Michigan State University Athletics
Xavier Henderson Named to Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List
5/19/2022 3:46:00 PM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State fifth-year graduate senior safety Xavier Henderson has been named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List, the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation announced on Thursday.
Named after NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, The Lott Trophy annually goes to the Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year, a player who has had the biggest impact on his team both on and off the field. IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity, all characteristics exhibited by Lott during his illustrious playing career.
Henderson, who was named a captain for the 2021 season and has started 33 consecutive games, will be back for his fifth season with the Spartans in 2022.
A four-year letterwinner (2018-21), Henderson leads all active Spartans with 235 tackles, which ranks No. 43 in school history. He also has 12.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three pass break-ups and two forced fumbles in 46 career games.
Named a game captain for all 13 contests in 2021, Henderson helped lead MSU to an 11-2 record, a Top 10 ranking (No. 8 Coaches/No. 9 Associated Press) and a New Year's Six bowl win over No. 12 Pittsburgh in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. He was a third-team All-Big Ten selection by the media after tying for the team lead with a career-high 96 tackles, including a career-best 10 tackles for loss and three sacks. His 96 stops ranked tied for 11th most in the Big Ten. Henderson recorded a TFL in nine games with a career-high two in the season opener at Northwestern. He also had a career-high 17 tackles vs. Nebraska, the most by a Spartan since 2016.
The Reynoldsburg, Ohio, native tallied 41 stops during his third season at MSU in a shortened seven-game schedule in 2020 and ranked second on the team with 83 tackles as a sophomore in 2019, including two interceptions and five pass break-ups. As a true freshman in 2018, he primarily played on special teams, collecting 15 tackles.
He earned his bachelor's degree in communication in December 2021.
The annual Lott IMPACT Trophy winner is selected by a national voter panel, consisting of former winners, members of the media, coaches, and members of the Board of Directors of The IMPACT Foundation.
The 2022 winner will announced on Dec. 11 at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, California.
Michigan State is scheduled to open the 2022 season against Western Michigan on Sept. 2 in Spartan Stadium.
Named after NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, The Lott Trophy annually goes to the Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year, a player who has had the biggest impact on his team both on and off the field. IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity, all characteristics exhibited by Lott during his illustrious playing career.
Henderson, who was named a captain for the 2021 season and has started 33 consecutive games, will be back for his fifth season with the Spartans in 2022.
A four-year letterwinner (2018-21), Henderson leads all active Spartans with 235 tackles, which ranks No. 43 in school history. He also has 12.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three pass break-ups and two forced fumbles in 46 career games.
Named a game captain for all 13 contests in 2021, Henderson helped lead MSU to an 11-2 record, a Top 10 ranking (No. 8 Coaches/No. 9 Associated Press) and a New Year's Six bowl win over No. 12 Pittsburgh in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. He was a third-team All-Big Ten selection by the media after tying for the team lead with a career-high 96 tackles, including a career-best 10 tackles for loss and three sacks. His 96 stops ranked tied for 11th most in the Big Ten. Henderson recorded a TFL in nine games with a career-high two in the season opener at Northwestern. He also had a career-high 17 tackles vs. Nebraska, the most by a Spartan since 2016.
The Reynoldsburg, Ohio, native tallied 41 stops during his third season at MSU in a shortened seven-game schedule in 2020 and ranked second on the team with 83 tackles as a sophomore in 2019, including two interceptions and five pass break-ups. As a true freshman in 2018, he primarily played on special teams, collecting 15 tackles.
He earned his bachelor's degree in communication in December 2021.
The annual Lott IMPACT Trophy winner is selected by a national voter panel, consisting of former winners, members of the media, coaches, and members of the Board of Directors of The IMPACT Foundation.
The 2022 winner will announced on Dec. 11 at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, California.
Michigan State is scheduled to open the 2022 season against Western Michigan on Sept. 2 in Spartan Stadium.
Players Mentioned
S
/ FootballSaturday, April 18
Tuesday, April 14
Tuesday, March 31
Tuesday, March 17