Rimington Award 2022 Winners
Matt Armendariz of Colorado School of Mines Repeats as NCAA DII Winner of the 2022 Rimington Award.
Rimington Award Winners for the Nation’s Top Center for FCS, DII, DIII and NAIA Announced
New York, NY – Matt Armendariz of Colorado School of Mines headlines the 2022 Rimington Award honorees as a repeat winner at the NCAA DII level. The Rimington award has been given each of the last 20 years to the top centers in the FCS, DII, DIII and NAIA divisions. Armendariz is only the sixth repeat winner in the history of the award and the first in DII.
Armendariz of Colorado School of Mines, a redshirt senior from Austin, Texas, was named first team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and was a preseason Lindy’s All-American. He was also a first team Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection as well as First Team D2CCA Super Region 4 award winner for the past two seasons. Armendariz has been key to blocking for the Orediggers offense as they averaged 484 total yards per game and 46.67 points per game.
Zack Gieg of Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) is the winner for the FCS Division Rimington Award. Gieg, a senior from Morgan Hill, Calif., was also named 2nd Team All-American by the Stats Perform FCS All-America Team as well as first team all-conference by Ohio Valley Conference this season in 2021 and 2022. The Redhawks qualified for the FCS Playoffs this season, finishing with a 9-3 record, Offensively Gieg helped to anchor the offensive line which produced 35.6 points per game, 225.6 yards rushing and 242.6 yards passing in 2022. Gieg is the third winner from SEMO, following Sean Middleton (2010) and Eugene Amano (2003).
Dalton Simpson of Susquehanna University is the recipient of the Rimington Award for the NCAA DIII level. Simpson, a graduate senior from Dallas, Penn., was a first team AFCA DIII Coaches selection in 2022 as well as a first team D3Football.com All-American. He is a two-time All-Centennial Conference First Team honoree from 2021 and 2022 as well as an All-Region selection by D3Football.com. The Susquehanna offensive line led by Simpson was one of the best in the nation, allowing just two sacks all season. The SU offensive unit was second in the Centennial Conference in rushing yards per game with 170.4, while also ranking third in total yards per game with 425.6. Simpson started and played in all 11 games in 2022 and didn’t miss a contest over the final three seasons for the River Hawks.
Andrew Carter of Carroll College (Mont.) is the recipient of the Rimington Award for the NAIA Division. Carter, a redshirt junior senior from Gooding, Idaho., was a second team AFCA All-American in 2021 and 2022. Additionally, he was named a 2022 NAIA Football Association Press second team All-American in 2022 after being named a 2021 first team All-American by the AP the year prior. He was a first team All Frontier Conference selection in 2021 and 2022. The Fighting Saints offense averaged 26.4 points per game, 131.3 yards per game rushing and 192 yards per game passing and finished the season 8-3, qualifying for the NAIA postseason. He is also the third winner of the Rimington Award from Carroll College following Kyle Baker (2005) and Andy Fjeseth (2010).
The award winners are selected by Jason Dannelly, coordinator of the Rimington Award and longtime writer of college football in non-FBS divisions as part of the continued tradition of one of College Football’s most prestigious awards. Dannelly was the founder of the Victory Sports Network and has been a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) for over 20 years.
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 award has raised over $4.8 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
The Rimington Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about the association.
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