Chicago Tribune Silver Football

The Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the Chicago Tribune to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinois was the award's first recipient.

The winner of the Silver Football is determined by a vote of Big Ten head football coaches. Each coach submits a two-player ballot with a first and second choice, and coaches cannot vote for players on their own team. The first-place vote receives two points and the second-place vote receives one point.

Coaches and media of the Big Ten also make annual selections for additional individual honors.

Recipients

 * See footnote


 * 1924: Red Grange, Illinois
 * 1925: Tim Lowry, Northwestern
 * 1926: Benny Friedman, Michigan
 * 1927: Ken Rouse, Chicago
 * 1928: Chuck Bennett, Indiana
 * 1929: Bill Glassgow, Iowa
 * 1930: Wes Fesler, Ohio State
 * 1931: Clarence Munn, Minnesota
 * 1932: Harry Newman, Michigan
 * 1933: Joe Laws, Iowa
 * 1934: Pug Lund, Minnesota
 * 1935: Jay Berwanger, Chicago
 * 1936: Vern Huffman, Indiana
 * 1937: Corbett Davis, Indiana
 * 1938: Howard Weiss, Wisconsin
 * 1939: Nile Kinnick, Iowa
 * 1940: Tom Harmon, Michigan
 * 1941: Jack Graf, Ohio State
 * 1942: Dave Schreiner, Wisconsin
 * 1943: Otto Graham, Northwestern
 * 1944: Les Horvath, Ohio State
 * 1945: Ollie Cline, Ohio State
 * 1946: Alex Agase, Illinois
 * 1947: Chalmers Elliott, Michigan
 * 1948: Art Murakowski, Northwestern
 * 1949: Red Wilson, Wisconsin
 * 1950: Vic Janowicz, Ohio State
 * 1951: Bill Reichardt, Iowa
 * 1952: Paul Giel, Minnesota
 * 1953: Paul Giel, Minnesota
 * 1954: Alan Ameche, Wisconsin
 * 1955: Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, Ohio State
 * 1956: Ken Ploen, Iowa
 * 1957: Jim Pace, Michigan
 * 1958: Randy Duncan, Iowa
 * 1959: Bill Burrell, Illinois
 * 1960: Tom Brown, Minnesota
 * 1961: Sandy Stephens, Minnesota
 * 1962: Ron Vander Kelen, Wisconsin
 * 1963: Dick Butkus, Illinois
 * 1964: Bob Timberlake, Michigan
 * 1965: Jim Grabowski, Illinois
 * 1966: Bob Griese, Purdue
 * 1967: Leroy Keyes, Purdue


 * 1968: Ron Johnson, Michigan
 * 1969: Mike Phipps, Purdue
 * 1970: Mike Adamle, Northwestern
 * 1971: Eric Allen, Michigan State
 * 1972: Otis Armstrong, Purdue
 * 1973: Archie Griffin, Ohio State
 * 1974: Archie Griffin, Ohio State
 * 1975: Cornelius Greene, Ohio State
 * 1976: Rob Lytle, Michigan
 * 1977: Larry Bethea, Michigan State
 * 1978: Rick Leach, Michigan
 * 1979: Tim Clifford, Indiana
 * 1980: Mark Herrmann, Purdue
 * 1981: Art Schlichter, Ohio State
 * 1982: Anthony Carter, Michigan
 * 1983: Don Thorp, Illinois
 * 1984: Keith Byars, Ohio State
 * 1985: Chuck Long, Iowa
 * 1986: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
 * 1987: Lorenzo White, Michigan State
 * 1988: Anthony Thompson, Indiana
 * 1989: Anthony Thompson, Indiana
 * 1990: Nick Bell, Iowa
 * 1991: Desmond Howard, Michigan
 * 1992: Lee Gissendaner, Northwestern
 * 1993: Brent Moss, Wisconsin
 * 1994: Kerry Collins, Penn State
 * 1995: Eddie George, Ohio State
 * 1996: Orlando Pace, Ohio State
 * 1997: Charles Woodson, Michigan
 * 1998: Joe Germaine, Ohio State
 * 1999: Ron Dayne, Wisconsin
 * 2000: Drew Brees, Purdue
 * 2001: Antwaan Randle El, Indiana
 * 2002: Brad Banks, Iowa
 * 2003: Chris Perry, Michigan
 * 2004: Braylon Edwards, Michigan
 * 2005: Michael Robinson, Penn State
 * 2006: Troy Smith, Ohio State
 * 2007: Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois
 * 2008: Shonn Greene, Iowa
 * 2009: Daryll Clark, Penn State and Brandon Graham, Michigan
 * 2010: Denard Robinson, Michigan
 * 2011: Montee Ball, Wisconsin
 * 2012: Braxton Miller. Ohio State