University of Louisville defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte has been named to the prestigious Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List. The award, presented annually by the Rotary Club of Houston, Texas, honors a college football player who best embodies the values and spirit of legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi. Established in 1970 shortly after Lombardi’s death, the award has maintained its original criteria for eligibility, recognizing players who demonstrate exemplary performance and character.
Gillotte, recently named a preseason first-team All-American, is coming off his best season yet. In the 2023 season, he recorded 11.0 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss, with a standout performance against Boston College where he notched a career-high 3.0 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. His 11.0 sacks ranked eighth nationally, earning him runner-up honors for the ACC Defensive Player of the Year Award and a spot on the first-team all-conference roster.
The Boca Raton, Florida native was also named a second-team All-American last season and currently ranks 10th on Louisville’s all-time sacks list with 22 career sacks.