December 3, 2012 – Joe Lund of North Dakota State University headlines the 2012 Rimington Trophy winners for the FCS, DII, DIII and NAIA divisions.

The award winners are selected by Jason Dannelly, founder of the Victory Sports Network, as part of the continued tradition for one of College Football’s most prestigious awards.

FCS: Joe Lund
North Dakota State University

Lund, the FCS division winner, was selected as a first team All Missouri Valley Conference Player for the National Championship winning Bison. With his help on the offensive line NDSU led the conference in scoring averaging 31.4 points per game and rushing offense with 178 yards per game. The senior from Bloomington, Minn. is also on the MVC Academic Honor Roll

DII: Kevin Day
Carson Newman University

Kevin Day of Carson Newman University is the recipient of the NCAA DII award. The senior from Soddy-Daisy, Tenn is a three time All-SAC selection and an anchor to one of the top rushing attacks in DII averaging 378.6 yards per game last season including 52 rushing touchdowns. Earlier this year, Day earned a spot on the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

DIII: Curtis James
Saint Thomas University

Curtis James of the St. Thomas Tommie’s is the winner of the DIII Rimington Award. James, a consensus All-American last season, has anchored on offensive line that has produced 41 individual 100-yard performances over the last four seasons and a record of 49-4.

James, a three-year starter, switched from guard to center his junior season. He helped the No. 3-ranked Tommies win 13 games and reach the NCAA playoff semifinals, both firsts in program history.

UST’s offensive line has allowed just 30 sacks in those 40 games. The Tommie offense has averaged nearly 40 points and 425 yards a game over the last three seasons.

NAIA: Matt Munizzi
Saint Xavier University

The recipient of the NAIA division award for the Rimington Trophy is Matt Munizzi of Saint Xavier University. Munizzi was a first Team All-Mid States Football Association selection in 2012 and a second team selection in 2011. Munizzi helped to lead an offense line that was that No. 2 in the NAIA for passing offense and No. 7 scoring offense. Munizzi was the starting center in 2011 for the Cougars as they won their first National Championship before finishing their season in the NAIA semifinals this year.

The 2012 Rimington Trophy presentation banquet will be held January 12, 2013, at the Rococo Theatre in Lincoln, Neb. The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the Most Outstanding Center in all divisions of College Football. Since its inception, the Rimington Trophy has raised over 3 million dollars. The fourteen-year old award is overseen by the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and has raised over $100 million for CF Research.

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 double winner as the nation’s finest college interior lineman. For more on the Rimington Trophy and a list of past recipients, visit http://www.rimingtontrophy.com