Reese Dismukes wins Rimington Trophy, named Walter Camp All-American
AUBURN -- Reese Dismukes rarely got the attention he deserved.
The four-year starter and two-year Auburn captain was an integral part to the Tigers offense in each of his years on the Plains.
Dismukes was honored for his excellence on Thursday, winning the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center.
"We do go unnoticed, we don't score a lot of points," Dismukes said on ESPNU's Red Carpet Show at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida Thursday night. "But we do touch the ball first on every play. It's all good, we don't really have to get a lot of attention."
A repeat finalist for the Rimington, Dismukes beat out Oregon's Hroniss Grasu, Michigan State's Jack Allen, Georgia's David Andrews, Kansas State B.J. Finney and Boston College's Andy Gallik.
"I am extremely excited to accept this prestigious honor of the Rimington Trophy," Dismukes said in a statement. "I am very thankful because I would not be in this situation if not for a lot of people. I appreciate those who have helped me along the way, especially my family, coaches and most of all, my teammates."
Dismukes, who has 49 career starts, made all the offensive line calls in helping lead the Tigers to an SEC Championship and the runner-up finish in the BCS National Championship in 2013. He was easily the most irreplaceable member of Auburn's Hurry-Up, No-Huddle offense last season, with no established center on the roster behind him.
"With what we do, our center is like another quarterback," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "He makes all the calls up front. Everything is on him, especially when you go pace. The center directs everything.
"He's a very good athlete. He's a tough guy. He's been our leader. He's been one of our leaders around here for a long time."
Dismukes played 864 snaps this season and had 61 knockdowns to help Auburn lead the SEC in rushing for the second straight year.
"There is nobody more deserving of the Rimington Trophy than Reese Dismukes," Auburn offensive line coach J.B. Grimes said in a statement. "The number one thing I look for in a player is consistency, and there's no one more consistent day-in and day-out in practice and in games than Reese. He's taken nearly every snap in his four years and never had a bad game, let alone a bad play. I've coached a lot of really good centers in my career, and I've not had one like him. He is a warrior and the most intelligent players I've ever coached, and I couldn't be more proud of Reese and his accomplishments."
The winner of the Rimington Trophy, which was won last year by Florida State's Bryan Stork, is selected by determining the consensus All-American center pick from three All-America teams (Walter Camp Foundation, Sporting News and Football Writers Association of America). Dismukes was named the First Team center on the Walter Camp Foundation All-American team, which was announced Thursday.
The first Auburn player to win the Rimington, Dismukes will be recognized as the 16th winner of the trophy, which is presented by the Boomer Esiason Foundation in honor of college football Hall of Famer and former Nebraska All-American center Dave Rimington, at the Rimington Trophy Presentation at the Rococo Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska on Jan. 17, 2015.
"We are thrilled to have such an outstanding young man represent the Rimington Trophy while we celebrate 15 years," Rimington said in a statement. "He has excelled not only on the football field, but also in the classroom and is well-respected by teammates and coaches alike. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for him and wish him the best of luck."
Dismukes was also a finalist for the Outland Trophy as the nation's top interior lineman, which was won by Iowa offensive lineman Brandon Scherff.
The Spanish Fort native was named First Team All-SEC by the Associated Press and the conference's coaches earlier this week and recently accepted an invite to play at the Senior Bowl.