South Dakota's Christian Morton Named Rimington Award Recipient As DII's Top Center
Christian Morton of The University of South Dakota Football Team
has been named the top center in NCAA Division II for the 2006
season. Morton, a two-year starter for the Coyotes, was named the
winner of the Rimington Award as the top center, according to an
announcement by the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Omaha, Neb.,
which sponsors the Rimington Award.
The Rimington Award is presented to the premier centers in each of
the following divisions: Division 1-AA, Division II, Division III,
and NAIA. The recipients of the Rimington Award are chosen by Don
Hansen, who publishes the Don Hansen's National Weekly Football
Gazette. Hansen's publication reports on small college football
divisions and has been in circulation since 1986.
In 2006, Morton, a junior from Norfolk, Neb., helped lead South
Dakota (ranked 13th in the final American Football Coaches
Association poll; and ninth in the final D2football.com poll) to a
9-4 record and its first NCAA Division II playoff appearance and
win in 20 years.
"Christian Morton is one of the leaders on our football team and
one of the best offensive linemen in the country," said South
Dakota Head Football Coach Ed Meierkort. "He is defined by his
solid work ethic and drive and will attract attention of NFL
scouts," said Meierkort.
Morton has received three All-American honors following the
conclusion of the 2006 season, including first-team honors on the
Don Hansen Football Gazette. Morton has been selected to the first
team on d2football.com and the first team of the Daktronics, Inc.,
squad. He was one of the eight finalists for the national Gene
Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award.
Morton anchored the nation's fourth-best rushing attack (253.4
yards per game). In fact, Morton helped USD gain 3,632 yards on the
ground in 531 attempts for a per carry average of 6.2 yards. USD
was third in the nation in average yards per rush and a half-yard
better than the NCC's top rushing team Nebraska-Omaha at 5.58.
Morton was also a key contributor on the league's top-scoring
offense (32.8 ppg), which ranked 14th nationally. He was also part
of the fifth-best offense in the nation (425.5 total offense
yards).
A starter in 29 straight games at center including all 13 games in
2006, Morton recorded 59 pancake blocks in 13 games and has 110 in
his two seasons as a starter. Morton graded out at 90 percent or
better each game and was named USD's lineman of the week nine times
in 13 weeks. Between Morton and former Coyote All-American Brian
Alderson, USD has had three straight finalists (Alderson, 2004 and
2005) for the Gene Upshaw Award.