Fitch, Ohio State standout Price wins Rimington Trophy

Fitch, Ohio State standout Price wins Rimington Trophy

From staff and wire reports

ATLANTA

Austintown Fitch High School graduate Billy Price, the Ohio State Buckeyes’ center, won the Rimington Trophy on Thursday night. The award is presented annually to the nation’s best center.

The Rimington Trophy committee made the announcement on the red carpet at the ESPNU College Football Awards show at the College Football Hall of Fame.

Price is a four-year starter for the Buckeyes. He converted to center this season after three years as a guard.

Price began his college career as a defensive lineman.

“I am truly honored to win the Rimington Trophy,” Price said. “I want to thank the Boomer Esiason Foundation, the Rimington Trophy Committee and the voters for selecting me for this most prestigious honor. I also want to thank coach [Urban] Meyer and coach [Greg] Studrawa, our strength coach Mick Marotti and the entire Ohio State football program for all their efforts in helping me become the best football player and person I can be.”

Price is the second consecutive Ohio State player to win the Rimington after Pat Elflein, now a starting center for the Minnesota Vikings, won it last year. It is the first time in the award’s 19-year history that one school has produced back-to-back winners. Ohio State’s LeCharles Bentley won the Rimington Trophy in 2001.

Named the Big Ten’s Rimington-Pace offensive lineman of the year last week, Price is a two-time first-team all-Big Ten Conference performer and has been the leader of a line that has powered the Buckeyes’ offense to more than 3,000 yards rushing and more than 3,000 yards passing, the only offense in the nation to achieve that feat this season.

Ohio State set school records this year with five consecutive games of 500 or more yards of offense and six consecutive games of 300 or more passing yards. The Buckeyes rank No. 1 nationally in first downs, No. 5 in scoring, No. 5 in third-down conversion percentage, No. 6 in total offense, No. 15 in rushing and No. 28 in passing yards per game.

Price is also a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, which honors student-athletes with notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. He was also a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy.

The two-time team captain has set the Ohio State school record with 54 consecutive starts.

Price will be recognized at the Rimington Trophy presentation at the Rococo Theatre in Lincoln, Neb., on Jan. 13.

Other award winners:

Wuerffel Trophy: Kentucky linebacker Courtney Love (Cardinal Mooney).

Chuck Bednarik: Alabama strong safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Doak Walker: Stanford running back Bryce Love.

Outland Trophy: Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver.

Biletnikoff: Oklahoma State wide receiver James Washington.

Lou Groza: Utah kicker Matt Gay.

Ray Guy: Texas punter Michael Dickson.

John Mackey: Oklahoma tight end Mark Andrews.

Coach of the Year: Former UCF and new Nebraska coach Scott Frost.

AP Player of the Year: Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, who also took the Walter Camp and Maxwell Awards as player of the year and the Davey O’Brien Award as the top QB.