App State’s Chapman on Rimington Trophy Watch List
NEW YORK — Appalachian State University senior center Jesse Chapman (Cookeville, Tenn./Cookeville) is one of 63 student-athletes on the official fall watch list for the 16th-annual Rimington Trophy, the Boomer Esiason Foundation announced on Wednesday.
The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I FBS. The award is overseen by the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and has raised over $115 million for CF Research. Since its inception in 2000, the Rimington Trophy has raised over $2.6 million for the cystic fibrosis community.
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.
A former walk-on, Chapman started 11 games at center for Appalachian State in 2014 and helped the Mountaineers rush for 241.8 yards per game (18th among all NCAA Division I FBS teams), including 291.2 ypg during its six-game winning streak to close the regular season.
He recorded 12 knockdowns, surrendered just one sack and was not charged with a “loaf” in 477 snaps last season. He recorded job grades of 85 percent or better three times, highlighted by a season-best 90-percent job grade, three-knockdown performance at UL Lafayette on Nov. 22. His showing in the 35-16 rout over UL Lafayette was especially impressive due to the presence of the Ragin’ Cajuns’ two all-Sun Belt Conference defensive tackles, Christian Ringo and Justin Hamilton.
Chapman is one of three Sun Belt Conference representatives on the Rimington Trophy watch list, joining South Alabama junior Joseph Scelfo and Troy senior Dalton Bennett. Chapman is also one of only four representatives from the state of North Carolina, joining Duke senior Matt Skura, NC State senior Quinton Schooley and North Carolina junior Lucas Crowley.
Finalists for the 2015 Rimington Trophy will be announced on Dec. 7 and the winner will be announced on Dec. 10 as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show. The formal presentation of the award will be made at the Rimington Trophy Presentation on Jan. 16, 2016 in Lincoln, Neb.
Appalachian State season tickets, including a slew of full- and half-season packages, are on sale now. Tickets, which are available for as low as $99 for the full season (six home games) and $65 for a half-season package (three home games), can be purchased online at appstatesports.com/tickets, by phone at (828) 262-2079 and in person at the Appalachian State athletics ticket office, located at the Holmes Center.
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Jaguar's Scelfo Named to Rimington Trophy Watch List
MOBILE, Ala. – Joseph Scelfo, the University of South Alabama football program's center on the offensive line, was named to the 2015 Rimington Trophy Fall Watch List on Wednesday.
The list includes 63 individuals, with Scelfo one of just three from the Sun Belt Conference who was recognized by the Rimington Trophy committee. The award, which is presented annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I-A college football, is named after Dave Rimington, a consensus first-team All-America center at Nebraska in 1981 and '82.
Scelfo — who has also been named preseason first-team all-Sun Belt by Phil Steele Publications as well as preseason second-team all-SBC by Athlon Sports this summer — is entering his second season as the Jaguars' starter at center. Last year he was one of two USA lineman to start all 13 contests as the program competed in its first-ever NCAA postseason bowl contest after receiving an invite to the inaugural Raycom Media Camellia Bowl.
The 6-foot-1, 295-pound junior from Bogart, Ga., graded out at 80 percent or better following six outings, earning the highest mark on the squad five times, while recording 20 knockdown total blocks. Scelfo received a season-best 88 percent mark after the Jags' October victory over Troy — one of two games he earned the coaches' offensive line award — while earning a mark of 87 percent against Bowling Green at the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl. He paced the squad in both its match-ups against Southeastern Conference opponents, posting an 83 percent grade at South Carolina as well as a mark of 81 percent against eventual No. 1 Mississippi State, and Scelfo was also credited with an 80 percent grade in the win over Texas State that made the team eligible to participate in a postseason bowl game.
He collected 15 knocks on 57 snaps in 2013 as well after sitting out the previous campaign as a redshirt.
Finalists for the award will be announced on Dec. 7, with the winner will be recognized at the Rimington Trophy Presentation at the Rococo Theatre in Lincoln, Neb., on Jan. 16, 2016.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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Troy’s Dalton Bennett Remains on Rimington Trophy Watch List
TROY, Alabama – Troy senior offensive lineman Dalton Bennett has been named to the Rimington Trophy Fall Watch List after he was one of just 50 players nationally and the lone Sun Belt Conference player to be named to the spring watch list for the award.
Bennett is one of 63 players nationally and three in the Sun Belt on the fall watch list for the award that is presented annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I FBS college football. 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.
A native of Marianna, Fla., Bennett has started 24 straight games entering his senior season for the Trojans. He finished his junior season with 30 knockdown blocks and graded out at 86.5 percent.
Bennett allowed just one sack over the final 10 games of the season and was a key piece of an offensive line that protected for NCAA record-setting quarterback Brandon Silvers; Silvers set the NCAA FBS record for completion percentage by a freshman as he completed 191 of his 271 pass attempts (70.5 percent).
Finalists for the 2015 Rimington Trophy will be announced on Dec. 7 and the winner will be announced on Dec. 10 as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show. The formal presentation of the award will be made at the Rimington Trophy Presentation on Jan. 16, 2016 in Lincoln, Neb.
Season tickets for Troy's five home games, as well as tickets for away games, are available for purchase online, via telephone or in person. Season ticket prices start as low as $50 for general admission seats and $100 for reserved seats.
Fans can either purchase season tickets online at TroyTrojans.com, by calling 1-877-878-WINS (9467) or in person in the Tine Davis Fieldhouse.
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