Kansas State senior linebacker Arthur Brown is one of four finalists for the 2012 Lott IMPACT Trophy, the organization announced Thursday.

Brown is K-State’s first finalist for the award, which recognizes college football’s Defensive Player of the Year who best exemplifies Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. Brown was joined on the finalist list by linebackers Jarvis Jones (Georgia), Manti Te’o (Notre Dame) and Chase Thomas (Stanford).

In his second season for the Wildcats, Brown leads the team with 80 tackles, including six for loss and one sack. The Wichita, Kan., product also has two interceptions and five passes defended. His first pick of the season came at No. 15 West Virginia when he snapped Geno Smith’s then-NCAA record of 273-straight attempts without an interception. A week later against 14th-ranked Texas Tech, Brown intercepted a pass and returned it 37 yards for his first career touchdown.

A former transfer from the University of Miami, Brown has averaged 7.5 tackles per game in 24 contests at K-State, including at least five tackles in 10 of 11 games this season. He notched a career best 13 stops against North Texas, while he had 11 at Baylor and 10 in K-State’s win at No. 5 Oklahoma.

Brown and the other three finalists will travel to Newport Beach, Calif., on Dec. 9, for the award’s gala in which former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice will be the keynote speaker. The winner of the Lott IMPACT Trophy will be selected by a national panel of more than 300 former coaches, players, members of the media, members of the Lott IMPACT Foundation Board of Directors and former Lott Trophy winners.

Sixth-ranked Kansas State (10-1, 7-1) will take on No. 18 Texas (8-3, 5-3) Saturday in the regular-season finale at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game will kick off at 7 p.m., and will be shown to a national audience on ABC.

— KSU Sports Information —