It’s only May, but Joe Bachie is already getting some recognition.
The senior linebacker was one of 42 players named to the Lott IMPACT Tropht preseason watchlist. The announcement was made via the award’s Twitter account.
The Lott IMPACT Trophy, which is named after College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, “(H)onors college football’s best in character and performance,” according the award’s website. “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.”
The IMPACT in the trophy’s name is an acronym standing for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.
Bachie, who eschewed the NFL to return to East Lansing for his senior season, is expected to be the leader of one of the best defenses in the nation and a team captain for the third time. Last year Michigan State lead the national in defensive S&P+, an advanced efficiency metric that measures the total quality of a team’s defense. After a strong individual season Bachie was named first team All-Big Ten by the coaches and second team by the media.
