By Darin Dave Rimington anchors the line of scrimmage with a historic combination of brains and brawn. As the absolute gold standard for offensive linemen, Rimington transformed the center position into a showcase of pure dominance for Tom Osborne’s Nebraska Cornhuskers. He flattened opposing defensive tackles, cleared massive pathways for legendary running attacks, and collected national hardware at a pace never seen before or since.
This is the story of the Omaha powerhouse that conquered the Big Eight, captured the attention of the entire country, and earned a permanent place among the immortals in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Football Bio
May 22, 1960 – Omaha, Nebraska – Dave Rimington, the star University of Nebraska center from 1979 to 1982, was born.
In his final two seasons, Rimington made All-America and Academic All-America in 1981 and 1982. He also received a National Football Foundation scholarship. In 1982, he won the Lombardi Award, given to the nation’s best lineman or linebacker, according to the NFF’s website. Rimington won the Outland Trophy for the nation’s best interior lineman.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997. Rimington later played professionally for the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles during the rest of the 1980s.
Conclusion
Dave Rimington establishes an unmatched legacy as college football’s most decorated and dominant offensive lineman. He solidifies his reputation not just by clearing paths on Saturdays, but by capturing the rarest back-to-back interior awards in gridiron history. By marrying elite athletic dominance with Academic All-America excellence, Rimington created the ultimate blueprint for the modern student-athlete. Today, the annual trophy bearing his name ensures that every great collegiate center plays directly in the long shadow of his historic achievements.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1997.
- 2× Outland Trophy Winner: 1981, 1982 (The only two-time winner in college football history).
- Lombardi Award Winner: 1982.
- 2× Unanimous First-Team All-American: 1981, 1982.
- Heisman Trophy Finalist: Finished 5th in the 1982 voting (a historic feat for a center).
- 2× First-Team Academic All-American: 1981, 1982 (Inducted into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 2004).
- Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year: 1981 (The only pure offensive lineman to ever win the honor).
- Retired Jersey Number: His #50 was retired by the University of Nebraska.
- NFL First-Round Pick: Selected 25th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1983 NFL Draft.
- PFWA All-Rookie Team: 1983.
- Award Namesake: The Rimington Trophy has honored the nation’s top collegiate center annually since 2000.