Freeman Named to Rimington Award Watch List

May 29, 2012

CLEMSON, SC – Clemson first-team All-ACC center Dalton Freeman has been named to the 2012 Rimington Award Watch List. The graduate student is the only 2011 finalist for the award returning for 2012.

The Rimington Award is presented each year to the top center in college football. It is named in honor of former Nebraska All-American Dave Rimington and is presented in January in Lincoln, NEB.

Freeman is one of five ACC players on the list. The others are Jay Finch of Georgia Tech, Andrew Miller of Virginia Tech, Brian Moore of Duke and Camden Wentz of NC State.

Clemson’s defensive line will play a challenging schedule this year as the above four ACC centers all play against Clemson in 2012. Additionally, Auburn center Reese Dismukes and South Carolina Center T.J. Johnson are also on the list, meaning six opposing centers on the Rimington Award Watch List will play against Clemson this year.

Freeman started all 14 games and played a school record 1044 snaps last year in helping the Tigers to a 10-4 record and final top 25 finish. He is a veteran of 40 games in his career and has started each of the last 36 games. The two-time Academic All-ACC player has 143 career knockdowns and has started on two Atlantic Division Championship teams, including last year’s ACC Championship Tigers team. He graded 91 percent with five knockdowns in Clemson’s ACC Championship victory over Virginia Tech last year.

Freeman was one of six finalists for the award last year, the third time a Clemson center has been named a finalist. Kyle Young was one of three finalists in 2000 and one of five finalists in 2001.