Freeman heads Rimington watch list

2012 major award watch lists

NEW YORK – The Rimington Trophy committee has released its 2012 fall watch list, which includes 21 returning players from the 2011 list. Clemson’s Dalton Freeman is the only returning player among last year’s five finalists. 

In all, 51 players are on the watch list. The SEC leads the way with 10 players while the Big Ten follows with six. The ACC, Mountain West and Pac-12 check in with five players each on the initial listing, which includes eight sophomores.

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
• The 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. The Rimington Committee only counts players that play primarily the center position for their respective teams even though they maybe listed as guards or tackles on the four All-America teams.

The winner will be honored at Rimington Trophy banquet in Lincoln, Neb., on Jan. 12, 2013.