Badgers Haul in Big Ten Honors
December 04, 2001 | Football
Freshman running back Anthony Davis and senior defensive lineman Wendell Bryant earned individual honors and six Badgers were named first-team all-Big Ten, according to all-conference awards announced today.
Davis was a consensus choice as the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year, while Bryant was selected by the league's coaches as the conference 's Defensive Lineman of the Year. Davis led the league in rushing with his 133.3 yards-per-game average and Bryant tied for second in the league in QB sacks with eight and had 16 tackles-for-loss.
Davis is Wisconsin's fourth Big Ten Freshman of the Year and third in the past six seasons. Ron Dayne earned the honor in 1996 and Brooks Bollinger did so in 1999. Bryant was named the co-Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year last season and gives Wisconsin a league defensive lineman of the year for the third time in the past four seasons.
Davis, Bryant, wide receiver Lee Evans and linebacker Nick Greisen all earned consensus first-team all-Big Ten honors. Evans is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best receiver. Greisen led the conference in tackles for the second consecutive season. Only twice in history (1993 and 1999) has Wisconsin had more than six first-team all-conference performers.
Tight end Mark Anelli earned first-team all-conference honors from the Big Ten coaches and was an honorable mention choice by the media. Defensive back Mike Echols was a first-team choice by the coaches and second-team by the media. Offensive lineman Ben Johnson was a consensus second-team all-league selection. Center Al Johnson was an honorable mention choice by both the coaches and media.
