Blythe Named to Rimington Award Spring Watch List

May 19, 2014

IOWA CITY, Iowa – – University of Iowa junior center Austin Blythe has been named to the Rimington Trophy Spring Watch List for the 2014 season. The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the Most Outstanding Center in NCAA Division I college football.

Blythe (6-foot-3, 290-pounds) started all 13 games at center in 2013 as the Hawkeyes posted an 8-5 overall record. Iowa placed second the Big Ten Conference Legends Division and earned a spot in the 2014 Outback Bowl.

Blythe earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in 2013 from both league coaches and media. Blythe started nine games at right guard as a redshirt freshman in 2012, earning first team Freshman All-America honors from Scout.com. He missed two games due to injury in 2012 and made the move from guard to center during spring practice. He redshirted in 2011.

Blythe is a native of Williamsburg, Iowa. He has been named to Iowa’s Leadership Group for three straight years. He is one of 64 players, including nine Big Ten candidates, on this year’s Rimington list.

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 $2.5 million for the cystic fibrosis community. The 14-year-old award is overseen by the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and has raised over $100 million for CF Research.

Dave Rimington, the award’s namesake, was a consensus first team All-America center at the University of Nebraska in 1981 and 1982. For more on the Rimington Trophy and a list of past recipients, visit www.rimingtontrophy.com.