National Award Winners
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1924 FRANK TOOMEY TROPHY - RED GRANGE
Presented by the Veteran Athletes of Philadelphia to the National Player of the Year
Grange, one of football’s all-time greats, and arguably the game’s greatest all-time offensive player rushed for 743 yards and accounted for 1,176 yards of total offense and 15 touchdowns during the 1924 season. Grange’s most memorable performance came Oct. 18, 1924, when he scored four touchdowns in the first 12 minutes against Michigan in the Memorial Stadium dedication game. Later in the same game, he ran for a fifth touchdown and threw for a sixth. |
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1964 AFCA PLAYER OF THE YEAR - DICK BUTKUS
Presented by the American Football Coaches Association to the National Player of the Year
One of the most feared linebackers of all-time, Butkus won the 1964 AFCA Player of the Year award and finished third in the 1964 Heisman Trophy voting. While playing center on offense and linebacker on defense, Butkus totaled 132 tackles in nine games for the 1964 Fighting Illini. He now has college football’s annual award for the most outstanding collegiate linebacker named after him. |
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1994 BUTKUS AWARD - DANA HOWARD
The Butkus Award is presented annually to the nation’s top linebacker
On Dick Butkus’ 52nd birthday, Howard was named the winner of the 1994 Butkus Award. He became the first Illini to win the Butkus Award, named after the former Illinois great. Howard led the Big Ten in tackles with 141 in 1994 to earn Consensus All-American status. Howard finished his Fighting Illini career as the Big Ten’s all-time leader in tackles with 595 stops from 1991-94 and became the first player in Illinois history to top 100 tackles in each of four seasons.Â
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1995 BUTKUS AWARD - KEVIN HARDY
The Butkus Award is presented annually to the nation’s top linebacker
Hardy followed Dana Howard as the second Illini to win the Butkus Award in as many years after taking home the award in 1995. He finished his senior season with 105 tackles, including 15 for losses and 11 sacks, forced five fumbles, and led the Illini with three interceptions. Hardy beat out fellow Illini linebacker Simeon Rice, who was a finalist for the prestigious Bednarik Award, for the Butkus honor. Hardy ranked ninth on Illinois’ all-time tackles list with 326, 48 behind Dick Butkus, at the end of his career.Â
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2011 HENDRICKS AWARD - WHITNEY MERCILUS
The Hendricks Award is presented annually to the nation’s top defensive end
Mercilus made a huge leap during his junior season in 2011, leading the nation and the Big Ten in sacks (16.0), sacks per game (1.23) and forced fumbles (9). He broke the Big Ten record and ranked second in FBS history for forced fumbles in a season with nine, while tying Simeon Rice’s single-season Illinois sacks record with 16. For the season, Mercilus totaled 57 tackles, 22.5 TFL, 16.0 sacks, nine forced fumbles, six QB hurries, one pass break-up and one fumble recovery in 2011.
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ILLINI IN THE HEISMAN VOTING
1944 Buddy Young, RB (5th)
1951 Johnny Karras, RB (6th)
1953 J.C. Caroline, RB (7th)
1959 Bill Burrell, LB (4th)
1963 Dick Butkus, LB/C (6th)
1964 Dick Butkus, LB/C (3rd)
1965 Jim Grabowski, RB (3rd)
1980 Dave Wilson, QB (t-10th)
1982 Tony Eason, QB (8th)
2001 Kurt Kittner, QB (12th)
NCFAAÂ NATIONAL AWARD FINALISTS
Finalists for awards sponsored by the National College Football Awards Association
1964 Heisman - Dick Butkus, LB
1965 Heisman - Jim Grabowski, RB
1982 O’Brien - Tony Eason, QB
1984 O’Brien - Jack Trudeau, QB
1985 O’Brien - Jack Trudeau, QB
1989 O’Brien - Jeff George, QB
1989 Outland - Moe Gardner, DT
1990 Butkus - Darrick Brownlow, LB
1994 FWAA Def. Player of the Year - Dana Howard, LB
1994 Butkus - Dana Howard, LB (winner)
1995 Butkus - Kevin Hardy, LB (winner)
1995 Bednarik - Simeon Rice, LB
1995 Bednarik - Kevin Hardy, LB
2001 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year - Ron Turner
2007 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year - Ron Zook
2007 Wuerrfel - J Leman, LB
2011 Nagurski - Whitney Mercilus, DE
2013 Wuerrfel - Nathan Scheelhaase, QB
2022 Doak - Chase Brown, RB
2022 Thorpe - Devon Witherspoon, CB
2023 Nagurski - Jer’Zhan Newton, DT
OTHER NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS
2017 Wooden Citizen Cup - Joe Spencer (winner)
