Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Sam Mustipher Named To Rimington Trophy Watch List

July 11, 2017

NOTRE DAME, Indiana – University of Notre Dame senior center Sam Mustipher was named to the 2017 Rimington Trophy Watch List. The Rimington Trophy is given annually to the most outstanding collegiate center.

Mustipher has played in 21 games and started 12 contests during his career. He started all 12 games in 2016. Mustipher helped an Irish running back group that rushed for 10 TDs and 1,471 yards on 275 carries — good for a 5.35 yards per carry average last season. He paved the way for junior running back Josh Adams, who led Notre Dame with 933 yards on 158 carries and five TDs. Adams closed the ’16 campaign with his eighth career 100-yard rushing game and a career-best 180 yards at rival USC.

Since its inception, the Rimington Trophy has raised over $2.9 million for the cystic fibrosis community. The award is overseen by the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and has raised over $130 million for the fight against cystic fibrosis.

Dave Rimington, the awards namesake, was a consensus first-team All-American center at the University of Nebraska in 1981 and ’82, during which time he became the 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. The 23 awards boast 765 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.

Here’s a quick rundown for the rest of the week and when specific awards will release watch lists:

Mon., July 10: Bednarik Award/Maxwell Award
Tue., July 11: John Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy
Wed., July 12: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award
Thur., July 13: Bronco Nagurski Trophy/Outland Trophy
Fri., July 14: Jim Thorpe Award
Mon., July 17: Butkus Award/Paul Hornung Award
Tue., July 18: Biletnikoff Award/ Wuerffel Trophy
Wed., July 19: Davey O’Brien Award
Thur., July 20: Doak Walker Award
Fri., July 21: Walter Camp Award

Michael Bertsch, director of football media relations at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2006. An Akron, Ohio, native, he graduated from Walsh University (Ohio) in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in communications and also received his master’s degree in health and physical education with an emphasis in sports administration from Marshall University in 2001.

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