Marvin Harrison Wins Silver Football As Big Ten's Best Player

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr. has been awarded the Chicago Tribune Silver Football, which is voted on by the Big Ten’s head coaches and goes to the individual deemed to be the best player in the conference.

Harrison caught 67 passes this season for a Big Ten-high 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also carried the ball twice for 26 yards and a score.

As a junior, Harrison caught at least one touchdown in his last eight games this season.

Harrison is now the 21st Buckeye to win the award. Ohio State has had two two-time winners, however, in Archie Griffin (1973, 1974) and Braxton Miller (2012, 2013).

The Silver Football has now been awarded to a wide receiver for just the fifth time ever. Harrison joins Michigan Wolverines Anthony Carter (1982), Desmond Howard (1991), and Braylon Edwards (2004), as well as Northwestern’s Lee Gissendaner (1992).

The Silver Football has now been awarded 100 times, with the first trophy going to Illinois running back Red Grange in 1924. The award predates the Heisman Trophy by 11 years.

A Buckeye has won the award six of the last nine years. A full list of OSU winners can be found below.

Harrison also became just the fifth Buckeye to be named a two-time unanimous All-American, joining Hopalong Cassady, Bob Ferguson, Archie Griffin, and Orlando Pace. He is also just the 11th unanimous two-time All-American in Big Ten football history.

Ohio State Silver Football Recipients

1930 – Wes Fesler, E
1941 – Jack Graf, QB/FB
1944 – Les Horvath, HB/QB
1945 – Ollie Cline, FB
1950 – Vic Janowicz, HB
1955 – Howard “Hopalong” Cassady, HB
1973 – Archie Griffin, RB
1974 – Archie Griffin, RB
1975 – Cornelius Greene, RB
1981 – Art Schlichter, QB
1984 – Keith Byars, RB
1995 – Eddie George, RB
1996 – Orlando Pace, OT
1998 – Joe Germaine, QB
2006 – Troy Smith, QB
2012 – Braxton Miller, QB
2013 – Braxton Miller, QB
2015 – Ezekiel Elliott, RB
2016 – JT Barrett, QB (shared with Penn State RB Saquon Barkley)
2018 – Dwayne Haskins, QB
2019 – Chase Young, DE
2020 – Justin Fields, QB
2023 – Marvin Harrison, Jr, WR