Marshall Sports Information

 

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall senior center Chris Jasperse has been named a candidate for the Rimington Trophy, the award’s committee announced Tuesday. The Rimington Trophy goes to the nation’s top collegiate center.

The Greensboro, N.C., native enters his 2014 senior season having played 3,032 career snaps, which leads all active FBS offensive linemen. He has been picked by preseason publications as an All-Conference USA center and has started every game in his Marshall career – 39 – since being redshirted as a walk-on in 2010, a number that is also tied for the active FBS lead among offensive linemen in consecutive starts.

Jasperse received his undergraduate degree last December and will play the 2014 season while taking classes toward a master’s degree in sports administration. He was the All-C-USA first team center in the 2013 season, as voted by league coaches.

While more than a dozen All-America teams are selected annually, the Rimington Trophy committee uses these three prestigious teams to determine a winner:

Walter Camp Foundation (WCF)

Sporting News (SN)

Football Writers Association of America (FWAA)

Because the selectors of these three All-America teams can place centers in a “mix” of offensive linemen that includes guards and tackles, their 11-man first teams may often have two centers. The Rimington Trophy committee’s policy is to count all players that play primarily the center position for their respective teams as centers, even though they may be listed as guards or tackles on the four All-America teams.

The center with the most first team votes will be determined the winner. If there is a tie with first team votes, then the center with the most second team votes will win. If there is still a tie, the winner will be determined by a majority vote from the Rimington Trophy committee.

The winner will be recognized at the Rimington Trophy Presentation at the Rococo Theatre in Lincoln, Neb., on Jan. 17, 2015.

Marshall will begin its 2014 season with an Aug. 30 road date at Miami (Ohio). Kick time is set for 3:30 p.m. and the contest will be carried on ESPN3.com.