Dave Rimington

Dave Brian Rimington (born May 22, 1960 in Omaha, Nebraska) is a former American football center. He is widely considered to be the greatest center in the history of college football.

College career

Rimington attended the University of Nebraska where he was a consensus First-Team All-America in 1981 and 1982. In 1981 he was named the UPI Big Eight Player-of-the-Year and the AP Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year, the only times in Big Eight Conference history that a lineman was so honored. In 1982 he was the Big Eight (all sports) Athlete of the Year, the UPI National Lineman of the year, and an NCAA Top Five winner.

Rimington won the Outland Trophy, given to the nation's top offensive lineman, in 1981 and 1982, and is its only two-time winner. He also won the Lombardi Award in 1982 and placed fifth in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy that same year. He and Orlando Pace are the only three-time winners in the Outland/Lombardi category. He is one of seven Nebraska Cornhusker players to win the Outland Trophy and one of four Nebraska winners of the Lombardi Award. He is, along with fellow Cornhuskers Rich Glover and Dean Steinkuhler, one of only twelve players to have won both the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award.

Rimington's #50 jersey was retired by the team in 1982 and he is one of only sixteen Cornhuskers ever so honored. In 1997 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. In 1999 he was selected to the Nebraska All-Century Football Team via fan poll and named to the All-Century Nebraska football team by Gannett News Service. In 2002 he was named to the Athlon Sports Nebraska All-Time Team. In 2008 he was named to the Orange Bowl's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Rimington was a first-team academic All-American in 1981 and 1982. In 2004 Rimington was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame. Other Class of 2004 inductees were: Terry Hoage, Georgia '84, Rolf Benirschke, UC Davis '77*, Dylann Duncan Ceriani, Brigham Young '88 and Gill Beck, Appalachian State '78. He is one of three Huskers to have been inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame, the others being 2008 inductee Karen Jennings '93 and 2009 inductee Pat Tyrance '90.

Collegiate all-century teams

In 1999, Rimington was selected as the starting offensive center by Sports Illustrated in their "NCAA Football All-Century Team". The second and third team centers were Alex Wojciechowicz (Fordham, 1934-37) and Dwight Stephenson (Alabama, 1977-79). Rimington is one of six Nebraska Cornhuskers on SI's All-Century Team 85 man roster; the others being Johnny Rodgers, Glover, Steinkuhler, Tommie Frazier and Aaron Taylor.

In 1999, Rimington was selected as the starting offensive center to the Walter Camp Football Foundation All Century Team. The other centers selected were Jim Ritcher, (North Carolina State 1976-79) and Mel Hein, (Washington State University 1927-30). Rimington is one of six Nebraska Cornhuskers on the Walter Camp 83 man roster; the others being Rodgers, Steinkuhler, Will Shields, Frazier and Taylor.

Rimington is one of 54 players, one of five Cornhuskers, and the only center named to both the Sports Illustrated and Walter Camp All-Century teams.

Professional career

Rimington was selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He played five seasons with the Bengals and two with the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring at the end of the 1989 NFL season.

Rimington Trophy

The Rimington Trophy is named in his honor and since 2000 has been given annually to the nation's top collegiate center. Since 2003, a Rimington Trophy has been awarded to the top center in each division of college football.

Personal

Following his professional career, Rimington has served with the Boomer Esiason Foundation in their fight against cystic fibrosis. He has been with the foundation since 1993 and has been president since 1995. Rimington is a member of Lambda Chi Alpha.

External links

• Husker Bio
• Dave Rimington's Official Lost Lettermen Blog
• Nebraska football 1981 Honors
• Nebraska football 1982 Honors
• Nebraska football All-Century Team
• Athlon Sports Nebraska's All-Time Team
• Gannett News Service selects Nebraska's All-Time Team
• Orange Bowl Committee Unveils 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
• SI's NCAA Football All-Century Team
• Walter Camp Football Foundation All Century Team
• Boomer Esiason Foundation
• Rimington Trophy
• Boomer Esiason Foundation Rimington bio

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