Rob Weintraub’s 2021 All-Big Ten Awards

NFL – The NFL Alumni Awards series has made it to its tenth year, which, sad to say, is known as the Tin Anniversary. There’s nothing malleable about these awards, my friends! I’ve had a great time capping off the NFL season over the last decade by determining who is the very best professional player from each of the Power 5 schools. It’s a great way to gauge the health of the collegiate teams, an indicator of the volatility of the pro game, and, most of all, a fun argument starter.

Today’s conference is the Big Ten. There is no award for coaching alumni, but if there was Urban Meyer still would not have won it…

ILLINOIS (14)
2012: Vontae Davis—CB Indianapolis
2013: Whitney Mercilus—DE/LB Houston
2014: Vontae Davis—CB Indianapolis
2015: Whitney Mercilus—DE/LB Houston
2016: Whitney Mercilus—DE/LB Houston
2017: Clayton Fejedelem—S Cincinnati
2018: Whitney Mercilus—DE/LB Houston
2019: Whitney Mercilus—DE/LB Houston
2020: Dawuane Smoot—DE Jacksonville

2021: Dawuane Smoot—DE Jacksonville

Smoot upped his sacks from 5.5 to 6, though unlike last year he didn’t lead the team (Josh Allen, Kentucky’s Alumni Award winner, did). He gets the nod over Pittsburgh rookie center Kendrick Green mainly for surviving the chaos in Jacksonville enough to turn in a decent season.  

INDIANA (10)
2012: Rodger Saffold—OT St. Louis
2013: Tracy Porter—CB Oakland
2014: Rodger Saffold—OG St. Louis
2015: Tracy Porter—CB Chicago
2016: Jordan Howard—RB Chicago
2017: Rodger Saffold—G Los Angeles Rams
2018: Rodger Saffold—G Los Angeles Rams
2019: Rodger Saffold—G Tennessee
2020: Rodger Saffold—G Tennessee

2021: Rodger Saffold—G Tennessee

Saffold continues his dominance of the Hoosier Trophy, and his chances of winning his sixth straight next season are pretty good, given the lack of pros coming out of Bloomington. It also apparently helps to spell “Roger” with a ‘d.’

IOWA (36)
2012: Marshal Yanda—OG Baltimore
2013: Adrien Clayborn—DE Tampa Bay
2014: Marshal Yanda—OG Baltimore
2015: Marshal Yanda—OG Baltimore
2016: Marshal Yanda—OG Baltimore
2017: Micah Hyde—S Buffalo
2018: George Kittle—TE San Francisco
2019: Marshal Yanda—OG Baltimore
2020: Tristan Wirfs—OT Tampa Bay

2021: Tristan Wirfs—OT Tampa Bay

Safety Micah Hyde was tremendous in Buffalo, and with lesser competition he’d be looking at multiple awards. But they specialize in line play and tight ends in Iowa City, and there was no denying Wirfs his second Hawkeye in as many pro seasons.

MARYLAND (19)
2012: Torrey Smith—WR Baltimore
2013: D’Qwell Jackson—LB Cleveland
2014: Torrey Smith—WR Baltimore
2015: Stefon Diggs—WR Minnesota
2016: Yannick Ngakoue—DE Jacksonville
2017: Yannick Ngakoue—DE Jacksonville
2018: Yannick Ngakoue—DE Jacksonville
2019: Stefon Diggs—WR Minnesota
2020: Stefon Diggs—WR Buffalo

2021: J.C. Jackson—CB New England

They battle twice a season on the field, but that was nothing compared to the struggle Jackson and Diggs put on in their mano a mano grapple for the Terp Trophy. In the end, despite Buffalo’s better record, the feeling was Diggs benefitted more from receiving passes from Josh Allen than JCJ did from his fellow Pats defensive backs. 

MICHIGAN (35)
2012: Tom Brady—QB New England
2013: Tom Brady—QB New England
2014: Tom Brady—QB New England
2015: Tom Brady—QB New England
2016: Tom Brady—QB New England
2017: Tom Brady—QB New England
2018: Tom Brady—QB New England
2019: Tom Brady—QB New England
2020: Tom Brady—QB Tampa Bay

2021: Tom Brady—QB Tampa Bay

Assuming Tommy Touchdown’s retirement holds, it is the end of an incredible Alumni Award era. Brady not only took all 10 Wolverine Trophies I handed out but most likely another 10 (every season he played save 2008, when he tore an ACL) prior to the actual ceremonies. Seven Super Bowl rings is one thing—20 Alumni Awards is next level GOATness. Brady’s new life with Giselle and the kiddos is great news for the other UM alumni in the NFL, tough news for me if I have to find a worthy award winner from the likes of Kwity Paye, Frank Clark, Devin Bush and the other meh Michigans in the league. Perhaps presumptive top overall draft pick Aidan Hutchinson will begin a new era of dominating the Maize and Blue trophy. 

MICHIGAN STATE (18)
2012: Domato Peko—DT Cincinnati
2013: Le’Veon Bell—RB Pittsburgh
2014: Le’Veon Bell—RB Pittsburgh
2015: Kirk Cousins—QB Washington
2016: Le’Veon Bell—RB Pittsburgh
2017: Le’Veon Bell—RB Pittsburgh
2018: Kirk Cousins—QB Minnesota
2019: Kirk Cousins—QB Minnesota
2020: Jack Conklin—OT Cleveland

2021: Kirk Cousins—QB Minnesota

Last April marked the first time in 80 years—80!—that no Spartans were drafted. The pro pipeline may be slowing, but at least there remain a couple of decent candidates for the Alumni Award. Conklin’s injury allowed Captain Kirk to snag his third Sparty Trophy in a walk. 

MINNESOTA (9)
2012: Eric Decker—WR Denver
2013: Eric Decker—WR Denver
2014: Eric Decker—WR New York Jets
2015: Eric Decker—New York Jets
2016: De’Vondre Campbell—LB Atlanta
2017: De’Vondre Campbell—LB Atlanta
2018: De’Vondre Campbell—LB Atlanta
2019: De’Vondre Campbell—LB Atlanta
2020: Antoine Winfield—S Tampa Bay

2021: Antoine Winfield—S Tampa Bay
 
Gophers are usually associated with a ground attack, though wideouts Rashad Bateman and Tyler Johnson were in the hunt for the Furry Rodent. But Winfield largely cruised to his second straight award.

NEBRASKA (21)
2012: Ndamakong Suh—DT Detroit
2013: Lavonte David—LB Tampa Bay
2014: Ndamakong Suh—DT Detroit
2015: Richie Incognito—G Buffalo
2016: Lavonte David—LB Tampa Bay
2017: Lavonte David—LB Tampa Bay
2018: Ndamakong Suh—DT Los Angeles Rams
2019: Lavonte David—LB Tampa Bay
2020: Lavonte David—LB Tampa Bay

2021: Ndamakong Suh—DT Tampa Bay

The annual Suh-David combat for the Blackshirt trophy went to Goliath this time, as David’s battle with injury allowed Suh to win his fourth Husker Award with his third different team. In retrospect it is a wonder that Richie Incognito slipped in unnoticed to snag the one Alumni Award not won by either defender. 

NORTHWESTERN (17)
2012: Barry Cofield—DT Washington
2013: Zach Strief—OT New Orleans
2014: Zach Strief—OT New Orleans
2015: Zach Strief—OT New Orleans
2016: Zach Strief—OT New Orleans
2017: Trevor Siemian—QB Denver
2018: Anthony Walker—LB Indianapolis
2019: Anthony Walker—LB Indianapolis
2020: Anthony Walker—LB Indianapolis

2021: Rashawn Slater—OT Los Angeles Chargers

Suddenly, the Northwestern Alumni Award has juice! Rookies Slater and Cleveland cornerback Greg Newsome staged a pitched battle for the Wildcat Trophy, with Slater pulling away with season-long brilliance. After many years of digging to find a worthy winner, this award seems to be in safe hands for the immediate future. 

OHIO STATE (55)
2012: Zach Boone—OG San Francisco
2013: James Laurinaitis—LB St. Louis
2014: Cameron Heyward—DE Pittsburgh
2015: Malcolm Jenkins—S Philadelphia
2016: Ezekiel Elliott—RB Dallas
2017: Marshon Lattimore—CB New Orleans
2018: Michael Thomas—WR New Orleans
2019: Michael Thomas—WR New Orleans
2020: Chase Young—DE Washington

2021: Casey Heyward—DE Pittsburgh

Not many schools can shrug off the injury-based loss of its last two award winners, turn to a raft of other stars, and say “have at it, boys.” Terry McLaurin, the Bosa Brothers, Corey Linsley, Sam Hubbard, Denzel Ward—all were worthy competitors for the Buckeye Trophy. But Heyward’s brilliance on the Steeler line outdid all of them. The seven-year gap between alumni awards is amazing as well. 

PENN STATE (34)
2012: Cameron Wake—DE/LB Miami
2013: Tamba Hali—DE/LB Kansas City
2014: Cameron Wake—DE/LB Miami
2015: NoVarro Bowman—LB San Francisco
2016: Sean Lee—LB Dallas
2017: Cameron Wake—DE/LB Miami
2018: Saquon Barkley—RB New York Giants
2019: Chris Godwin—WR Tampa Bay
2020: Allen Robinson—WR Chicago

2021: Micah Parsons—LB Dallas

A surprisingly easy romp to the Nittany by Parsons, who benefitted from a falloff in competition—even though he didn’t require any help. 

PURDUE (16)
2012: Bernard Pollard—S Baltimore
2013: Drew Brees—QB New Orleans
2014: Drew Brees—QB New Orleans
2015: Kawann Short—DT Carolina
2016: Drew Brees—QB New Orleans
2017: Drew Brees—QB New Orleans
2018: Drew Brees—QB New Orleans
2019: Drew Brees—QB New Orleans
2020: Drew Brees—QB New Orleans

2021: Rondale Moore—WR Arizona

The end of the Brees Epoch makes awarding the Boiler tricky. Moore was the best of a group of backups and roster-fillers. 

RUTGERS (13)
2012: Ray Rice—RB Baltimore
2013: Jeremy Zuttah—C Tampa Bay
2014: Devin McCourty—S New England
2015: Devin McCourty—S New England
2016: Devin McCourty—S New England
2017: Devin McCourty—S New England
2018: Devin McCourty—S New England
2019: Devin McCourty—S New England
2020: Devin McCourty—S New England

2021: Devin McCourty—S New England

Make it a great eight straight for McCourty, the most recognized Garden Stater since The Boss.

WISCONSIN (25)
2012: J.J. Watt—DE Houston
2013: Russell Wilson—QB Seattle
2014: J.J. Watt—DE Houston
2015: J.J. Watt—DE Houston
2016: Travis Frederick—C Dallas
2017: Russell Wilson—QB Seattle
2018: Russell Wilson—QB Seattle
2019: Russell Wilson—QB Seattle
2020: T.J. Watt—LB Pittsburgh

2021: T.J. Watt—LB Pittsburgh

The annual “Watt or Wilson for Wisconsin?” battle as been joined by J.J’s brother T.J. the last few seasons, and the High Wattage tag team has now surpassed Russ in Wisky Trophies, 5-4, thanks to Watt the Younger’s record season in Pittsburgh. Can Russ bring Ciara to the ring in order to even up this fight?