Here’s a list, by school, of this year’s nominees for the Tribune’s annual Silver Football award. To qualify for the award, a player must first be voted his team’s most valuable player.
ILLINOIS
Dana Howard
linebacker
One of three finalists for the Butkus Award and the Big 10’s Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, Howard became the Big 10’s career leader in tackles after deciding to return for his senior year. Although he’s relatively unimposing (6 feet, 242 pounds), Howard is an intense, driven player who thrives on run defense.
INDIANA
Alfonzo Thurman,
linebacker
The former DeKalb High School star won four letters at Indiana. The 6-1, 230-pound senior led the Hoosiers with 91 tackles this year and was named second-team All-Big 10 by media and coaches.
IOWA
Parker Wildeman,
defensive lineman
In only his second year as a letterman, the senior from Cherokee, Iowa, accounted for 100 tackles, including 10 quarterback sacks for a loss of 67 yards. The 6-2, 265-pounder also had 17 tackles for loss and was a media second-team All-Big 10 pick.
MICHIGAN
Todd Collins,
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quarterback
The No. 9 passer in the nation with 2,356 yards and 11 touchdown passes, Collins was the leader of the Michigan attack. The 6-5, 229-pound senior from Walpole, Mass., has a 3.19 GPA in political science and is a two-time Big 10 All-Academic team member.
MICHIGAN STATE
Scott Greene,
fullback
The 5-11, 217-pound junior from Canandaigua, N.Y., was the Spartans’ inspirational leader and their top pass receiver. He made 42 catches for 452 yards and three touchdowns and also averaged 5.5 yards per rush (375 yards and two TDs on 68 carries).
MINNESOTA
Chris Darkins,
tailback
Named to the media’s All-Big 10 first team, Darkins is strong enough to pound inside and fast enough to break long gains. He wound up third in the Big 10-and seventh nationally-with an average of 131 yards per game. He also scored 11 of the Golden Gophers’ 12 rushing touchdowns. He’s a 6-1, 207-pound junior from Houston.
NORTHWESTERN
Matt O’Dwyer,
offensive guard
The senior from Lincolnshire’s Stevenson High School was named first-team All-Big 10 by the coaches. He led one of Northwestern’s best offensive lines in recent years. At 6-5, 294, O’Dwyer was the strongest Wildcat, with a 460-pound bench-press and a 600-pound squat. Earned four letters in Evanston.
OHIO STATE
Korey Stringer,
offensive tackle
Buckeye coach John Cooper called him the best young lineman he’d ever coached. The 6-5, 315-pounder from Warren, Ohio, was named Big 10 Offensive Player of the Week for his role in the Buckeyes’ 22-6 whipping of Michigan and was a media and coaches first-team All-Big 10 choice.
PENN STATE
Kerry Collins,
quarterback
The No. 1 passer in major-college football led the Nittany Lions to a perfect regular season. Collins, a 6-5, 235-pound senior from West Lawn, Pa., completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,390 yards, threw 20 touchdown passes and only six interceptions. Named first-team All-Big 10 by the media and coaches, he was at his best in clutch games at Michigan and Illinois.
PURDUE
Mike Alstott,
fullback
The bruising 6-1, 241-pounder from Joliet Catholic rammed his way to 1,188 yards and 14 touchdowns this fall and was a prime reason for the revitalization of Boilermaker football. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry and was a second-team All-Big 10 choice of the coaches and media.
WISCONSIN
Terrell Fletcher,
tailback
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The senior from St. Louis performed exceptionally in starter Brent Moss’ absence. Fletcher, only 5-9, 195, ran for 1,235 yards and 10 touchdowns and led the Badgers past Illinois and into the Hall of Fame Bowl.