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Olsen Repeats As Rimington Award Winner

Olsen Repeats As Rimington Award Winner

UW-Oshkosh senior center Mike Olsen has been named a repeat winner of the Rimington Award for 2021. The Rimington Award has been given each of the last 19 years to the top centers in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.  

Olsen, who also earned the Rimington Award in 2020, becomes the third Division III center to win the prestigious award twice, joining University of St. Thomas (Minn.)'s Josh Ostrue (2008, 2010) and University of Mount Union (Ohio)'s Mitch Doraty (2015, 2016). No collegiate center from any of the four divisions has won the Rimington Award more than twice.

The other 2021 Rimington Award winners were A.J. Harris from Monmouth University (N.J.) for NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision members, Matt Armendariz from Colorado School of Mines in NCAA Division II and Matt Dey from Dickinson State University (N.D.) for members of the NAIA. Harris also won the award in 2020.

Olsen, the most decorated offensive lineman in UW-Oshkosh history, was previously named a 2021 Division III First Team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association, a 2019 D3football.com Second Team All-American, a D3football.com All-Region selection in 2019 and 2021, and to the All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Association First Team in both 2019 and 2021. Olsen was the first UW-Oshkosh offensive lineman and sixth player in school history to receive All-America accolades in multiple seasons.

Olsen started each of UW-Oshkosh's nine games this season, playing a key role in helping the Titans average 5.6 yards per carry and score 19 rushing touchdowns. Behind an offense line anchored by Olsen, UW-Oshkosh gained at least 183 rushing yards six times on the year while allowing just 21 tackles for loss and nine sacks. The Titans finished the season ranked second in Division III with 2.50 tackles for loss allowed per game.

Olsen and UW-Oshkosh offensive line paved the way for season bests of 381 rushing yards in a 43-36 victory at UW-Stout on Oct. 30 and five rushing touchdowns during a 49-17 home triumph over UW-Stevens Point on Nov. 6. The Titans yielded a season-low one tackle for loss on three occasions this year, including a sackless effort during a 54-31 win over UW-Eau Claire on Oct. 23. UW-Oshkosh also surrendered a mere one tackle for loss against both UW-Stout and UW-Whitewater on Oct. 16.

Olsen, who was named the 2020 recipient of the WIAC Max Sparger Football Scholar-Athlete Award, graduated in December 2020 with a 3.66 cumulative grade-point average as an academic major in both supply chain management and finance. He was a graduate student at UW-Oshkosh this past semester.

Olsen was one of 40 NCAA Division III semifinalists (199 overall) for the National Football Foundation's 2020 William V. Campbell Trophy, an award that recognizes the best football scholar-athlete in the nation. In 2019 he received the UW-Oshkosh Dr. Brent Bandy Scholarship for his high level of academic success and involvement in extracurricular activities (excluding athletics).

Olsen, a four-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll, was recognized on UW-Oshkosh's Dean's List four times. The 2016 Arrowhead Union High School graduate served three years as president of UW-Oshkosh's Supply Chain Management Club and participated in internships at Amcor and the Kohler Co.

UW-Oshkosh concluded the 2021 season with a 6-3 record, including a 4-3 mark in league play to finish fourth in the WIAC standings and extend the program record to 10 consecutive winning seasons. The Titans have now placed fourth or higher in the WIAC 11 straight seasons, clinching league titles in 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2019. UW-Oshkosh went on to reach the national championship game in 2016, the semifinals in both 2012 and 2017, and the quarterfinals in 2015.

The Rimington Award is named after Dave Rimington, who was an award-winning center at University of Nebraska before going on to play in the NFL for eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles from 1983-90.