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2021 Rimington Trophy Finalists Announced12/06/2021 11:56 AM - Rimington Trophy Finalists from the University of Iowa, Boston College, and Virginia Tyler Linderbaum, Alec Lindstrom, and Olusegun Oluwatimi named the top three Division I collegiate centers in the country
New York, NY – December 6, 2021 The Rimington Trophy Committee proudly announces and congratulates its 2021 finalists for the most outstanding center in college football. They are: Tyler Linderbaum, University of Iowa Junior offensive lineman Tyler Linderbaum started 33 consecutive games at center for the Hawkeyes after playing defensive lineman as a true freshman. Under his leadership, the Hawkeyes won their final six games in 2020 and started the 2021 season with six straight wins. Mid-season, Linderbaum was named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, The Athletic, CBSSports.com, and Sporting News. Most recently, he was named the Big Ten Conference Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year.
Alec Lindstrom, Boston College Boston College center Alec Lindstrom is one of five BC players to ever be named to the All-ACC first team multiple times. The graduate student is ranked fourth-highest among all FBS centers with an 84.6 pass blocking grade by Pro Football Focus, with only one allowed sack in 2021 and only seven total QB pressures allowed.
Olusegun Oluwatimi, Virginia Olusegun Oluwatimi started all 12 games for Virginia in 2021 and has started 32-straight dating back to the 2019 season. A Rimington Trophy watch lister for the second season in a row, Oluwatimi was also named a second-team All-ACC selection. According to Pro Football Focus, he is ranked second-highest among all FBS centers with a 90.2 run blocking grade and only allowed three sacks and five QB hits in 2021.
Selection Process While more than a dozen All-America teams are selected annually, the Rimington Trophy committee uses these three prestigious teams to determine a winner:
Because the selectors of these three All-America teams can place centers in a "mix" of offensive linemen that includes guards and tackles, their 11-man first teams can often have two centers. The Rimington Trophy committee's policy is to count all players that play primarily the center position for their respective teams as centers, even though they may be listed as guards or tackles on the All- America teams. The center with the most first team votes will be determined the winner. If there is a tie with first team votes, then the center with the most second team votes will win. If there is still a tie, the winner will be determined by a majority vote from the Rimington Trophy Committee, provided with data from Pro Football Focus.
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About the Rimington Trophy The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I College Football. Since its inception, the award has raised over $4.8 million for the Boomer Esiason Foundation. The 2021 Rimington Trophy recipient will be honored in at the Rococo Theatre in Lincoln, NE on January 15, 2022. To learn more about Dave Rimington, the trophy’s namesake, and the event, please visit www.rimingtontrophy.com The Rimington Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about the association.
About the Boomer Esiason Foundation In 1993, Boomer Esiason’s son, Gunnar, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF). Boomer and his wife Cheryl founded the Boomer Esiason Foundation to raise funds and awareness for the cystic fibrosis community. To date, the Foundation has raised over $152 million and works to provide educational and financial resources to help people living with CF in the here and now.
About Pro Football Focus Since 2006, PFF has separated themselves from the pack in their ability to provide game-changing data supported through studying every player, on every player, of every game. In 2014, they began to do so for college football, too.
Rimington Trophy Contact: Michelle Pelini 646.292.7946
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