Kyle Roper Named to Dave Rimington Trophy Watch List

Arkansas senior Kyle Roper is one of 39 candidates listed on the 2005 Dave Rimington Trophy Watch List released on Monday. The Rimington Trophy is awarded annually to the best collegiate center in the country.

Roper is a preseason All-SEC pick by nearly every preseason publication and was tabbed as the No. 2 center in the Southeastern Conference and the No. 14 center in the nation by The Sporting News. He started all 11 games last season at center grading out at 90 percent or better in 10 of those games. The Powder Springs, Ga., product racked up 46 knockdown blocks last season including 30 in the final three games of 2004.

“We are extremely proud of Kyle and he is very deserving of this national recognition,” Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt said. “He is a leader for us on and off the field. Kyle is a steady force at the heart of our offense. I’m confident that he is going to have another big season for us.”

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.

An associate member of the National College Football Awards Association, the six-year old trophy is presented by Canon USA, MidAmerican Energy Holdings, and Black & Decker. The award is hosted by the Boomer Esiason Foundation. Michigan’s David Baas (2004 co-winner), LSU’s Ben Wilkerson (2004 co-winner), Virginia Tech’s Jake Grove, Miami’s Brett Romberg, Ohio State’s LeCharles Bentley and Nebraska’s Dominic Raiola are past recipients.

Since its inception the Rimington Trophy Award has raised over $450,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation which to date has raised over $40 million for CF Research. Esiason created his foundation in 1993 to support research and treatment of cystic fibrosis. Esiason and Dave Rimington were teammates on the Cincinnati Bengals from 1984-87. 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.
Fall 2005 Rimington Trophy Watch ListName, School, Height, Weight Albert Bimper, Colorado State, Senior, 6-1, 303 Tony Bonds, Mississippi, Senior, 6-4, 308 Jesse Boone, Utah, Senior, 6-5, 305 David Castillo, Florida State, Senior, 6-2, 301JB Closner, Alabama, Senior, 6-4, 290 Ryan Cook, New Mexico, Senior, 6-7, 339 Stephen Culp, TCU, Senior, 6-4, 307 Mike Degory, Florida, Senior, 6-5, 314 Mike Elgin, Iowa, Junior, 6-4, 270 Greg Eslinger, Minnesota, Senior, 6-3, 280Mark Fenton, Colorado, Junior, 6-4, 290 Leroy Harris, NC State, Senior, 6-3, 295 Jasper Harvey, San Diego State, Senior, 6-3, 305Jeremy Hines, West Virginia, Junior, 6-2, 285 Ryan Kalil, Southern California, Junior, 6-4, 290 Kili Lefotu, Arizona, Senior, 6-5, 320 Doug Legursky, Marshall, Sophomore, 6-3, 308Todd Londot, Miami (Ohio), Senior, 6-5, 305 Grayling Love, Arizona State, Senior, 6-3, 297 Nick Mangold, Ohio State, Senior, 6-4, 280 Kurt Mann, Nebraska, Junior, 6-4, 280 Mike McCloskey, UCLA, Senior, 6-5, 285 Chris McNeil, Mississippi State, Senior, 6-3, 294Nick Mihlhauser, Washington State, Senior, 6-3, 283 Chris Morris, Michigan State, Senior, 6-4, 291 Rudy Niswanger, LSU, Senior, 6-5, 293 Marvin Philip, California, Senior, 6-2, 285 Donovan Raiola, Wisconsin, Senior, 6-3, 290 Lance Reynolds, BYU, Senior, 6-3, 293
Kyle Roper, Arkansas, Senior, 6-3, 291 Patrick Ross, Boston College, Senior, 6-4, 294 Adam Spieker, Missouri, Sophomore, 6-3, 310 Jason Spitz, Louisville, Senior, 6-4, 308 Marcus Stewart, Louisiana Tech, Senior, 6-3, 305Russ Tanner, Georgia, Senior, 6-4, 290 Brian Van Acker, Northern Illinois, Senior, 6-4, 287Brad Vanneman, Washington, Senior, 6-3, 300 Chris Yoder, Texas A&M, Sophomore, 6-3, 292 Kyle Young, Fresno State, Junior, 6-5, 320