With 38 consecutive starts under his belt, Lewis, from Reserve, La., is the most experienced player on either side of football as the Aggies enter the Southeastern Conference under first-year Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin. Lewis was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection the past three seasons -- as a guard in 2009 and 2010 and as a center in 2011.
The linchpin of the Aggies' talented offensive front, Lewis helped A&M set school records in total offense, passing offense and scoring offense in 2011. In addition, the Aggies allowed just nine quarterback sacks in 13 games last season while being flagged for holding just twice.
There were 51 players on the Rimington Trophy watch list. The SEC led the way with 10 candidates. The Big Ten followed with six players, while the ACC, Conference USA, Mountain West and Pac-12 had five players.
The winner is determined from using the post-season All-America teams from the American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, Sporting News and the Football Writers Association of America. The Trophy is named for Dave Rimington, who was a first-team All-America center at Nebraska in 1981 and 1982.
Texas A&M Players on National Award Watch Lists
Maxwell Award (Most Outstanding Player): Christine Michael, RB, Beaumont, Texas
Bednarik Award (Top Defensive Player): Sean Porter, LB, Schertz, Texas
Rimington Trophy (Most Outstanding Center): Patrick Lewis, C, Reserve, La.