MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee senior center Mark Thompson has been named to the 2009 Rimington Trophy Spring Watch List, announced Wednesday by the Rimington Trophy committee.

Thompson is one of 44 centers nationally to be named to the Spring Watch List. The Rimington Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's top center.

One of the most versatile and durable linemen on the Blue Raiders' roster, Thompson (6-5, 300) leads the Blue Raiders in career starts (31) and consecutive starts (24). The Old Hickory, Tenn., native had 14 winning grades from coaches in 2008 and was part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack against Maryland, Kentucky or Mississippi State.

"It's an honor for Mark to be listed with some of the top centers in the nation and he deserves to be on that Watch List," Middle Tennessee Head Football Coach Rick Stockstill said. "Mark has a great work ethic and he has shown improvement each year. I expect his senior season to be his best yet."

The Old Hickory, Tenn., native played 904 total snaps in 2008, which equaled the most among linemen. He also has graded among the Blue Raiders' top linemen throughout his career.

The Rimington Trophy committee uses four prestigious All-American teams to determine a winner (American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, Sporting News and Football Writers Association of America).

The center with the most first-team votes will determine the winner, which is announced at the Rimington Trophy Presentation banquet at the Rococo Theater in Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 16.

The 10-year old trophy is presented by the Boomer Esiason Foundation. Since its inception the Rimington Trophy Award has raised more than $1.3 million for the award's benefactor, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Rimington, the award's namesake, was a consensus first-team All-America center at Nebraska in 1981 and 1982.

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