New York, NY – The Rimington Trophy committee is proud to announce the recipients of the 2015 Rimington Award, recognizing the most outstanding centers in the NCAA’s FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA.

The Rimington Award is named after Dave Rimington, the only two-time winner of the Outland Trophy in addition to back to back first team All-American selections for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Bruce Johnson of the University of Maine headlines the 2015 Rimington Award winners as the most outstanding center in the NCAA FCS Division.

Johnson, a senior from Rochester, N.Y., was a 1^st Team All CAA selection this season; the second time he garnered postseason accolades from the conference. Johnson was also named to the College Sporting News Preseason Fabulous Fifty All-American and finished his career as a Bear with 36 consecutive starts.

Derek Evans of Carson-Newman University is the NCAA DII winner of the Rimington Award. Evans, a senior from Alcoa, Tenn. was a first team All SAC Conference selection as well as a DII Conference Commisioner’s Association All Region selection.

Evans was an anchor on the offensive line blocking for running back Damian Baker, a 2015 Harlan Hill award finalist, and a squad that produced 327.5 yards per game.

Mitch Doraty of the University of Mount Union is the winner of the NCAA DIII Rimington Award. Doraty, a junior from Medina, Ohio, has been a two-year starter at center for the Purple Raiders. This year he started 15 games at center on offensive line and was named D3football.com All-America Second Team.

He was also a D3football.com All-North Region First Team member and an All-OAC First Team honoree. He is an Information Systems major.

Zachary Mitchell of Marian University is the NAIA division’s selection to win the Rimington Award. Mitchell, a senior from Indianapolis, Ind. was two-time first team Mid-State Football Association Mideast Division selection as well as an honorable mention recipient his sophomore year.

Mitchell has been a member of three Marian football teams to play in the NAIA National Championship game and has been a four-year starter for the Knights. Mitchell was a key component to the Knights offense that averaged 491.5 yards per game and 42.5 points per game in 2015.

The annual Rimington Trophy Presentation will be held January 17, 2015, at the Rococo Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska.

ABOUT THE RIMINGTON AWARD
Three years after the Boomer Esiason Foundation launched the Rimington Trophy for the outstanding NCAA Division I-A center, it expanded that honor to include Divisions I-AA, II, III, and the NAIA. In 2008, Division I-A was renamed “Football Bowl Subdivision” (FBS), and Division I-AA was renamed “Football Championship Subdivision” (FCS). Recipients are selected by Jason Dannelly, founder and editor of Victory Sports Network, a leading authority on small college football. Dannelly works with a committee of experts across all smaller divisions to select the winners of the Rimington Award.

About the Rimington Trophy

The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the Most Outstanding Center in NCAA Division I-A College Football. Since its inception, the Rimington Trophy has raised over $2.5 million for the cystic fibrosis community. The fifteen-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