Miller voted top freshman
Published 2:27 am Thursday, December 1, 2011
PARK RIDGE, Ill. (AP) — Wisconsin running back Montee Ball is the Big Ten’s offensive player of the year and Penn State tackle Devon Still has picked up the honor on defense.
The league announced the awards Wednesday. It also said Ohio State’s Braxton Miller is the freshman of the year and Michigan’s Brady Hoke is the coach of the year.
Ball set a Big Ten record with 34 touchdowns this season and leads the nation with 17.2 points per game. He also leads the league in rushing (135.2) and all-purpose (157.8) yards per game. Still has 17 tackles for loss for the Nittany Lions.
Miller started the last nine games for the Buckeyes and finished with 18 touchdowns and 1,692 total yards.
In his first year at Michigan, Hoke led the Wolverines to their first 10-win season since 2006.
The Big Ten named the record-breaking Ball the top player at his position and was the only player voted to the all-league first team by both the coaches and the media.
The running back award is named after two Heisman Trophy-winning backs from Wisconsin, Alan Ameche and Ron Dayne.
Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson was chosen the Griese-Brees award winner as the Big Ten’s top quarterback.
The other individual award winners were Iowa’s Marvin McNutt at receiver, Northwestern’s Drake Dunsmore at tight end, Michigan center David Molk on the offensive line and Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still on the defensive line.