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College Football

B1G announces Defensive Player of the Year awards for 2020 season

Kristian Dyer

By Kristian Dyer

Published:

On top of being named to the All-Big Ten’s Football Team on defense, Iowa’s Daviyon Nixon received two other honors on Wednesday, highlighting what has been a dominant season.

Nixon was awarded as the 𝐍𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐤𝐢-𝐖𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 in addition to winning the Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year. He is the first Hawkeye to be given the Nagurski-Wooden award since Mitch King in 2008.

He had 45 tackles this season in eight games including 13.5 tackles for a loss and an interception.

Northwestern cornerback Brandon Joseph was named the 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐬𝐨𝐧-𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐄𝐥 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 capping off a tremendous season in the Big Ten. Joseph had played in four games last season before redshirting and thus was eligible for the award. This year in six games he had 38 tackles and five interceptions.

The Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year is Northwestern’s Paddy Fisher. He is the program’s first linebacker to win the award. The senior had 65 tackles and an interception this year.

Ohio State’s Shaun Wade, likely a first round pick in next spring’s NFL Draft, is the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year. Surprisingly, it is the first time that an Ohio State player has won the award since it was first being handed out in 2011.

Kristian Dyer