Virginia linebacker Micah Kiser one of four finalists for Lott IMPACT Trophy

Another day, another honor for a Virginia Cavaliers defender. Safety Brenton Nelson was named ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year on Tuesday, while senior linebacker Micah Kiser and safety Quin Blanding each received their third consecutive first-team All-ACC honors on Monday.

Today, Kiser was also named one of four finalists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

Along with the three other finalists, Kiser is being recognized for his accomplishments both on and off the field.

Established by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, The Lott IMPACT Trophy honors college football’s best in character and performance. The award is unique because it represents the first college football award to give equal weight to personal character as well as athletic performance from a defensive college player and is the first national college football award based on the West Coast.

The IMPACT award 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.

While the All-ACC accolades demonstrate the strength of Kiser’s on-field performance this season, his inclusion as a finalist for numerous other awards demonstrates the “character” and “academics” elements of the Lott IMPACT criteria. Kiser is also a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award and the Campbell Trophy.

The Campbell Trophy “recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership,” and is known as the “academic Heisman.” Virginia has had one other recipient: linebacker Tom Burns in 1993.

Voting for the Senior CLASS Award is open to the public, with public votes counting for one-third of the total tabulation. You can click here to vote for the award once per day.

Congrats to Micah for the well-earned recognition!