Illinois football banquet
By: Matt Wettersten
Updated: December 10, 2011
CHAMPAIGN, Ill.
- The
Fighting Illini football team, families and friends gathered to honor
15 seniors and the season's award winners at the 110th annual football
banquet Saturday at the Memorial Stadium
Colonnades Club.
The following are the Illini award winners from the 2011 Illinois
Football Banquet:
Most Valuable Player:
Whitney Mercilus, defensive end
Mercilus
becomes only the fourth defensive end to earn the award. He leads the
nation in sacks (14.5), sacks per game (1.21) and forced fumbles (9)
while breaking the Big Ten record for forced fumbles
in a season. His 14.5 sacks rank second in Illinois history behind
Simeon Rice's 16 in 1994 and he led the Big Ten tackles for loss (19.5),
the most TFLs by an Illini since Fred Wakefield's 21 in 2000. Mercilus
won the 2011 Hendricks Award, given annually to
the nation's top defensive end, and has been named a first-team
All-American by the American Football Coaches Association and
CBSSports.com. He is a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is
awarded to the nation's top defensive player, and a semifinalist
for the Bednarik Award (best defensive player) and Rotary Lombardi Award
(top offensive lineman, defensive lineman or linebacker).
Red Grange Award:
Jack Cornell, offensive guard
The Red Grange
Award may not be given each year and will be awarded based on merit.
The award honors the dedication that Cornell has shown to the university
throughout his career and how he has always
put the university first. Last year, Cornell carved out a role as one of
Illinois' three guards, playing in all 13 games and starting six.
Through his unwavering work ethic, he provedhimself worthy of a starting
spot in 2011 and has started all 12 games. He
also has become trusted as a team leader on and off the field, thanks to
his consistent hard work and good attitude.
Most Improved Player:
Jonathan Brown, linebacker
Brown was a
second-team All-Big Ten selection after leading the Illini with 102
tackles and posting double-digit tackles in six of Illinois' last seven
games. He led the Big Ten with 1.73 tackles for
loss per game and ranked sixth with 9.3 tackles per game. His 19.0
tackles for loss were second in the league only to teammate Whitney
Mercilus and his 0.55 sacks per game ranked fourth. In conference games,
he ranked second with 11.9 tackles per game and led
the league with 2.07 TFLs per game. His 0.64 sacks per game ranked fifth
in the league in Big Ten games.
Rookies of the Year:
Reilly O'Toole, quarterback & Donovonn Young, running back
O'Toole and
Young share the honor this year after playing a large role in the Illini
offense. O'Toole saw his playing time increase throughout the season
and he completed 61.5 percent of his passes,
going 40-for-65 in the nine games he played. Young scored six
touchdowns, second-most on the team, while amassing 406 yards and
averaging 5.4 yards per carry in his rookie season.
Outstanding Offensive Back:
Nathan Scheelhaase, quarterback
Outstanding Offensive Lineman: Jeff Allen, offensive tackle
Outstanding Defensive Lineman:
Whitney Mercilus, defensive end
Outstanding Linebacker: Ian Thomas
Outstanding Defensive Back: Tavon
Wilson, cornerback
Outstanding Special Teams Award:
Derek Dimke, kicker // Jay
Prosch, fullback
Outstanding Wide Receiver
Awards: A.J. Jenkins
I BELIEVE Key Contributors Award:
Fred Sykes, receiver // Craig
Wilson, defensive tackle
Wright Commitment to Excellence Award:
Trulon Henry, linebacker
The Wright
Commitment to Excellence Award is presented each year to a senior who
has exemplified persistence in the face of obstacles to achieve
success. Trulon Henry is this year's winner. Trulon is
no stranger to overcoming adversity in his life. After serving four
years in prison for mistakes made years ago, Trulon searched for someone
who would give him a chance to achieve his dream of becoming a college
student and athlete. He found that first at
the College of DuPage, where he graduated with an Associate's Degree in 1
12 years with a 3.10 GPA. He found it for a second time at Illinois,
where he is currently on track to earn a degree in sociology next week,
in just 3 12 years. He has had to manage
the academic workload at Illinois along with the football
responsibilities of a Big Ten school. In addition, he has had to manage
regular check-ins with a probation officer while also trying to be the
best father and husband he could be to his daughter Tatum
and his wife Morgan. He has also tried to be an active member in the
community at local schools talking to kids about making good choices. Trulon's
days
at Illinois have not been without challenges, but his journey can teach
us all a lesson that if you just keep pushing through, you can achieve
your goals.
Bruce Capel Award:
Troy Pollard, running back
The Bruce
Capel Award is given to the Illini player who displays the most courage,
dedication and accomplishment throughout the season. Pollard has
battled injuries for most of his career, but has found
success once he became fully healthy. In 2007, he rushed for 92 yards at
Syracuse and had 30 yards on six carries at Indiana before suffering a
knee injury. He played in six games in 2008 and scored his first career
touchdown against Eastern Illinois, butmissed
the last half of the season with another injury. He was finally healthy
in 2010, playing in all 13 games, and has carved out a role this season.
Herushed for over 100 yards twice in 2011 and his average of 7.45 yards
per carry ranks 11th in the nation.
Scholar-Athlete Award:
Zach Becker, tight end (3.83 GPA in kinesiolog
Readers Feel...
hello
