EUGENE -- Oregon senior cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is one of 42 defensive players named to the watch list for the 2014 Lott IMPACT Trophy, the award's committee announced Wednesday.

For 10 years the Lott Trophy has been awarded to the nation's best defensive player regardless of position for performance and character. UCLA's Anthony Barr earned the award in 2013.

The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Ekpre-Olomu is also one of 11 players from the Pac-12, which includes Oregon State linebacker Michael Doctor.

In December Ekpre-Olomu considered declaring for the NFL draft with a year of eligibility remaining after being told by an NFL draft evaluation board that he likely would be drafted in the first two rounds. He had 84 tackles and three interceptions as a junior but opted to return for his senior season instead, saying he wanted to improve his leadership skills as much as his physical gifts.

"Sometimes you're not going to be 100 percent into it but that's my job to make sure that they're at least showing full effort," he said in April's spring practices. The goal is "setting an example for the younger guys, whether it's me making sure I'm playing through each play or always on time for every meeting."

Ekpre-Olomu has seven interceptions, seven forced fumbles and 181 tackles in his career.

-- Andrew Greif | @andrewgreif