FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rimington Award Winners for the Nation’s Top Center for FCS, DII, DIII and NAIA Announced
Monmouth’s AJ Farris and Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s Mike Olsen Repeat as Rimington Award Winners.
 

New York, NY – January 2021

AJ Farris of Monmouth University (N.J.) and Mike Olsen of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh has been named repeat winners of the Rimington Award for 2021. The Rimington award has been given each of the last 19 years to the top centers in the FCS, DII, DIII and NAIA divisions. This year marks the first time there have been repeat winners in multiple divisions and only the fourth and fifth repeat winners in the history of the award.

Farris of Monmouth University (N.J.) is a repeat winner for the FCS Division Rimington Award. Farris, a senior from Newark, Del. was a twice named to the Stats Perform FCS All-America Team and was also named to the HERO Sports All-American team.  He earned First Team All-Big South honors last spring and this fall after leading the Hawks offensive line since 2019. Farris was a third team All-American by two separate media outlets after the 2019 season and was a first team preseason All-American for 2020. Monmouth averaged 391.9 yards of total offense per game last season.

Mike Olsen of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh repeats as the recipient of the Rimington Award for the NCAA DIII level. Olsen, a graduate senior from Hartland, Wisc., was a first team AFCA DIII Coaches selection in 2021. He is a two-time All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference First Team honoree and was previously named a 2019 D3football.com Second Team All-American and selected to the D3football.com All-Region Team in both 2019 and 2021. Olsen is the first UW-Oshkosh offensive lineman and sixth player in program history to receive All-America accolades in multiple seasons. Olsen, who started each of UW-Oshkosh's nine games this season, played a key role in helping the Titans average 5.6 yards per carry and score 19 rushing touchdowns this season. Olsen was also a repeat pick to the All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team.

Matt Armendariz of Colorado School of Mines is the winner of the Rimington Award for NCAA DII. Armendariz, a senior from Austin, Texas, was named first team All-American by the Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) and second team All-American by the DII Associated Press.  He was also a first team Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection as well as First Team D2CCA Super Region 4 award winner. Armendariz was key to blocking for Harlin Hill Trophy finalist Michael Zeman and the Orediggers offense as they averaged 176.7 yards per game on the ground, 409.3 yards of total offense per game, and 38.64 points per game. The Mines line was one of the least penalized in the nation with Armendariz not being flagged in 2021.

Matt Dey of Dickinson State (N.D.) is the recipient of the Rimington Award for the NAIA Division. Dey, a senior from Sidney, Mont., was a first team AFCA All-American in 2021 and second team AFCA All-American in 2020. He has been an anchor for the Blue Hawks' offense at center helping the offense to garner over 4,500 yards of offense and 60 touchdowns, the best in program history. The Hawks offense ranked fifth in the nation for passing touchdowns (36) and ninth in red-zone touchdowns. Dey was also named first team All North Star Athletic Association in 2020 and 2021.

The award winners are selected by Jason Dannelly, coordinator of the Rimington Award and longtime writer of college football in non-FBS divisions as part of the continued tradition of one of College Football’s most prestigious awards. Dannelly was the founder of the Victory Sports Network and has been a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) for over 20 years.

About the Rimington Trophy

The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I College Football. Since its inception, award has raised over $4.5 million for the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis.

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 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. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about the association.