The Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the Chicago Tribune to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinois was the award's first recipient. In 2022, the Chicago Tribune announced a new partnership with the Union League Club of Chicago, where it is currently housed.
A vote of Big Ten head football coaches determines the winner of the Silver Football. Each coach submits a two-player ballot with a first and second choice, and coaches cannot vote for players on their own team. The first-place vote receives two points and the second-place vote receives one point.
Coaches and media of the Big Ten also make annual selections for additional individual honors.
Recipients The Silver Football award has been presented annually since 1924.
+YearPlayerTeamPositionNotes1924Red GrangeIllinois HB1925Tim Lowry NorthwesternC1926Benny FriedmanMichiganQB1927Ken RouseChicagoC1928Chuck BennettIndiana HB1929Bill GlassgowIowaHB1930Wes FeslerOhio StateTEOhio State head coach (1947–1950)1931Biggie MunnMinnesotaG/FBMichigan State head coach (1947–1953)1932Harry NewmanMichiganQB1933Joe LawsIowaQB1934Pug LundMinnesotaHB1935Jay BerwangerChicagoHBHeisman Trophy winner1936Vern HuffmanIndiana HB/QBAll-American in football and basketball1937Corbett DavisIndiana FB1938Howard WeissWisconsinFB1939Nile KinnickIowaHBHeisman Trophy winner1940Tom HarmonMichiganHBHeisman Trophy winner1941Jack GrafOhio StateQB/FB1942Dave SchreinerWisconsinTEKilled in action during World War II1943Otto Graham NorthwesternQBWashington Redskins head coach (1966–1968), NFL MVP (1951, 1953, 1955)1944Les HorvathOhio StateHB/QBHeisman Trophy winner1945Ollie ClineOhio StateFB1946Alex AgaseIllinois GNorthwestern head coach (1964–1972), Purdue head coach (1973–1976)1947Bump ElliottMichiganHBMichigan head coach (1959–1968)1948Art Murakowski NorthwesternFB1949Red WilsonWisconsinTE1950Vic JanowiczOhio StateHBHeisman Trophy winner1951Bill ReichardtIowaFB1952Paul GielMinnesotaHB1953First two-time winner, UPI Player of the Year1954Alan AmecheWisconsinFBHeisman Trophy winner, UPI Player of the Year1955Ohio StateHBHeisman Trophy winner, UPI Player of the Year, AP Male Athlete of the Year1956Ken PloenIowaQB1957Jim PaceMichiganHB1958Randy DuncanIowaQB1959Bill BurrellIllinois G1960Tom BrownMinnesotaG/DL1961Sandy StephensMinnesotaQB1962Ron Vander KelenWisconsinQB1963Dick ButkusIllinois LBTwo-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year1964Bob TimberlakeMichiganQB1965Jim GrabowskiIllinois RB1966Bob GriesePurdueQBNFL MVP (1971)1967Leroy KeyesPurdueRB1968Ron JohnsonMichiganRB1969Mike PhippsPurdueQB1970Mike Adamle NorthwesternRB1971Eric AllenMichigan State RB1972Otis ArmstrongPurdueRB1973Archie GriffinOhio StateRB1974Heisman Trophy winner, UPI Player of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year1975Cornelius GreeneOhio StateQB1976Rob LytleMichiganRB1977Larry BetheaMichigan State DE1978Rick LeachMichiganQB1979Tim CliffordIndiana QB1980Mark HerrmannPurdueQB1981Art SchlichterOhio StateQBAFL MVP (1990)1982Anthony CarterMichiganWRFirst wide receiver to win the award1983Don ThorpIllinois DL1984Keith ByarsOhio StateRB1985Chuck LongIowaQBSan Diego State head coach (2006–2008)1986Jim HarbaughMichiganQBNFL Coach of the Year (2011), Michigan head coach (2015–2023)1987Lorenzo WhiteMichigan State RB1988Anthony ThompsonIndianaRB19891990Nick BellIowaRB1991Desmond HowardMichiganWRHeisman Trophy winner, UPI Player of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year, Super Bowl MVP (XXXI)1992Lee Gissendaner NorthwesternWR1993Brent MossWisconsinRB1994Kerry CollinsPenn StateQB1995Eddie GeorgeOhio StateRBHeisman Trophy winner1996Orlando PaceOhio StateOT1997Charles WoodsonMichiganCBHeisman Trophy winner, NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2009)1998Joe GermaineOhio StateQB1999Ron DayneWisconsinRBHeisman Trophy winner, NCAA all-time leading rusher, AP Player of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year2000Drew BreesPurdueQBSuper Bowl MVP (XLVI), NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2008, 2011), AP Male Athlete of the Year (2010), Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year (2010), Walter Payton Man of the Year (2006)2001Antwaan Randle ElIndiana QB2002Brad BanksIowaQBAP Player of the Year2003Chris PerryMichiganRB2004Braylon EdwardsMichiganWR2005Michael RobinsonPenn StateQB2006Troy SmithOhio StateQBHeisman Trophy winner, AP Player of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year2007Rashard MendenhallIllinois RB2008Shonn GreeneIowaRB2009Daryll ClarkPenn StateQBBrandon GrahamMichiganDE2010Denard RobinsonMichiganQB2011Montee BallWisconsinRB2012 Braxton Miller Ohio StateQB20132014Melvin GordonWisconsinRB2015Ezekiel ElliottOhio StateRB2016J. T. BarrettOhio StateQB Saquon Barkley Penn State RB 2017 Saquon Barkley Penn State RB2018Dwayne HaskinsOhio StateQB2019Chase YoungOhio StateDEBig Ten Male Athlete of the Year (2020), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2020)2020Justin FieldsOhio StateQB2021Aidan HutchinsonMichiganDE2022Blake CorumMichiganRB2023Marvin Harrison Jr.Ohio StateWR2024Dillon GabrielOregonQB2025Fernando MendozaIndianaQBHeisman Trophy winner, Davey O'Brien Award
Winners by school School WinnersFirstMost recent Ohio State 23 Wes Fesler, 1930 Marvin Harrison Jr., 2023 Michigan 19 Benny Friedman, 1926 Blake Corum, 2022 Iowa 10 Bill Glassgow, 1929 Shonn Greene, 2008 Wisconsin 9 Howard Weiss, 1938 Melvin Gordon, 2014 Illinois 7 Red Grange, 1924 Rashard Mendenhall, 2007 Indiana 7 Chuck Bennett, 1928 Fernando Mendoza, 2025 Minnesota 6 Biggie Munn, 1931 Sandy Stephens, 1961 Purdue 6 Bob Griese, 1966 Drew Brees, 2000 Northwestern 5 Tim Lowry, 1925 Lee Gissendaner, 1992 Penn State 5 Kerry Collins, 1994 Saquon Barkley, 2017 Michigan State 3 Eric Allen, 1971 Lorenzo White, 1987 Chicago 2 Ken Rouse, 1927 Jay Berwanger, 1935 Oregon 1 Dillon Gabriel, 2024 Dillon Gabriel, 2024 Maryland 0 None Nebraska Rutgers UCLA USC Washington
Winners by position +OffenseDefensePositionTotalLastPositionTotalLast RB / HB 40 Blake Corum, Michigan, 2022 DE / DT 6 Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan, 2021 QB 36 Fernando Mendoza, Indiana, 2025 DB / CB / S 1 Charles Woodson, Michigan, 1997 OT / G / C 7 Orlando Pace, OSU, 1996 LB 1 Dick Butkus, Illinois,1963 FB 8 Alan Ameche, Wisconsin, 1954 WR 5 Marvin Harrison Jr., OSU, 2023 TE 3 Red Wilson, Wisconsin, 1949
See also Big Ten Conference football individual awards Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball
Notes and references