Centers from Alabama, NC State, and Notre Dame named Rimington Trophy finalists
Ross Pierschbacher, Alabama; Garrett Bradbury, NC State; Sam Mustipher, Notre Dame
New York, NY – December 3, 2018
The Rimington Trophy Committee proudly announces and congratulates its 2018 finalists for the most outstanding center in college football. They are:
Ross Pierschbacher, Alabama
After making 42 career starts at left guard in his first three years at UA, Pierschbacher transitioned to starting at center for the 2018 season, where he helped open holes for the nation’s 32nd ranked rushing offense, the number two scoring offense, and the number three total offense. He earned Midseason All-America first team honors from the AP, was on the Outland Trophy Watch List as well at the Rimington, and earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week accolades for his play at Arkansas.
Garrett Bradbury, NC State
Named a team captain for the 2018 season, Bradbury played 99.0% (901 of 910) of the snaps for the Wolfpack this season. He did not allow a quarterback pressure all season and was named a first team All-ACC performer (the first first-team selection for a Wolfpack center since 1987) as well as being named a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy – the only center on that list. Most recently, Bradbury scored a touchdown in the final regular season game against East Carolina, rushing the ball from the one-yard line.
Sam Mustipher, Notre Dame
Mustipher has started all 12 games in the 2018 season at center, where he helped Notre Dame average 39.3 points per game in road and neutral site match ups, which ranks ninth-best in the FBS. With his leadership, the Irish did not register any lost yardage on offense against Florida State – the first time since at least the 1964 season Notre Dame did not allow a tackle for loss in a game. In addition to being named team captain, Mustipher was also named to the Outland Trophy Watch List and named First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District in 2017.
The winner of the Rimington Trophy will be presented live during the ESPNU Red Carpet Show on Thursday, December 6, 2018 immediately preceding the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show. Both shows will originate from the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.
The winner will also be recognized at the Rimington Trophy Presentation at the Rococo Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska on Saturday, January 12, 2019. To learn more about the Rimington Trophy or to purchase tickets to the event, please visit www.rimingtontrophy.com.
Selection Process
The winner of the Rimington Trophy is selected by determining the consensus All-American center pick from three existing All-America teams. While more than a dozen All-America teams are selected annually, the Rimington Trophy Committee uses these three prestigious teams to determine a winner:
- Walter Camp Foundation (WCF)
- Sporting News (SN)
- Football Writers Association of America (FWAA)
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 eighteen-year old award has raised over $3.6 million for the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis.
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 two-time 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
About the Boomer Esiason Foundation
In 1993, Gunnar Esiason – son of former NFL MVP quarterback Boomer Esiason – was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs, digestive system, and reproductive system of about 30,000 Americans by causing a thick build-up of mucus that leads to blockage, inflammation, and infection.
Boomer and his wife Cheryl founded the Boomer Esiason Foundation to raise funds and awareness for the cystic fibrosis community. The Foundation has raised over $138 million over the past 25 years. Today, BEF has 10 scholarships, transplant grants, and other educational programs in an effort to assist CF patients and families in their daily lives. There have also been over 800 athletes who have competed in marathons, half marathons, and more to raise money and awareness for Team Boomer – the athletic division of the Foundation.
The Rimington Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. Visit www.ncfaa.org.