snaps on offense and special teams combined.
The Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient is voted on by 129 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors. The winner will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 8, during the 6 p.m. edition of ESPN SportsCenter.
• Walter Camp Football Foundation Release
• 2016 Michigan Football Awards and Honors
Communications Contact: Dave Ablauf, Chad Shepard
