Aug. 25, 2010

EVANSTON, Ill. -- For the second-consecutive year, Northwestern's Ben Burkett (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) has been named to the Rimington Trophy Fall Watch List, the Boomer Esiason Foundation announced today. The award honors the nation's top center.

Burkett, who has started all 26 games Northwestern has played in the last two seasons, is one of 17 players returning from the 2009 Rimington watch list. He also was named to the 2010 Rimington spring watch list.

Burkett's play helped Northwestern lead the Big Ten in passing offense (286.5 yards per game), and rank 13th nationally in 2009. NU averaged more than 400 yards in total offense for the fourth time in the past six years.

The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding center in the NCAA's FBS Division. Since its inception, the Rimington Trophy has raised over $1.8 million for its benefactor, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The eleven-year old award is overseen by the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and has raised over $80 million for CF Research.

Rimington, the award's namesake, was a consensus first-team All-America center at Nebraska in 1981 and 1982, during which time he became the John Outland Trophy's only double winner as the nation's finest college interior lineman.

For more information on the Rimington Trophy and to view the complete watch list, link to rimingtontrophy.com. Be sure to watch Burkett and the rest of the `Cats at Ryan Field this season! Get your season tickets today by clicking here or calling 847-491-CATS (2287).

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