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Aug. 28, 2002

Charlottesville, Va. – Virginia’s Kevin Bailey is one of 36 centers placed on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy this season by the Rimington Trophy Committee.

One of the top linemen in the ACC this season, the junior from Lexington, Ky., is considered the team’s best player at two positions-left tackle and center-the two toughest positions to play on the line according to head coach Al Groh. He opened last season at left tackle before moving to center for the season’s final month. Prior to his first start at center against Wake Forest, Bailey had never played a snap at the position. Following Bailey’s move to center, the Cavaliers averaged more yards rushing and passing per game and averaged more points per game than before. Two of the Cavaliers’ top-four rushing performances and two of their top-three passing efforts during the season came after he switched.

The Rimington Award is named for Dave Rimington, one of college football’s most decorated offensive lineman. Rimington is the only player ever to win the Outland Trophy twice, the former University of Nebraska center also won the Lombardi Rotary Award in 1982 and was named a two-time consensus All-America center and two-time Academic All-American.

The Rimington Trophy, established in 2000, is co-sponsored by Black and Decker and Canon, USA. Past winners include LeCharles Bentley of Ohio State in 2001 and Nebraska’s Dominic Raiola in 2000. The 2002 award will be presented Dec. 14th, in Lincoln, Neb. Proceeds from the Rimington Trophy presentation will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

The watch list for the 2002 Rimington Trophy includes the top centers playing NCAA Division I-A football:

Kevin Bailey, Virginia, (Jr., 6-6, 294)Zach Butler, Iowa State, (Sr., 6-3, 292)Vince Carter, Oklahoma, (So., 6-3, 277)Ben Claxton, Mississippi, (Sr., 6-3, 288)Alonzo Ephraim, Alabama, (Sr.. 6-4, 292)Jeff Faine, Notre Dame, (Sr., 6-3, 296)John Garrison, Nebraska, (Sr., 6-4, 290)Scott Huff, Boise State, (Sr.,6-2, 286)Tyler Hunt, Washington State, (Sr., 6-3, 290)Johnathan Ingram, San Diego State, (Sr., 6-2, 300)Al James, Houston, (Jr., 6-0, 300)Al Johnson, Wisconsin, (Sr., 6-4, 291)Cody Johnson, Nevada, (Sr. 6-4. 294)Blake Jones, Mississippi State, (Jr., 6-2, 291)Austin King, Northwestern, (Sr., 6-4, 284)Dan Koppen, Boston College, (Sr., 6-3, 293)Wayne Lucier, Colorado, (Sr., 6-4, 295)Joe Mazur, Bowling Green, (Sr., 6-2, 290)Matt Martinez, Idaho, (Jr., 6-2, 317)Dustin McQuivey, Utah, (Jr., 6-3, 294)Rodney Michael, Fresno State, (Sr., 6-4, 300)Antoine Mirambeau, Florida State, (Sr., 6-4, 280)Bruce Nelson, Iowa, (Sr., 6-4, 290)Ben Nowland, Auburn, (Sr., 6-3, 289)Brian Ottney, Michigan State (Jr., 6-6, 305)Jamal Powell, TCU (Sr., 6-4, 294)Jimond Pugh, Memphis University, (Sr., 6-3 290)Chad Reed, Pittsburgh, (Sr., 6-3, 290)Hugh Reilly, Georgia Tech, (Jr., 6-4, 285)A.J. Ricker, Missouri, (Jr., 6-4, 285)Brett Romberg, Miami, (Sr., 6-3, 290)Nick Romeo, Syracuse, (Jr., 6-2, 297)Anthony Taylor, Tulsa, (Sr., 6-1, 287)B.J. VanBriesen, New Mexico State, (Sr., 6-3, 325)Ben Wilkerson, LSU, (So., 6-4 300)Dan Weaver, Oregon, (Jr., 6-5, 280)
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