April 27, 2011
Chris Marve, a two-time All-Southeastern Conference linebacker who is preparing for his final year in a Vanderbilt uniform, has been named to the 2011 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List, given annually to the top collegiate defensive player in the country.
Marve, a three-year starter who served as a defensive co-captain for the Commodores in 2010, is one of seven SEC performers on the prestigious Lott watch list. Alabama junior Dont’a Hightower is the conference’s only other linebacker named.
The Lott watch list, which recognizes maturity, community service and integrity in addition to on-field performance, was recently announced by National Football League hall of famer Ronnie Lott and the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation.
Marve, a graduate of White Station High School in Memphis, is the SEC’s leading active career leader in total tackles (306) and solo tackles (163). In 2010, Marve earned second team All-SEC recognition from coaches after posting 49 unassisted tackles and 80 total tackles.
First-year Vanderbilt Head Coach James Franklin has been impressed with Marve since he arrived in Nashville to take the Commodore position. Marve was the first student-athlete Franklin met after accepting the Vanderbilt job.
“Chris Marve has been a model Commodore since the moment I met him. He is everything you want in a player, a student and leader in this community. Chris is an extremely deserving candidate for the Lott Trophy,” Franklin said.
Marve’s new position coach with the Commodores, Brent Pry, also came away impressed after watching Marve during spring practice.
“Chris has been tremendous through this (coaching) transition,” Pry said. “He has shown a lot of maturity, has helped facilitate the change and has been an inspiration to all of the young guys.
“I have been amazed at how open Chris has been to my approach and new coaching ideas. Chris represents everything that a Vanderbilt student-athlete should be able, and is just very committed to the whole idea of being a Vanderbilt student-athlete,” Pry added.
A national voter panel, made up of more than 200 former collegiate stars, former college coaches, members of the media and both the Lott IMPACT Board of Directors and Board of Advisors, will select the four 2011 finalists during the season who will be honored at the annual Lott IMPACT Trophy banquet in December where the winner will be named.
This is the eighth year that the IMPACT Foundation has recognized the student-athletes throughout the nation who have had the biggest IMPACT on their teams both on and off the field. Three previous Lott Trophy winners came from the SEC: David Pollack of Georgia in 2004, DeMaco Ryans of Alabama in 2005 and Glenn Dorsey of LSU in 2007.