Moffitt misses semifinal cut for Lott Trophy

USF senior linebacker Ben Moffitt is not among eight semifinalists for the Lott Trophy, given to the nation's top defensive player for his performance on and off the field.

Moffitt, a four-year starter who was among 17 quarterfinalists, didn't make the cut announced Monday. He ranks among the nation's top linebackers with 12 tackles for loss and three interceptions and is second on the Bulls with 81 total tackles. He's just as known as being a married father of two who makes an hourlong daily commute to be with his family.

The eight semifinalists for the Lott Trophy are LSU's Glenn Dorsey, Ohio State's James Laurinaitis, Virginia's Chris Long, Illinois' J Leman, Kentucky's Wesley Woodyard, Arizona's Antoine Cason, Colorado's Jordan Dizon and Southern Cal's Sedrick Ellis.

Comments

[cee]

seems about right. as i recall, ben moffitt wasn't highly touted out of high school to begin with.. combine that with playing in a program that isnt known for producing high-caliber NFL athletes and a program known for ending up in car crap/pizza bowl games, you're not gonna get much publicity.

with that being said, i hope Tampa Bay finds a way to get him on their roster.. tim marcum needs all the practice squad guys he can get.

[Adam]

Typically I don't respond to cee, but that is ridiculous. Obviously a UCFer. cee, please stop littering this blog with your trash.

All I can say is, wow. You're a moron. By the way, I think that since in 10-years of football we have two linebackers in the NFL, you may be mistaken about not producing NFL guys.

Seriously, get a life.

You go from "we have thugs" to "1 and 2 stars" to "Leavitt needs to be fired". I have yet to see you say one positive thing about this team. You have to be a complete idiot no to recognize Ben as a stud LB and NFL talent. If you truly were a USF fan, you would be able to put aside your feelings about Leavitt and whoever else you hate, and at least pick out some of the good guys to pull for.

You can't find a better person to pull for than Ben Moffitt. My guess is that he ends up in Miami backing up Zach Thomas next season and taking over at middle linebacker in his second season.

It's a shame that we went on that losing skid. The voters for these awards were waiting for a reason to get USF players off the list, and we provided it for them. Moffitt, Selvie, Jenkins all deserve to be in the running for these awards. They are as good as any at their position in NCAA football.

[Brian]

Creepy how quick this little troll is to come out of his rock. The obsession with Leavitt sounds almost stalkerish.

[Windbane]

He attacks Leavitt because he built the program and knows he is good for USF. cee is a WVU fan.

[Norb]

I'm changing my "blogger" name on this site from Season Tix since '02... too hokey but I'm just joining the blogging ranks - kinda sad since I'm an IT geek.

Moffitt is a stud linebacker & one thing NFL teams look for is players who will work hard all the time. His time management & work ethic are well documented. Just think what he could do if he was actually living closer to practice/game facilities... any NFL signing would make that possible.

Hope to see him playing on Sundays!

[GP]

I don't understand how you leave him off this list. Especially if part of the award is off the field.
Greg do any of the semifinalists have a family outside of football to compare to Ben's wife and two kids

[tebow]

The big least cost him. All of the others play in real conferences against real teams. He plays against ELON>

[SRQ Steve]

Who are the Gators playing this weekend?

[SRQ Steve]

Not only are the Gators playing FAU this weekend, they have also had Western Kentucky and Troy to contend with.

[Chris]

Hey, don't make tebow cry. He is a sensitive guy.

FAU is probably going to lose, but I bet they PUNISH the real Tebow.

[cee]

hey tebow, i think that has something to do with it also. but, i think mostly the fact that he just isnt very athletic, as evidenced by the fact that no major football program offered him a chance to play ball for them. i wish ben moffitt all the best of luck in the CFL or the arena leagues.

[thebouncer]

Hey cee, I guess Terrell Owens isnt very athletic because he went to UN at Chattanooga. I guess that also means Jerry Rice wasnt that good either because he only went to Mississippi Valley State....

What a dope...

[thebouncer]

Whoops...not UN, but U of Tennessee at Chattanooga...

Damn typos...

[Robert Cristiano PhD]

To USF Football Fans
I am the President of The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation that awards The Lott Trophy. Many of us were rooting for Ben as he is a terrific football player and a great young man off the field. You may not know he was the only player added at mid-season. Our award goes to a great football player who has great character. Ben qualified but we are blessed to have many deserving candidates this year. We are sorry he did not make the final cut but wish him great success in the future.
Sincerely
Robert J. Cristiano PhD

[Ari]

Robert J. Cristiano PhD...

Is the "h" in PhD suppose to be lower case.

I like a man who signs his name with a "PhD" at the end of it.

Fart.

Moffit got screwed.

[cee]

Robert Cristiano,

just come out and say it.. we all know the truth. ben moffitt was on the ballot because of sympathy/novelty vote. it's cute to have a 1-star athlete who is married, has kids, and commutes from bushnell. he has no business winning this award from a talent standpoint. he just simply isnt all that good.

[see]

according to scout.com, moffitt was a two star linebacker...not a one star one...