Apparently, Garrett Bradbury is more than just a bruising goal line running back. He’s also the best center in college football.
That was confirmed Wednesday when the NC State star was named the winner of the 2018 Rimington Trophy during a made-for-television awards show.
The Rimington Trophy, named for former Nebraska All-American Dave Rimington, is awarded annually by the Boomer Esiason Foundation to the nation’s top center. Bradbury will be formally presented as the 20th winner of the award at a banquet in Lincoln, Neb. on January 12.
“It is an unbelievable honor and a dream come true for me to receive the Rimington Trophy,”. I want to thank the Boomer Esiason Foundation, as well as my coaches and teammates. I couldn’t have had the success I have without my ‘band of brothers.’”
Bradbury, a 6-foot-3, 300-pound senior from Charlotte, came to the Wolfpack as a tight end before being moved to guard as a redshirt sophomore. He moved to center as a junior and earned first-team All-ACC honors in his first season at the position.
He was even better this year, playing 99 percent of his team’s snaps this season without allowing a quarterback pressure while being recognized on the watch lists for both the Rimington Trophy and the Outland Trophy, symbolic of the nation’s best interior lineman..
As previously mentioned, he earned a career highlight last Saturday by scoring a touchdown on a one-yard run in a 58-3 win against East Carolina his final regular season game. Most recently, Bradbury scored a touchdown in the final regular season game against East Carolina, rushing the ball from the one-yard line.
“It has been a true pleasure to watch Garrett develop from a 250-pound tight end into the best center in the country,” State coach Dave Doeren said. “He is not only a great player but a special person! He is a leader, a student of the game, and a person who treats people around him with tremendous respect. He is well-deserving of this honor and we are very proud of him.”
