Western Michigan center Kevin Galeher and Toledo center Zac Kerin were named to the 2012 Rimington Trophy Award Watch List, given annually to the nation's top center.
Galeher started all eight games in which he played in 2011 after missing the first five due to injury. He racked up a career high 601 offensive snaps for the Broncos a season ago. Kerin started all 13 games at center last season for the Rockets, including Toledo's 42-41 win over Air Force in the Military Bowl.
While more than a dozen All-America football teams are selected annually, the Rimington Trophy committee uses these four prestigious teams to determine a winner:
* American Football Coaches Association
* Walter Camp Foundation
* Sporting News
* Football Writers Association of America
Because the selectors of these four 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. Our policy is to count all players that play primarily the Center position for their respective teams as Centers, even though they maybe listed as guards or tackles on the four All American 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 most second team votes will win. If there is still a tie, the winner will be determined by the Rimington Trophy committee.
The winner will be honored at Rimington Trophy Presentation banquet at the Rococo Theater in Lincoln, Nebraska on January 12, 2013.
In all, there are 51 members of the Watch List. The Southeastern Conference leads the way with 10 candidates. The Big Ten follows with six players, while the ACC, Conference USA, Mountain West Conference and the PAC-12 all check in with five players each.
About the Rimington Trophy
The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the Most Outstanding Center in NCAA Division I-A College Football. Since its inception, the Rimington Trophy has raised over $2 million. The twelve-year old award is overseen by the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and has raised over $100 million for CF Research.
Dave Rimington, the award's namesake, was a consensus first-team All-America center at the University of Nebraska in 1981 and 1982, during which time he became the John Outland Trophy's only double winner as the nation's finest college interior lineman. For more on the Rimington Trophy and a list of past recipients, visit www.rimingtontrophy.com