Mesa Ribordy named to 2017 Rimington Award fall watch list
2017 Schedule // Purchase 2017 Tickets
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas sophomore center Mesa Ribordy found his name listed among the top centers in Division I football as the Rimington Trophy Committee released its 2017 fall watch list Tuesday. Ribordy, a Louisburg, Kansas, native, was also listed on the award’s spring watch list.
In order to create this list, the committee accepted nominations from programs across the country that submitted their current starting centers for consideration. This preseason, at least one player from each conference was nominated, with the MAC leading at 10 student-athletes selected and the Big 12 and SEC following with eight each, respectively.
The centerpiece of Kansas football’s offensive line, Ribordy is a former walk-on for his home state Jayhawks. A versatile interior lineman with the ability to excel at both center and guard, Ribordy found a home at center in the final five games of the 2016 season. He handled the transition with ease as he never recorded a bad snap on his way to posting 27 knock-down blocks in his 11 games. In charge of coordinating protection schemes at center, Ribordy missed a team-low 10 assignments in his 800 plays in 2016.
The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the Most Outstanding Center in NCAA Division I-A College Football. Since its inception, the Rimington Trophy has raised over $2.9 million for the cystic fibrosis community. 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.
While more than a dozen All-America teams are selected annually, the Rimington Trophy
committee used these three prestigious teams to determine a winner:
• Walter Camp Foundation (WCF)
• Sporting News (SN)
• Football Writers Association of America (FWAA)
Because the selectors of these three All-America teams can place centers in a “mix” of offensive linemen that includes guards and tackles, their 11-man first teams can often have two centers. The Rimington Trophy committee’s policy is to count all players that play primarily the center position for their respective teams as centers, even though they may be listed as guards or tackles on the All-America teams.
The center with the most first team votes will be determined the winner. If there is a tie with first team votes, then the center with the most second team votes will win. If there is still a tie, the winner will be determined by a majority vote from the Rimington Trophy committee. The winner will be recognized at the Rimington Trophy Presentation at the Rococo Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska on Saturday, January 13, 2018.
Ribordy and the Jayhawks will begin the 2017 season on Saturday, September 2 with a home game against Southeast Missouri State. The Jayhawks will also host nonconference opponent Central Michigan (Sept. 9/Family Weekend, Band Day).
Five Big 12 rivals will visit Lawrence, including West Virginia (Sept. 23/Jayhawks for a Cure), Texas Tech (Oct. 7/Homecoming, K-Club Weekend), Kansas State (Oct. 28/Sunflower Showdown), Baylor (Nov. 4/Salute to Service) and Oklahoma (Nov. 18/Senior Day, Youth Football Day).
Season tickets for the seven-game home schedule are now on sale for as low as $110. Pick 3 Flex Pack ticket packages are also available for the 2017 season. As part of the Pick 3 Flex Pack offer fans have the chance to pick any three home games on the 2017 schedule for one low price. Select a Tier 1 ticket for any three home games for $180 or a Tier 2 ticket to any three home games for just $150.
For additional information regarding Kansas football tickets contact the Kansas Sales Team by calling 800-34-HAWKS or in-person at the Allen Fieldhouse ticket office. Tickets can also be purchased via KUTickets.com.
Kansas Athletics will also be offering group discounts and unique fan experiences to Kansas football games for any group, business or organization of 15+. To inquire about bringing your group to Memorial Stadium, please contact the Group Sales Department at 785-864-6221 or dpaul@kuathletics.com.
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