Nine Wolverines Receive First-Team All-Big Ten Honors
11/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- Nine members of the University of Michigan football team were selected All-Big Ten Conference first team, while co-captains LaMarr Woodley (Saginaw, Mich./Saginaw HS) and Jake Long (Lapeer, Mich./Lapeer East HS) were recognized with individual awards. Ohio State led the league with 10 all-conference first team selections.
Senior defensive end Woodley earned unanimous All-Big Ten first team selection on both the coaches and media ballots. He earned the conference's Defensive Player of the Year award from both groups and was named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year by the coaches after leading the league with 11 sacks. An All-Big Ten first team selection on both ballots, senior left tackle Long was selected as the conference Offensive Lineman of the Year by the coaches.
Senior cornerback Leon Hall (Vista, Calif./Vista HS) joined Woodley as the only players to earn unanimous All-Big Ten first team honors on both the coaches and media ballots. The only other Wolverine to receive a unanimous nod was junior tailback Mike Hart (Syracuse, N.Y./Onondaga Central HS), a consensus first-team pick by the media and a first-team selection by the coaches.
Senior kicker Garrett Rivas (Tampa, Fla./Jesuit HS) and junior defensive tackle Alan Branch (Rio Rancho, N.M./Cibola HS) were the other Wolverines to receive All-Big Ten first team on both the coaches and media ballots.
Senior inside linebacker David Harris (Grand Rapids, Mich./Ottawa Hills HS) and sophomore wide receiver Mario Manningham (Warren, Ohio/Warren G. Harding HS) gained first-team accolades from the coaches and all-conference second team honors from the media. Senior left guard Adam Kraus (New Orleans, La./Brother Martin HS) picked up a first-team nod from the media and gained second-team honors from the coaches.
Michigan's battery of junior quarterback Chad Henne (Wyomissing, Pa./Wilson HS) and fifth-year senior center Mark Bihl (Washington Court House, Ohio/Washington Court House HS) earned All-Big Ten second team distinction from both the coaches and media. Senior outside linebacker Shawn Crable (Massillon, Ohio/Washington HS) and junior safety Jamar Adams (Charlotte, N.C./Butler HS) were selected all-conference second team by the coaches and picked up honorable mention from the media. Senior linebacker Prescott Burgess (Warren, Ohio/Warren G. Harding HS) collected honorable mention from both groups, and fifth-year senior right tackle Rueben Riley (Grand Rapids, Mich./Creston HS) gained honorable mention from the media.
Fifth-year senior wide receiver/return specialist Steve Breaston (North Braddock, Pa./Woodland Hills HS) was named Michigan's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
2006 All-Big Ten Conference Teams
As Selected by the Conference Coaches
| OFF. | FIRST TEAM | SECOND TEAM |
| QB | Troy Smith, Ohio State | CHAD HENNE, Michigan |
| RB | MIKE HART, Michigan | Tony Hunt, Penn State |
| RB | ANTONIO PITTMAN, Ohio State | P.J. HILL, Wisconsin |
| WR | MARIO MANNINGHAM, Michigan | TED GINN JR., Ohio State |
| WR | ANTHONY GONZALEZ, Ohio State | DORIEN BRYANT, Purdue |
| C | Doug Datish, Ohio State | Mark Bihl, Michigan |
| OG | Mike Jones, Iowa | ADAM KRAUS, Michigan |
| OG | T.J. Downing, Ohio State | Kyle Cook, Michigan State |
| OT | JAKE LONG, Michigan | Marshal Yanda, Iowa# |
| OT | Joe Thomas, Wisconsin | Levi Brown, Penn State# Mike Otto, Purdue# |
| TE | Matt Spaeth, Minnesota | Scott Chandler, Iowa |
| PK | Garrett Rivas, Michigan | TAYLOR MEHLHAFF, Wisconsin |
| | ||
| DEF. | FIRST TEAM | SECOND TEAM |
| DL | ALAN BRANCH, Michigan | VERNON GHOLSTON, Ohio State |
| DL | LaMarr Woodley, Michigan* | David Patterson, Ohio State |
| DL | Quinn Pitcock, Ohio State | Jay Alford, Penn State |
| DL | Anthony Spencer, Purdue | MATT SHAUGHNESSY, Wisconsin |
| LB | David Harris, Michigan | J LEMAN, Illinois |
| LB | JAMES LAURINAITIS, Ohio State | SHAWN CRABLE, Michigan |
| LB | Paul Posluszny, Penn State | DAN CONNOR, Penn State |
| DB | Leon Hall, Michigan* | Marcus Paschal, Iowa# |
| DB | MALCOLM JENKINS, Ohio State | JAMAR ADAMS, Michigan# |
| DB | Antonio Smith, Ohio State | Brandon Mitchell, Ohio State# |
| DB | JACK IKEGWUONU, Wisconsin | JUSTIN KING, Penn State# Roderick Rogers, Wisconsin# |
| P | Brandon Fields, Michigan State | Jeremy Kapinos, Penn State |
* denotes unanimous first team selection
# Multiple honorees due to tie
HONORABLE MENTION: ILLINOIS: VONTAE DAVIS, JASON REDA, Pierre Thomas; INDIANA: JAMES HARDY, TRACY PORTER; IOWA: Mike Elgin, Andy Fenstermaker, MIKE KLINKENBORG, BRYAN MATTISON, Kyle Schlicher; MICHIGAN: Prescott Burgess; MICHIGAN STATE: Clifton Ryan, BRETT SWENSON; MINNESOTA: DOMINIC JONES, Logan Payne, WILLIE VANDESTEEG; NORTHWESTERN: BRENDAN SMITH, TYRELL SUTTON; OHIO STATE: KIRK BARTON, MARCUS FREEMAN, Jay Richardson, A.J. TRAPASSO; PENN STATE: Ed Johnson, ANTHONY SCIRROTTO; PURDUE: Jared Armstrong, JORDAN GRIMES, CURTIS PAINTER; WISCONSIN: TRAVIS BECKUM, JONATHAN CASILLAS, MARCUS COLEMAN, ALLEN LANGFORD, Joe Stellmacher, John Stocco, ERIC VANDEN HEUVEL.
Offensive Player of the Year: Troy Smith, Ohio State
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Jake Long, Michigan
Defensive Player of the Year: LaMarr Woodley, Michigan
Defensive Lineman of the Year: LaMarr Woodley, Michigan
Freshman of the Year: P.J. HILL, Wisconsin
2006 All-Big Ten Conference Teams
As Selected by the Media
| OFF. | FIRST TEAM | SECOND TEAM |
| QB | Troy Smith, Ohio State* | CHAD HENNE, Michigan |
| RB | MIKE HART, Michigan* | ANTONIO PITTMAN, Ohio State |
| RB | P.J. HILL, Wisconsin | Tony Hunt, Penn State |
| WR | TED GINN JR., Ohio State | JAMES HARDY, Indiana |
| WR | DORIEN BRYANT, Purdue | MARIO MANNINGHAM, Michigan |
| C | Dough Datish, Ohio State | Mark Bihl, Michigan |
| OG | ADAM KRAUS, Michigan | Mike Jones, Iowa |
| OG | T.J. Downing, Ohio State | JORDAN GRIMES, Purdue |
| OT | JAKE LONG, Michigan | KIRK BARTON, Ohio State |
| OT | Joe Thomas, Wisconsin | Levin Brown, Penn State |
| TE | Matt Spaeth, Minnesota | TRAVIS BECKUM, Wisconsin |
| PK | Garrett Rivas, Michigan | TAYLOR MEHLHAFF, Wisconsin |
| | ||
| DEF. | FIRST TEAM | SECOND TEAM |
| DL | ALAN BRANCH, Michigan | WILLIE VANDESTEEG, Minnesota |
| DL | LaMarr Woodley, Michigan* | VERNON GHOLSTON, Ohio State |
| DL | Quinn Pitcock, Ohio State | Jay Alford, Penn State |
| DL | Anthony Spencer, Purdue | MATT SHAUGHNESSY, Wisconsin |
| LB | J LEMAN, Illinois | MIKE KLINKENBORG, Iowa |
| LB | JAMES LAURINAITIS, Ohio State | David Harris, Michigan |
| LB | Paul Posluszny, Penn State | DAN CONNOR, Penn State |
| DB | Leon Hall, Michigan* | TRACY PORTER, Indiana |
| DB | MALCOLM JENKINS, Ohio State | Brandon Mitchell, Ohio State |
| DB | Antonio Smith, Ohio State | JACK IKEGWUONU, Wisconsin |
| DB | ANTHONY SCIRROTTO, Penn State | Roderick Rogers, Wisconsin |
| P | Brandon Fields, Michigan State | Jeremy Kapinos, Penn State |
* denotes unanimous first team selection
# Multiple honorees due to tie
HONORABLE MENTION: ILLINOIS: Alan Ball, VONTAE DAVIS, JASON REDA; IOWA: Scott Chandler, Mike Elgin, Miguel Merrick, BRYAN MATTISON, Marcus Paschal, Kyle Schlicher, ADAM SHADA, Marshal Yanda; MICHIGAN: JAMAR ADAMS, Prescott Burgess, SHAWN CRABLE, Rueben Riley; MICHIGAN STATE: Kyle Cook, Kerry Reed, Clifton Ryan, BRETT SWENSON, OTIS WILEY; MINNESOTA: DOMINIQUE BARBER, DOMINIC JONES; NORTHWESTERN: TYRELL SUTTON, COREY WOOTTON; OHIO STATE:, ANTHONY GONZALEZ, David Patterson, Jay Richardson; PENN STATE: DEON BUTLER, Ed Johnson, JUSTIN KING, Tim Shaw, A.Q. SHIPLEY; PURDUE: Jared Armstrong, George Hall, Dustin Keller, Mike Otto; WISCONSIN: JONATHAN CASILLAS, JASON CHAPMAN, MARCUS COLEMAN, KEN DEBAUCHE, Joe Stellmacher, John Stocco, Mark Zalewski.
Offensive Player of the Year: Troy Smith, Ohio State*
Defensive Player of the Year: LaMarr Woodley, Michigan
Freshman of the Year: P.J. HILL, Wisconsin
Dave McClain Coach of the Year: Bret Bielema, Wisconsin
Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honorees: J Leman, Illinois; Will Meyers, Indiana; Jason Manson, Iowa; Steve Breaston, Michigan; Drew Stanton, Michigan State; Matt Spaeth, Minnesota; Joel Howells, Northwestern; Antonio Smith, Ohio State; Mike Otto, Purdue; John Stocco, Wisconsin.
Media Contacts: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
