July 8, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The preseason watch list honors continue to roll in for the Penn State Nittany Lion football team. Senior center Angelo Mangiro (Roxbury, N.J.) has been named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List, while fellow senior tight end Kyle Carter (Bear, Del.) is on the Mackey Award Watch List Wednesday.
The Rimington Trophy, named for two-time Outland Trophy winner Dave Rimington of Nebraska, is presented annually to the Most Outstanding Center in NCAA Division I-A College Football. Since its inception, the Rimington Trophy has raised over $2.6 million for the cystic fibrosis community. The award is overseen by the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and has raised over $115 million for CF Research.
A.Q. Shipley is Penn State's lone winner of the Rimington Trophy, claiming the award in 2008.
The Mackey Awards is given annually to the most outstanding collegiate tight end. The award is named after NFL Hall of Fame member John Mackey, who is considered to be the best to have played the tight end position.
Mangiro was the leader of a young offensive line corps in 2014, starting every game and making starts at three different positions. He made 10 starts at center, two at right tackle and one at right guard. His efforts up front helped Penn State amass over 300 yards of total offense on seven occasions in 2014, including 453 yards vs. Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Mangiro was instrumental in protecting Hackenberg, who continued to climb the career passing charts, ending the season ranked among the top three in passing yards, attempts and completions.
Carter is on the Mackey Award Preseason Watch List for the second-straight year. He is the top returnee for a strong tight end group after making 16 receptions for 153 yards last season. Carter hauled in the touchdown reception that led to Sam Ficken's game-winning extra point in the thrilling 31-30 victory over Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl. Among the most experienced returning players on the roster, Carter has played in 34 of the last 37 games, including 16 career starts. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, he graduated in December 2014 with a degree in kinesiology.
As the season progresses, the Rimington Trophy committee will continue to watch all players listed below and will announce its finalists on December 7, 2015. The 2015 Mackey Semifinalists will be announced on November 16, 2015 with the announcement of finalists coming on November 24, 2015. The 2015 John Mackey recipient will be announced on December 9, 2015. Both awards will be presented live on December 10, 2015 as part of The Home Depot College Football Awards.
On Tuesday, junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg (Palmyra, Va.) and sophomore wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton (Fredericksburg, Va.) were among the candidates for the Maxwell Award for the National Player of the Year, while senior defensive tackle Anthony Zettel (West Branch, Mich.) is a nominee for the Bednarik Award for the National Defensive Player of the Year.
The Nittany Lions open the 2015 campaign on the road against Temple at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Saturday, September 5 at 3:30 p.m.
Season, partial season and single game tickets for the 2015 campaign are on sale, with more than 3,600 new season tickets having been sold. To purchase tickets or for information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing new 2015 season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 10 a.m-6 p.m.