ROSEMONT, Ill. – Illinois' Ron Guenther is this year's recipient of the Big Ten's Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award, while Indiana's Nate Sudfeld is the Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award honoree, the conference announced Monday. These awards recognize Big Ten football students who have achieved success in the areas of leadership and humanitarianism following their academic and athletic careers at a Big Ten university.

Guenther played football for the Illini from 1964-66 as an offensive lineman, earning team MVP, second-team All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten honors in 1966. Following his playing career, Guenther served as the offensive line coach at Boston College from 1971-74 and head football coach at North Central College from 1975-78, where he compiled a record of 22-12-2. 

Guenther was interim Athletics Director at Illinois in 1988, then named permanent Athletic Director from 1992 to 2011, when he retired from the University. He continued to work with the Big Ten Conference as a consultant after his career. Major projects under his watch included the Memorial Stadium renaissance, Eichelberger Field for softball, the Bielfeldt Athletics Administration Building, the Demirjian Golf Facility, the Kahn Outdoor Tennis Complex, the Atkins Tennis Center, the UI Outdoor Track and Field Stadium, the Irwin Indoor Football Practice Facility, the Irwin Academic Center and the Ubben Basketball Practice Facility. 

During his tenure, Illinois captured 34 Big Ten Championships, reached a men's basketball Final Four and made six football bowl appearances, including the Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl. Guenther was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame in 2005 and the University of Illinois Hall of Fame in 2022.