Peppers, Lewis Lead All 11 Defenders Honored by B1G
11/29/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 29, 2016
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- All 11 starters on the University of Michigan defense collected All-Big Ten Conference football honors announced Tuesday (Nov. 29), including individual award recognition for junior/sophomore linebacker Jabrill Peppers and senior cornerback Jourdan Lewis. In addition, fifth-year senior Kenny Allen picked up second team all-conference honors at punter.
Peppers became the first player in Big Ten history to collect three individual honors since the conference expanded its individual award recognition program in 2011. Peppers collected the Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year, Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year and the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year.
Peppers helped lead a unit that finished first in eight Big Ten defensive categories. He contributed a career-best 72 tackles, 16 tackles-for-loss, four sacks, one interception and one forced fumble. Peppers earned All-Big Ten first team honors in the return game, posting 21 punt returns for 310 yards (14.8 avg.) and one touchdown and had 10 kickoff returns for 260 yards (26.0 avg.). He also contributed on the offensive side of the ball, rushing 27 times for 167 yards and three touchdowns while catching two passes.
Jourdan Lewis was named the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year. A finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, Lewis has been targeted 31 times, allowing 74 yards, with 14 total yards after catch and 0.36 yards per snap in coverage. The lock-down corner is more likely to touch the football than the receiver he is covering is to catch the ball, with 12 pass breakups to eight receptions allowed. Lewis has contributed 23 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, two interceptions and 12 pass breakups this season.
Peppers, Lewis and senior defensive end Taco Charlton were named All-Big Ten first team on the coaches and media ballots. Senior defensive end Chris Wormley earned first-team accolades on the coaches ballot and earned second-team honors from the media. Charlton led the team with 8.5 sacks followed by Wormley in second with six sacks. The bookend defenders each contributed 11 TFLs and 39 tackles on the year.
Fifth-year senior defensive tackle Ryan Glasgow and senior cornerback Channing Stribling were selected All-Big Ten second team on both the media and coaches ballots. Glasgow posted a career-best 39 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, four sacks, one pass breakup and one forced fumble this season. Stribling led the Big Ten in conference play with 14 pass breakups, the fourth most in a single season in U-M history. He led the Wolverines in interceptions (four) and pass breakups (16) while registering 27 tackles, three TFLs and one sack.
The team's leading tackler, senior linebacker Ben Gedeon earned second-team honors from the media and third-team all-conference accolades from the coaches. Gedeon posted a career-best 104 tackles, including 15.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks and two pass breakups. He posted double-digit tackle efforts in five games this season, including a career-high 14 tackles against Colorado.
Senior safety Delano Hill picked up second-team honors from the coaches and earned honorable mention from the media. Hill contributed 48 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, three interceptions and six pass breakups.
Senior linebacker Mike McCray and senior safety Dymonte Thomas received honorable mention on both the coaches and media ballots. Senior defensive tackle Matthew Godin received honorable mention from the coaches. McCray tallied 72 tackles, 12.5 TFLs, four sacks, one interception and eight PBUs. The secondary's quarterback, Thomas contributed 63 stops, one interception and eight PBUs. Godin made 25 tackles, two TFLs and one sack.
Michigan special teams standout Kenny Allen earned all-conference accolades at both punter and placekicker. Allen received All-Big Ten second team honors from the coaches and media as a punter and picked up honorable mention from both groups as a placekicker. Allen is second in the league with a 42.6-yard average, punting 46 times for 1,961 yards with 20 punts inside the opposition's 20-yard line and 14 punts of 50 yards or better. He has converted his last 12 field goal attempts, the third-longest streak in school history, and has converted 16-of-20 field goals this season.
The Big Ten will announce the All-Big Ten offense and individual offensive honors on Wednesday night (Nov. 30).
Following is a breakdown of Michigan's players on the All-Big Ten defensive and special teams ballots:
All-Big Ten Defense (Coaches)
First team: Chris Wormley, Taco Charlton, Jabrill Peppers, Jourdan Lewis
Second team: Ryan Glasgow, Delano Hill, Channing Stribling
Third team: Ben Gedeon
Honorable mention: Matthew Godin, Mike McCray, Dymonte Thomas
All-Big Ten Special Teams (Coaches)
First team: Jabrill Peppers (RS)
Second team: Kenny Allen (P)
Honorable mention: Kenny Allen (PK)
All-Big Ten Defense (Media)
First team: Taco Charlton, Jabrill Peppers, Jourdan Lewis
Second team: Chris Wormley, Ryan Glasgow, Ben Gedeon, Channing Stribling
Honorable mention: Delano Hill, Mike McCray, Dymonte Thomas
All-Big Ten Special Teams (Media)
First team: Jabrill Peppers (RS)
Second team: Kenny Allen (P)
Honorable mention: Kenny Allen (PK)
