COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State center Seth McLaughlin won a prestigious award Thursday night.
McLaughlin won the Rimington Trophy, an award presented to the nation's outstanding center by the Boomer Esiason Foundation.
“I’m thrilled to be this year’s Rimington Trophy recipient,” said McLaughlin. “An award like this is a testament to the great support system I have around me, including my family, my coaches and my teammates. I am so fortunate that I had the chance to finish my career at Ohio State. Thank you to Coach Frye, Coach Kelly and Coach Day for helping to make this experience everything I could have ever wanted or needed.”
Three other Buckeyes have won the award in the past: LeCharles Bentley (2001), Pat Elflein (2016) and Billy Price (2017).
In October, McLaughlin was also chosen as a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, the premier scholar-athlete award in college football. The award recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and leadership. The Awards Dinner will be held on Dec. 10.
McLaughlin led the offensive line for 10 games before he suffered from an Achilles injury that ended his season early.
He did not allow a sack across 207 pass blocking snaps and allowed only four pressures all season, according to Pro Football Focus. McLaughlin is a 34-game starter at center at Ohio State and Alabama.
Before transferring to Ohio State, McLaughlin played for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2.5 years from Alabama with a bachelor's degree in finance and a 4.0 GPA. He then earned his master's degree in sports hospitality management before transferring. He is now working on his third degree in human development and family science.
McLaughlin has been named to the President's List twice, Dean's List and SEC Academic Honor Roll three times.
McLaughlin has made an impact in the community since arriving in Columbus earlier this year. The university says he volunteered for the OSU 4-miler and participated in the annual Run Out 5K to support Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.