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    •   ILLINOIS FOOTBALL HISTORY   •

    Team and Big Ten Honors

    Illinois Most Valuable Player
    The Fighting Illini Most Valuable Football Player is selected each year by a vote of team members. The following is a list of Illinois' MVPs since 1930.

    1930 Stan Bodman G
    1931 Fred Frink E
    1932 Gil Berry HB
    1933 Dave Cook FB
    1934 Les Lindberg HB
    1935 Ed Gryboski G
    1936 Cliff Kuhn G
    1937 Jack Berner QB
    1938 James Hodges G
    1939 Bill Lenich D
    1940 George Bernhardt FB
    1941 Nate Johnson T
    1942 Elmer Engle E
    1943 Eddie Bray HB
    1944 Buddy Young HB
    1945 Mac Wenskunas C
    1946 Alex Agase G
    1947 Ike Owens E
    1948 James Valek E
    1949 John Karras HB
    1950 Tony Klimek E
    1951 Charles Boerio LB
    1952 Al Brosky HB
    1953 Don Ernst T
    1954 Jack Chamblin C
    1955 Em Lindbeck QB
    1956 Dave Walker G
    1957 Ron Hanson E
    1958 Gene Cherney C
    1959 Bill Burrell G
    1960 Joe Rutgens T
    1961 Tony Parrilli G
    1962 Ken Zimmerman HB
    1963 Dick Butkus C
    1964 Dick Butkus C
    1965 Jim Grabowski FB
    1966 Ron Guenther G
    1967 John Wright E
    1968 Rich Johnson FB
    1969 Doug Dieken E
    1970 Doug Dieken E
    1971 Terry Masar P-HB
    1972 Larry McCarren
    Larry Allen    		 C
    DE
    1973 Eddie Jenkins
    Octavus Morgan    		 DE
    1974 Tom Hicks
    Jeff Hollenback    		 LB
    QB
    1975 Stu Levenick
    Bruce Beaman    		 OT
    DB
    1976 Jerry Finis
    Scott Studwell    		 OT
    LB
    1977 John Sullivan
    James Coleman    		 LB
    TB
    1978 John Sullivan
    Randy Taylor    		 LB
    C
    1979 Lawrence McCullough QB
    1980 Dave Wilson QB
    1981 Tony Eason
    Kelvin Atkins
    Ron Ferrari
    Dan Gregus
    Mike Bass    		 QB
    OLB
    OLB
    DT
    K
    1982 Tony Eason QB
    1983 Don Thorp DT
    1984 David Williams WR
    1985 David Williams WR
    1986 Keith Jones RB
    1987 Darryl Usher WR
    1988 Keith Jones RB
    1989 Moe Gardner
    Mike Bellamy    		 NT
    WR
    1990 Howard Griffith RB
    1991 Kameno Bell RB
    1992 Jason Verduzco QB
    1993 Dana Howard LB
    1994 Dana Howard LB
    1995 Kevin Hardy LB
    1996 Robert Holcombe RB
    1997 Robert Holcombe RB
    1998 Danny Clark LB
    1999 Kurt Kittner QB
    2000 Kurt Kittner QB
    2001 Kurt Kittner QB
    2002 Antoineo Harris RB
    2003 Derrick Strong DE
    2004 Pierre Thomas RB
    2005 Pierre Thomas RB
    2006 J Leman LB
    2007 Rashard Mendenhall RB
    2008 Arrelious Benn WR


    UPI Coach of the Year
    1983 Mike White
    1988 John Mackovic


    Lineman of the Year
    (as chosen by Big Ten media)
    1989 Moe Gardner, NT, Defensive
    1994 Simeon Rice, LB, Defensive


    Defensive Player of the Year
    1990 Darrick Brownlow, LB (media)
    1990 Moe Gardner, NT (coaches)
    1993 Dana Howard, LB (coaches and media)
    1994 Dana Howard, LB (coaches and media)


    Big Ten Freshman of the Year
    1992 Simeon Rice, RLB (media)
    2007 Arrelious Benn, WR (coaches and media)
    		 
    Chicago Tribune
    Silver Football Award
    The Chicago Tribune has awarded the Silver Football to the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player each year since 1924. To be eligible for the conference award, a player must have been selected as his team's MVP.

    YEAR PLAYER POS. SCHOOL
    1924 Red Grange HB Illinois
    1925 Tim Lowry C Northwestern
    1926 Benny Friedman QB Michigan
    1927 Ken Rouse C Chicago
    1928 Chuck Bennett HB Indiana
    1929 Bill Glassgow HB Iowa
    1930 Wesly Fesler DE Ohio State
    1931 Clarence Munn OG Minnesota
    1932 Harry Newman QB Michigan
    1933 Joe Laws Back Iowa
    1934 Pug Lund Back Minnesota
    1935 Jay Berwanger Back Chicago
    1936 Vernon Huffman Back Indiana
    1937 Corbett Davis FB Indiana
    1938 Howard Weiss FB Wisconsin
    1939 Nile Kinnick FB Iowa
    1940 Tom Harmon HB Michigan
    1941 Jack Graf FB Ohio State
    1942 Dave Schreiner DE Wisconsin
    1943 Otto Graham HB Northwestern
    1944 Les Horvath HB Ohio State
    1945 Ollie Cline FB Ohio State
    1946 Alex Agase OG Illinois
    1947 Chalmers Elliott HB Michigan
    1948 Art Murakowski Back Northwestern
    1949 Robert Wilson C Wisconsin
    1950 Vic Janowicz HB Ohio State
    1951 Bill Reichardt FB Iowa
    1952 Paul Giel HB Minnesota
    1953 Paul Giel HB Minnesota
    1954 Alan Ameche FB Wisconsin
    1955 Howard Cassidy HB Ohio State
    1956 Kenny Ploen QB Iowa
    1957 Jim Pace HB Michigan
    1958 Randy Duncan QB Iowa
    1959 Bill Burrell OG Illinois
    1960 Tom Brown OG Minnesota
    1961 Sandy Stephens QB Minnesota
    1962 Ron VanderKelen QB Wisconsin
    1963 Dick Butkus LB Illinois
    1964 Bob Timberlake QB Michigan
    1965 Jim Grabowski FB Illinois
    1966 Bob Griese QB Purdue
    1967 Leroy Keyes HB Purdue
    1968 Ron Johnson HB Michigan
    1969 Mike Phipps QB Purdue
    1970 Mike Adamle FB Northwestern
    1971 Eric Allen HB Michigan State
    1972 Otis Armstrong HB Purdue
    1973 Archie Griffin TB Ohio State
    1974 Archie Griffin TB Ohio State
    1975 Cornelius Greene QB Ohio State
    1976 Rob Lytle TB Michigan
    1977 Larry Bethea DT Michigan State
    1978 Rick Leach QB Michigan
    1979 Tim Clifford QB Indiana
    1980 Mark Herrmann QB Purdue
    1981 Art Schlichter QB Ohio State
    1982 Anthony Carter WR Michigan
    1983 Don Thorp DT Illinois
    1984 Keith Byars TB Ohio State
    1985 Chuck Long QB Iowa
    1986 Jim Harbaugh QB Michigan
    1987 Lorenzo White TB Michigan State
    1988 A. Thompson TB Indiana
    1989 A. Thompson TB Indiana
    1990 Nick Bell RB Iowa
    1991 Desmond Howard WR Michigan
    1992 Lee Gissendaner WR Northwestern
    1993 Brent Moss RB Wisconsin
    1994 Kerry Collins QB Penn State
    1995 Eddie George RB Ohio State
    1996 Orlando Pace OT Ohio State
    1997 Charles Woodson DB Michigan
    1998 Joe Germaine QB Ohio State
    1999 Ron Dayne RB Wisconsin
    2000 Drew Brees QB Purdue
    2001 Antwaan Randle El QB Indiana
    2002 Brad Banks QB Iowa
    2003 Chris Perry RB Michigan
    2004 Braylon Edwards WR Michigan
    2005 Michael Robinson QB Penn State
    2006 Troy Smith QB Ohio State
    2007 Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois
    2008 Shonn Greene RB Iowa


    Chicago Tribune Big Ten
    Most Valuable Player
    1924 Red Grange, B
    1946 Alex Agase, G
    1959 Bill Burrell, G
    1963 Dick Butkus, C-LB
    1965 Jim Grabowski, FB
    1983 Don Thorp, DT
    2007 Rashard Mendenhall, RB


    Dave McClain Big Ten
    Coach of the Year
    (chosen by writers and broadcasters)
    1983 Mike White
    1988 Mike White
    1989 John Mackovic
    2001 Ron Turner (unanimous)
    2007 Ron Zook


    Monsignor Duncan Award The Monsignor Edward J. Duncan Award, the Illini team chaplain since 1943, was initiated in 1994 in recognition of the more than 50 years of service the director of the Newman Foundation has provided the football team and the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. The award is presented annually to the University of Illinois football letterman who has displayed exemplary integrity and dedication to this community/state/ country/ church through public service and citzenship.
    1994 Timothy J. McCarthy '72 2002 Jack Trudeau '86
    1995 Michael B. Bass '83 2003 Tony Clements '71
    1996 Russell "Ruck" Steger '50 2004 Jim Juriga '86
    1997 Phil Knell '67 2005 Jerry Ramshaw '79
    1998 Tony Eason '83 2006 Jim Grabowski '66
    1999 Dick Butkus '64 2007 Revie Sorey '75
    2000 Kris Jenner '82 2008 Kameno Bell '92
    2001 Glenn H. Collier '72
     
     
    Bruce Capel Award The Bruce Capel Award is given to the Most Courageous Fighting Illini player. The award is named after the Illinois football player who was killed as a ser­vice­man in Vietnam. Capel, a UI letterman from 1962-64, was an Illini teammate of Dick Butkus and Jim Grabowski.
    1967 Ken Kmiec, DE 1986 Tom Schertz, OT 2005 Kyle Kleckner, DB
    1968 Bill Nowack, DG 1987 Tom Schertz, OT 2006 Josh Norris, DT
    1969 Bob Bess, HB 1988 Joe Skubisz, OT 2007 Kyle Knezetic, LS
    Justin Harrison, DB
    Russ Weil, FB
    1970 Kirk McMillin, OG
    Bob Bucklin, DE    		 1989 Darrick Brownlow, LB 2008 Xavier Fulton, OT
    1971 Mike Navarro, B 1990 Mike Hopkins, DB
    1972 Larry McCarren, C 1991 John Wright, WR
    1973 Ken Braid, LB 1992 Darren Boyer, RB
    1974 Ty McMillin, LB 1993 Gary Voelker, WR
    1975 Lonnie Perrin, TB 1994 John Holecek, LB
    1976 Dean March, DE 1995 Matt Cushing, TE
    1977 Mike McCray, QB 1996 Jason Dulick, WR
    1978 Dale Hardy, DB 1997 Robert Holcombe, RB
    1979 Doug Cozen, TE 1998 Garrett Johnson, DT
    1980 Rick George, DB 1999 Matt Carlton, DT
    1981 Rick George, DB 2000 Michael Young, LB
    1982 Mark Helle, OG 2001 Nick Piazza, S
    1983 Mike Johnson, DE 2002 Tony Pashos, OT
    1984 Rick Schulte, OG 2003 Derrick Strong, DE
    1985 Alec Gibson, DE 2004 Bucky Babcock, OL

    (updated 2/09)

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