Cal Safety Kingston Lopa Picks Up National Honors

The sophomore was given the Walter Camp and Bednarik weekly awards after three picks vs. Syracuse

Kingston Lopa, center, celebrates with teammate Quimari Shemwell | Photo by Max Wood, Cal football

The day after being named the ACC Defensive Back of the Week, Cal safety Kingston Lopa picked two national weekly awards on Tuesday.

The redshirt sophomore was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player off the Week and the Bednarik Award National Player of the Week.

The honors came after Lopa, a transfer from Oregon, had three interceptions in the Bears’ 21-18 road victory over Syracuse on Saturday.

His first interception set up a Cal touchdown, he returned the second one 24 yards for the go-ahead TD with 4:51 to play and the last of the picks sealed the Bears’ victory with 54 seconds left.

Lopa leads the nation with four interceptions through Cal’s first two games.

He became the first Cal player to pick off three passes in a game since Jaylinn Hawkins did so against TCU in the 2018 Cheez-It Bowl.

Lopa joins 2019 All-America linebacker Evan Weaver as the only other Cal player to collect both the Walter Camp and Bednarik honors in the same season.

Cal defensive coordinator Michael Hutchings, who coached safeties for the Minnesota Vikings the past two seasons, said the Bears knew Lopa brought potential after seeing action in 19 games over two seasons at Oregon.

“Really, since he got here in the spring, how can we stay on him and stay consistent? Building him up as a leader, growing his game,” Hutchings said.  “Obviously, he has natural talents and gifts from a physical standpoint.

“It’s really a show of his work over the last nine months since he got here. I think the public is starting to see it. But we’re going to keep building. The work is not done at all.”

In addition to the four interceptions, Lopa also leads Cal with 11 tackles.  

The Bears (1-1) return to action Saturday at Memorial Stadium with a 12:30 p.m. non-conference game against Wagner, an FCS-level opponent from Staten Island in New York. The Seahawks (1-2) are coming off an 87-3 loss to James Madison.

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