From UT:
AUSTIN, Texas - Zach Shackelford was named to the 2018 Spring Watch List by the Rimington Trophy committee on Wednesday morning. The award is annually given to college football’s best center. Chris Hall was a finalist for the award in 2009, but Shackelford looks to become the first Longhorn to win the award since it began in 2000.
A junior from Belton, Texas, Shackelford has played in 19 career games and made 17 starts. He played in 10 games as a sophomore and made eight starts. In the season opener against Maryland, Shackelford and the Longhorns’ offense put up 41 points and 473 total yards, including 375 through the air. The following week, they registered a 56-0 win against San Jose State with 623 total yards and 406 on the ground. After starts at USC and Iowa State, Shackelford and the Longhorns’ offense recorded 428 yards in the AT&T Red River Showdown against Oklahoma. He also started against Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and in the Texas Bowl victory against Missouri.
As a freshman in 2016, Shackelford was named a Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. He started nine games at the center position. He was also recognized with honorable mention on the All-Big 12 team and was named to the All-Big 12 underclassmen team by ESPN.com. Shackelford was an integral member of the offensive line who paved the way for 2016 Doak Walker Award winner D'Onta Foreman.
After enrolling in January of 2016, Shackelford started his first career game – a 50-47 double-overtime win over No. 10 Notre Dame. In that game, he helped the Longhorns to 517 yards – the first of a school-record seven 500-yard performances throughout the season. Texas scored more than 40 points in each of their first three games of the season – piling up 47 against Notre Dame, 41 against UTEP and 43 at California.
In a close loss at Cal in week three, Shackelford was integral in paving the way for the offense to rush for 307 yards, including two running backs over 100 yards. Against Oklahoma State to begin Big 12 play, the Longhorns racked up 568 total yards, including 329 on the ground, while once again having two running backs over the century mark.
After returning from a minor injury suffered in the second half against Iowa State, Shackelford helped the offensive attack to 291 passing yards and 257 rushing yards in a 35-34 win over No. 8 Baylor. The following week, in a 45-37 victory at Texas Tech, the Longhorns' center paved the way for 658 total offensive yards – the sixth-most in a single-game in school history.
About the Rimington Trophy
The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the Most Outstanding Center in NCAA Division I-A College Football. The award is overseen by the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and has raised over $130 million for the fight against cystic fibrosis.
Dave Rimington, the award's namesake, was a consensus first-team All-American center at the University of Nebraska in 1981 and 1982, during which time he became the Outland Trophy's only double 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.
AUSTIN, Texas - Zach Shackelford was named to the 2018 Spring Watch List by the Rimington Trophy committee on Wednesday morning. The award is annually given to college football’s best center. Chris Hall was a finalist for the award in 2009, but Shackelford looks to become the first Longhorn to win the award since it began in 2000.
A junior from Belton, Texas, Shackelford has played in 19 career games and made 17 starts. He played in 10 games as a sophomore and made eight starts. In the season opener against Maryland, Shackelford and the Longhorns’ offense put up 41 points and 473 total yards, including 375 through the air. The following week, they registered a 56-0 win against San Jose State with 623 total yards and 406 on the ground. After starts at USC and Iowa State, Shackelford and the Longhorns’ offense recorded 428 yards in the AT&T Red River Showdown against Oklahoma. He also started against Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and in the Texas Bowl victory against Missouri.
As a freshman in 2016, Shackelford was named a Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. He started nine games at the center position. He was also recognized with honorable mention on the All-Big 12 team and was named to the All-Big 12 underclassmen team by ESPN.com. Shackelford was an integral member of the offensive line who paved the way for 2016 Doak Walker Award winner D'Onta Foreman.
After enrolling in January of 2016, Shackelford started his first career game – a 50-47 double-overtime win over No. 10 Notre Dame. In that game, he helped the Longhorns to 517 yards – the first of a school-record seven 500-yard performances throughout the season. Texas scored more than 40 points in each of their first three games of the season – piling up 47 against Notre Dame, 41 against UTEP and 43 at California.
In a close loss at Cal in week three, Shackelford was integral in paving the way for the offense to rush for 307 yards, including two running backs over 100 yards. Against Oklahoma State to begin Big 12 play, the Longhorns racked up 568 total yards, including 329 on the ground, while once again having two running backs over the century mark.
After returning from a minor injury suffered in the second half against Iowa State, Shackelford helped the offensive attack to 291 passing yards and 257 rushing yards in a 35-34 win over No. 8 Baylor. The following week, in a 45-37 victory at Texas Tech, the Longhorns' center paved the way for 658 total offensive yards – the sixth-most in a single-game in school history.
About the Rimington Trophy
The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the Most Outstanding Center in NCAA Division I-A College Football. The award is overseen by the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and has raised over $130 million for the fight against cystic fibrosis.
Dave Rimington, the award's namesake, was a consensus first-team All-American center at the University of Nebraska in 1981 and 1982, during which time he became the Outland Trophy's only double 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.
