|
Big Ten Earns Three National Awards and Places Nine on All-America Teams
Dec. 12, 2008
Park Ridge, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference collected three individual postseason football awards this week while nine conference standouts were named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America teams. Among the individual award winners, Iowa's Shonn Greene was given the Doak Walker Award, Ohio State's Malcolm Jenkins took home the Jim Thorpe Award while Penn State's A.Q. Shipley collected the Rimington Trophy. Greene earns the Big Ten's fifth Doak Walker Award, granted to the nation's top running back, and the first since Michigan's Chris Perry in 2003. The Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year becomes the first running back in Iowa history to collect the Doak Walker Award. Greene ranks second in the country in rushing yards per game, averaging just over 144 yards per contest. He found his way into the end zone 17 times this season and averaged 6.2 yards per carry. Jenkins claims the Big Ten's fifth Jim Thorpe Award, honoring the country's outstanding defensive back, and first since Wisconsin's Jamar Fletcher in 2000. Ohio State garners its second Jim Thorpe Award as Antoine Winfield was honored in 1998. Jenkins played shutdown defense for the Buckeyes in 2008 with nine pass break ups and three interceptions while adding 54 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. Shipley becomes the first Penn State player to earn the Rimington Trophy, granted to the nation's top center, after being named the Big Ten's Offensive Lineman of the Year. The conference has claimed three previous Rimington Trophies, most recently when Greg Eslinger of Minnesota was honored in 2005. Shipley captained a Nittany Lion offensive line that posted 211 rushing yards per game catapulting Penn State to average more then 40 points per contest in all games this season. In addition to its individual honors, the Big Ten placed nine student-athletes on the Walter Camp All-America first or second teams. Six Big Ten standouts were named to the Walter Camp first team, which ranked second among all conferences. Greene, Jenkins and Shipley were joined by Michigan State's Javon Ringer, Ohio State's James Laurinaitis and Penn State's Aaron Maybin on the first team. The Big Ten is represented on the second team by Iowa's Mitch King, Ohio State's Alex Boone and Penn State's Derrick Williams.
|
|
