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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Hawkins Member Of Rimington Trophy Fall Watch List
7/13/2011 | Football
July 13, 2011
2011 Rimington Trophy Fall Watch List
OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss' A.J. Hawkins remains a candidate to be college football's top center, as the Rimington Trophy released its updated watch list for the 2011 award on Wednesday.
A junior from Lithonia, Ga., Hawkins started 11 games at center last year and helped Ole Miss lead the SEC in fewest sacks allowed and rank third in rushing offense. Behind Hawkins' line, the Rebels notched eight individual 100-yard rushing performances by four different runners.
Other Rebels on watch lists include Bryson Rose for the Groza Award and Bradley Sowell for both the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award.
The Rimington Trophy fall watch list includes 13 returning players from the 2010 Watch List. In all, there are 43 players on the Watch List. The SEC checks in with the most candidates, with seven players representing the conference. The Big Ten follows with six players being named to the Watch List.
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 and 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, Neb. on Jan. 14, 2012.
