RENO — Nevada senior Lawson Hall has been selected as one of 20 semifinalists for the fourth annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award.
Compiled by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee, the semifinalists have all demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field. Hall was the lone selection from around the Mountain West.
On the field, Hall is a second-year starter, and team captain in 2020. He has played in 43 games with 17 starts at linebacker and owns 141 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, four pass breakups and one fumble recovery. He posted a career season when he became a regular starter in 2019, tying for second on the team with 58 total tackles and added 3.0 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions and four pass breakups.
He received preseason recognition in 2020 from college football outlets Athlon Sports and Phil Steele Magazine and was recently named a nominee for the Wuerffel Trophy.
Off the field, Hall has been very active with community service. He has served as a mentor for young athletes in Los Angeles, providing them with knowledge, resources and advice on how to become a better student-athlete.
He has also worked with kids in Reno, spending time at the Boys & Girls Club and local grade schools to read and interact with them, and to provide them with a positive figure to look up to.
Hall has helped package meals for families in need in both Los Angeles and in Boise, Idaho prior to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl early in 2020.
Additionally, Hall has been an active part of the Black Lives Matter movement, helping to organize a team unity video on the subject in June, which led to him being invited to join a conference call with U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. On the call, Hall discussed racial injustice and provided recommendations to Senator Cortez Masto on what the federal government can do to implement systematic change.
Three finalists will be named for the award on Wednesday, Dec. 16. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony on Feb. 16, 2021. The winner of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school’s athletic scholarship fund.
