1995 All-Big Ten Conference football team


The 1995 All-Big Ten Conference football team consists of American football players chosen as All-Big Ten Conference players for the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season. Separate teams were selected by the Big Ten Conference football head coaches and by a media panel.
The 1995 Northwestern Wildcats football team won the Big Ten championship. Northwestern linebacker Pat Fitzgerald was selected as the consensus Defensive Player of the Year by both the Coaches and Media. Fitzgerald went on to become Northwestern's head football coach, a position he has held since 2006. In addition to Fitzgerald, the Wildcats had five other players selected as first-team honorees: running back Darnell Autry, defensive back Chris Martin, offensive linemen Rob Johnson and Ryan Padgett, and kicker Sam Valenzisi. Head coach Gary Barnett also won the Big Ten's Dave McClain Coach of the Year award.
Despite finishing second in the conference, the 1995 Ohio State Buckeyes football team under head coach John Cooper led all other teams with seven first-team honorees. The Ohio State contingent was led by running back Eddie George who was the consensus selection as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. George also won the 1995 Heisman Trophy. The other Ohio State players receiving first-team honors were quarterback Bobby Hoying, wide receiver Terry Glenn, offensive tackle Orlando Pace, tight end Rickey Dudley, linebacker Mike Vrabel and defensive back Shawn Springs. George and Pace have both been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
The 1995 Michigan Wolverines football team under head coach Lloyd Carr also landed six players on the All-Big Ten first team. Michigan's honorees were linebacker Jarrett Irons, defensive tackle Jason Horn, defensive backs Charles Woodson and Charles Thompson, and offensive linemen Jon Runyan and Rod Payne. Woodson was named by the Coaches as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 1995, and he went on in 1997 to become the first defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy.
[1995 1995 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State] under head coach Joe Paterno also landed three players on the first team. They were wide receiver Bobby Engram, offensive lineman Jeff Hartings and defensive back Brian Miller. Running back Curtis Enis was honored by the Media as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Offensive selections

Quarterbacks

Bobby Hoying, Ohio State

Running backs

Eddie George, Ohio State Darnell Autry, Northwestern

Centers

  • Rod Payne, Michigan
  • Rob Johnson, Northwestern
  • Todd Jesewitz, Minnesota

Guards

Ryan Padgett, Northwestern Jeff Hartings, Penn State

Tackles

Orlando Pace, Ohio State Jon Runyan, Michigan
  • Andre Johnson, Penn State
  • Keith Conlin, Penn State
  • Brian Kardos, Northwestern
  • Bob Denton, Michigan State

Tight ends

Rickey Dudley, Ohio State

Receivers

Bobby Engram, Penn State Terry Glenn, Ohio State

Defensive selections

Defensive linemen

Jason Horn, Michigan Simeon Rice, Illinois Tarek Saleh, Wisconsin Mike Vrabel, Ohio State

Linebackers

Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern Jarrett Irons, Michigan Kevin Hardy, Illinois

Defensive backs

Chris Martin, Northwestern Shawn Springs, Ohio State Clarence Thompson, Michigan

Special teams

Kickers

Sam Valenzisi, Northwestern

Punters

Nick Gallery, Iowa
  • Brett Larsen, Illinois

Individual awards

Offensive Player of the Year

Defensive Player of the Year

Coach of the Year

Freshman of the Year

Key

Bold = selected as a first-team player by both the coaches and media panel