Brett Romberg Wins Rimington Trophy

Dec. 13, 2002

New York, NY – Miami’s Brett Romberg is the winner of the Dave Rimington Trophy as “College Football’s Center of the Year.”

The 6’3″, 297-pound senior, was a Rimington Trophy finalist in 2001 and has made the blocking calls for teams that have won 34 of 35 games since the start of the 2000 season. He’s performed under pressure against college football’s best, been productive in the game’s most important contest and excelled in the spotlight. Brett is expected to be an early pick in the 2003 NFL draft.

The award’s first runner-up is Jeff Faine of Notre Dame. He was followed by Bruce Nelson of Iowa (third).

The Rimington Trophy recipient is determined by a consensus of the four All-America teams: The Walter Camp Football Foundation, America Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, and “The Sporting News.”

Rimington, the award’s namesake, was a consensus first team All-America center at Nebraska in 1981 and ’82 – years in which he became the John Outland Trophy’s only double winner as the nation’s premiere college interior lineman. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.

The three-year old trophy (Nebraska’s Dominic Raiola and Ohio State’s LeCharles Bentley are past recipients and current NFL starters) is presented by Canon, USA and Black & Decker. The award is hosted by the Boomer Esiason Foundation. Esiason, a former NFL quarterback created his foundation in 1993 to support research and treatment of cystic fibrosis. His 11 year-old son has that deadly genetic disease. Esiason and Rimington were teammates on the Cincinnati Bengals from 1984-87.

Romberg will be honored at a presentation banquet at he Rococo Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska, on December 14. Proceeds from that event will benefit the the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. For ticket and event information contact, Shannon Lee 402-330-6164