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Illinois long snapper wins national award in back-to-back seasons
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Illinois long snapper Ethan Tabel has earned himself a national honor for a second-straight season.
On Monday night, Tabel was named the Nolan’s College Long Snapper of the Year for 2019. He also claimed the award in 2018. He beat out three other finalists, including Iowa State’s Steven Wirtel, Southeast Missouri State’s Camden Boyle and Northern Illinois’ Erik Abrell.
“Thank you to my family, teammates, coaches, and friends for their support this season,” Tabel wrote on Twitter. “I’m beyond humbled to be mentioned along with these great players. Special thank you to everyone who helped me by voting! I’m honored to bring this award back to Champaign!”
Back-to-back for #illini long snapper Ethan Tabel https://t.co/Rrdbrpui2t
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) December 17, 2019
Tabel had a flawless season in 2019, with no botched snaps in 12 games. He was previously a walk-on but earned a scholarship before the start of the season.
Illinois finished the season 6-6 and will face Cal in the Redbox Bowl on Dec. 30.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB