Minnesota football senior center Greg Eslinger won the Outland Trophy on Thursday night in Orlando, Fla.

The Outland Trophy has been given to the nation’s best interior lineman in college football by the Football Writer’s Association since 1946.

The other two finalists for the award were Marcus McNeil, a senior offensive tackle from Auburn, and Haloti Ngata, a defensive tackle from Oregon.

Eslinger is the third player from Minnesota to win the Outland Trophy. Tom Brown won the award in 1960 and Bobby Bell won it in 1962.

Eslinger was also given the Rimington Trophy on Thursday. The Rimington is given annually to the nation’s best center. This is the seventh year the Rimington Trophy has been awarded.

Food drive

Minnesota student-athletes will participate in a food drive Saturday.

The event will be at Williams Arena. Nonperishable food items and hygiene products can be brought to the arena prior to Minnesota’s men’s basketball game against Nevada-Las Vegas at noon and prior to Minnesota’s women’s basketball game against Washington State at 7 p.m.