Penn State's A.Q. Shipley has gone from a redshirt freshman that wasn't crazy with being a center to the country's best at that position.

Shipley will be announced as the Nittany Lions' first winner of the Rimington Trophy.

The award is presented to college football's best center, during the ESPN/Home Depot College Football Awards Show tonight.

The show airs at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN and is broadcast out of Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

"He was really excited, but at the same time, he was overwhelmed by it," said Mark Capuano, Shipley's football coach at Moon High School. "To be picked the best center in college football, that's quite an honor."

Shipley beat out six finalists, including last year's winner, Arkansas' Jonathan Luigs. The other finalists were Alabama's Antoine Caldwell, California's Alex Mack, Oregon's Max Unger and Louisville's Eric Wood.

Shipley finished with the most first-team votes among four All-American teams -- the American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, Sporting News and Football Writers Association of America -- that will be announced this month.

The Rimington Trophy selection committee announces a winner based on the consensus All-American, so that distinction is sure to come Shipley's way.

Shipley will officially receive the award Jan. 17 in Lincoln, Neb.

He was also named the best offensive lineman in the Big Ten.

Shipley left Wednesday morning and will fly back Friday with defensive end Aaron Maybin, a finalist for the Bednarik and Hendricks Awards.

The Bednarik is presented to the country's top defensive player, and the defensive end is a finalist with Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis and USC linebacker Rey Maulaluga.

The Hendricks Award goes to the country's top defensive end, and Maybin will be competing with six finalists, including Indiana's Jammie Kirlew. Maybin is third nationally in solo sacks with 12.

"I was expecting big things out of myself," Maybin said. "I always felt ever since I got here, I had the ability to get it done."

Different circumstances led Maybin and Shipley to national recognition.

Shipley bounced around from defensive tackle to guard and center before becoming a three-year starter at center, a move that Joe Paterno said earlier this year was out of "desperation."

Shipley has said he wasn't thrilled with the switch, but Capuano said he came to embrace his new position.

"He doesn't want to just block people," Capuano said. "He wants to put them on their back and get to the next level."

Maybin's chance, meanwhile, materialized with the suspensions of defensive linemen Maurice Evans and Abe Koroma, who were suspended and charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession.

"I was shocked and I was surprised and I was hurt by the circumstances that the opportunity came out of, but I had a mindset the whole season, even the first game," Maybin said. "The first game, I wasn't a starter, but every time I stepped on the field, I made plays."

Paterno challenged Maybin early in September to become more disciplined and said "we've got better players than he's playing now." He also said Maybin's academics weren't adequate, though Maybin said the issue was a miscommunication.

Maybin said he needed to defer a grade in a summer arts course because of a death in his family. He said he found out he received a B in the course after Paterno questioned Maybin's academic commitment.

"Once I got the chance," Maybin said, "I never looked back."