May 1, 2007

LOGAN, Utah - Junior offensive center Ryan Tonnemacher was tabbed to the 2007 Rimington Trophy Watch List, given annually to the nation's most outstanding center in college football.

The 6-3, 278 pound Tonnemacher (pronounced Tawn-uh-mawker) is a native of Chandler, Ariz. (Hamilton HS), and one of 46 named to the Watch List. Last season as a sophomore, he started all 12 games at left guard and is switching to center this season. His 741 offensive plays tied with departed center Brent DeLadurantey for most on the offense last season, while his 752 total plays, including special teams, tied for second on the team. Tonnemacher is a two-year letterwinner and played in nine games, starting two as a freshman in 2005.

This is the first preseason honor of the season for USU and the first for an Aggie football player since Kevin Robinson was tabbed to several preseason All-American lists in 2005.

Tonnemacher is one of six centers from the Western Athletic Conference, tied for the second most for a conference with the Pac-10, behind the Southeastern Conference's eight nominees on the list. Other WAC centers are Nevada junior Dominic Green, Idaho junior Adam Korby, San Jose State junior Justin Paysinger, Hawai'i junior Lafu Tuioti-Mariner and Fresno State senior Ryan Wendell. Two other centers from the state of Utah are on the list in BYU senior Sete Aulai and Utah senior Kyle Gunther.

About the Rimington Trophy

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

The eight-year old trophy is presented by Canon, The Cornhusker Marriott, and Logitech. Past recipients include Dominic Raiola (Nebraska), LeCharles Bentley (Ohio State), Brett Romberg (Miami), Jake Grove (Virginia Tech), co-winners David Baas (Michigan) and Ben Wilkerson (LSU), Greg Eslinger (Minnesota), and Dan Mozes (West Virginia). Since its inception the Rimington Trophy Award has raised over $700,000 for its benefactor, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It, in turn, is hosted by the Boomer Esiason Foundation which, to date, has raised over $40 million for Cystic Fibrosis research.

The Rimington Trophy is a fully accredited member of the National College Football Awards Association.

The annual Rimington Trophy awards banquet will be held at the Rococo Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska on January 12, 2008.

More on Rimington Trophy: rimingtontrophy.com

Utah State returns 19 starters (7 offense, 11 defense, 1 special teams) from last season's 1-11 squad. The Aggies open the 2007 season on Aug. 30, hosting UNLV at Romney Stadium.

Contact the USU Athletics Ticket Office at (435)797-0305 or at 1-888-U-STATE-1 (1-888-878-2831) for more information.