Foreman, Worthy, Adams, Robinson Win All-Big Ten Honors

by Pete Rossman on Nov 28, 2011 7:15 PM CST in Michigan State Spartans Football

Joel Foreman was First Team All-Big Ten, but on the O-Line and sadly not for the one carry he had against Indiana.

The Big Ten just handed out its All-Big Ten and player of the year honors today. MSU placed four players on the first team and eight (or seven, if you're counting Johnny Adams twice) on the second team, which is the best showing I can remember.

Even more remarkable -- counting honorable mention, every starter on the MSU defense was honored. We're a long, long ways from 2006 y'all. Here are the honorees, and I'll have more commentary in a bit. The lists in full are after the jump.

ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM OFFENSE:

QB: Russell Wilson, Wisconsin
HB: Montee Ball, Wisconsin (unanimous, coaches and media)
HB: Rex Burkhead, Nebraska
WR: Marvin McNutt Jr., Iowa
WR: A.J. Jenkins, Illinois
TE: Drake Dunsmore, Northwestern
OG: Joel Foreman, Michigan State
OG: Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin
C: David Molk, Michigan (coaches); Peter Konz, Wisconsin (media)
OT: Riley Reiff, Iowa
OT: Josh Oglesby, Wisconsin

ALL BIG-TEN FIRST TEAM DEFENSE:

DL: Whitney Mercilus, Illinois
DL: Jerel Worthy, MSU
DL: Devon Still, Penn State
DL: John Simon, Ohio State (coaches), Kawann Short, Purdue (media)
LB: Lavonte David, Nebraska
LB: Chris Borland, Wisconsin
LB: Gerald Hodges, Penn State (coaches), Mike Taylor, Wisconsin (media)
DB: Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska
DB: Johnny Adams, MSU (coaches), Brian Peters, Northwestern (media)
DB: Aaron Henry, Wisconsin (coaches), Trenton Robinson, MSU (media)
DB: Shaun Prater, Iowa (coaches), Antonio Fenelus, Wisconsin (media)

ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS:

K: Brett Maher, Nebraska
P: Brett Maher, Nebraska

ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAM OFFENSE:

QB: Kirk Cousins, MSU (coaches), Denard Robinson, Michigan (media)
HB: Marcus Coker, Iowa
HB: Silas Redd, Penn State
WR: B.J. Cunningham, Michigan State
WR: Nick Toon, Wisconsin (coaches), Jeremy Ebert, Northwestern (media)
TE: Brian Linthicum, MSU (coaches), Jacob Pedersen, Wisconsin (media)
OG: Adam Gettis, Iowa (coaches), Spencer Long, Nebraska (media)
OG: Travis Frederick, Wisconsin
C: Mike Caputo, Nebraska and Mike Brewster, Ohio State (coaches - tie), David Molk, Michigan (media)
OT: Mike Adams, Ohio State
OT: Taylor Lewan, Michigan (coaches), Jeff Allen, Illinois (media)

ALL BIG-TEN SECOND TEAM DEFENSE:

DL: Michael Buchanan, Illinois
DL: Mike Martin, Michigan
DL: William Gholston, MSU
DL: Jack Crawford, Penn State and Kawann Short, Purdue (coaches -- tie), John Simon, Ohio State (media)
LB: Max Bullough, MSU (coaches), Jonathan Brown, Illinois (media)
LB: Andrew Sweat, Ohio State (coaches), Denicos Allen, MSU (media)
LB: Mike Taylor, Wisconsin (coaches), Gerald Hodges, Penn State (media)
DB: Isaiah Lewis, Michigan State
DB: Nick Sukay, Penn State
DB: C.J. Barnett, Ohio State (coaches), Johnny Adams, MSU (media)
DB: Ricardo Allen, Purdue (coaches), Micah Hyde, Iowa (media)

ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS:

K: Carson Wiggs, Purdue (coaches), Anthony Fera, Penn State (media)
P: Cody Webster, Purdue

Honorable Mention, MSU: Le’Veon Bell, Max Bullough, Dan Conroy, Kirk Cousins, Darqueze Dennard, Brian Linthicum, Chris McDonald, Chris Norman, Kevin Pickelman, Marcus Rush

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:

RIMINGTON-PACE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR: David Molk, Michigan
SMITH-BROWN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR: Devon Still, Penn State
GRIESE-BREES QUARTERBACK OF THE YEAR: Russell Wilson, Wisconsin
AMECHE-DAYNE RUNNING BACK OF THE YEAR: Montee Ball, Wisconsin
TATUM-WOODSON DEFENSIVE BACK OF THE YEAR: Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska
BUTKUS-FITZGERALD LINEBACKER OF THE YEAR: Lavonte David, Nebraska
RICHTER-HOWARD RECEIVER OF THE YEAR: Marvin McNutt, Iowa
KWALICK-CLARK TIGHT END OF THE YEAR: Drake Dunsmore, Northwestern
BAKKEN-ANDERSEN KICKER OF THE YEAR: Brett Maher, Nebraska
EDDLEMAN-FIELDS PUNTER OF THE YEAR: Brett Maher, Nebraska

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Comments

Great Job All-B1G Players!

Love that Pickelman got some love.

by Geofffree on Nov 28, 2011 8:33 PM CST reply actions

Odds on Rush for Freshman AA?

Schadenfreude ist die schoenste Freude

by Seer on Nov 28, 2011 8:54 PM CST reply actions

This is crazy

Even more remarkable — counting honorable mention, every starter on the MSU defense was honored

Especially since our defense is so young. At least 8 (9 if Worthy stays) of those guys will be back starting next year. If no one leaves early after next year we’ll still have 6 starters from this years unit in 2013.

by Stones1981 on Nov 28, 2011 9:19 PM CST reply actions

wow

I heart Dantonio.

by Jason Budd on Nov 28, 2011 9:31 PM CST reply actions

Total. Team. Effort.

Congratulations to all the Spartan honorees. The fact that none of them won the individual awards, but the team has the best record in the conference, shows the balance and teamwork this squad has displayed all year.
Go Green!

"Everyone who drinks is not a poet. Maybe some of us drink because we're not poets." - Arthur Bach

by Spartan D on Nov 28, 2011 9:43 PM CST via iPhone app reply actions

When did the awards get player names?

Griese-Brees sounds like an oily fart.

by lesmanalim on Nov 28, 2011 10:26 PM CST reply actions 2 recs

I miss OPOTY and DPOTY

I like that the best of each individual position is recognized, but it was nice having an overall best offensive and defensive player named as well. My guess is that Ball would have won on offense, but it would have been interesting to see how the votes went for Wilson and Denard (who had a chance to repeat as OPOTY without making first or second team at his own position). On D, it seems like it would have been between Still, Worthy, David, and Dennard. No idea who would have won that. Too bad we’ll never know.

"It was worth it. Every needle, every dose of medicine that I've taken. That's why you play the game. A chance to be on a Final Four team, a chance to win championships." Delvon Roe

by Ducking Delvon on Nov 29, 2011 8:11 AM CST reply actions

DPOTY would be Mercilus from Illinois

National leader in sacks, he had an incredible season, like Kerrigan last year on Purdue.

by MSUDersh on Nov 29, 2011 8:14 AM CST up reply actions

Good point

How was he not named DL of the Year? 14.5 sacks, 19.5 TFL, and 9 forced fumbles (breaking Saint-Dic’s B1G record of 8).

"It was worth it. Every needle, every dose of medicine that I've taken. That's why you play the game. A chance to be on a Final Four team, a chance to win championships." Delvon Roe

by Ducking Delvon on Nov 29, 2011 9:38 AM CST up reply actions

These will be named on Wednesday along with coach of the year.

COY will either be Dantonio (again) or Hoke.

Since UM went from 7-5 to BCS eligible and it is UM, it will probably go to Hoke.

I would make a strong argument that Dantonio deserves it more since many, many people picked us to go 7-5 to 9-3 and not make the B1G game.

by MSULaxer27 on Nov 29, 2011 12:37 PM CST up reply actions

Also MSU had tougher schedule

M went 8-0 (eight!) at home, 2-2 away from the Big Hole in the Ground. And only one win over an opponent ranked at the time.

MSU went 3-2 on road, and beat two undefeated, top 12 teams, not to mention won in Columbus & Iowa, which it hadn’t done since 99 and 89.

Finally, Hoke is a big fat jerk that relies on lifelong M assistants to do his recruiting & game day coaching – he doesn’t even wear a headset! (this last point is tongue-in-cheek – sort of).

by MSUDersh on Nov 29, 2011 3:06 PM CST up reply actions

Ugh

I’m not at all convinced that Rodriguez wouldn’t have gone 10-2 with these players and that schedule, either. Hoke’s reaping the benefits of all the starting of young guys that went on under ol’ Rich.

by witless chum on Nov 30, 2011 5:56 AM CST up reply actions

Cunningham got Screwed

BJ should have been WR of the year and obviously 1st team all Big Ten. Isaiah Lewis was definintely worthy of 1st team honors. And how did Worthy not get lineman of the year?

by Hank Beadle on Nov 30, 2011 4:59 AM CST reply actions