Eight Badgers Earn All-Big Ten Mention
November 25, 2003 | Football
Eight Wisconsin football players earned All-Big Ten mention on some level, including four first-team selections, the conference announced Tuesday.
WR Lee Evans and DB Jim Leonhard were both consensus (coaches and media) first-team all-conference choices. LB Alex Lewis was a first-team selection by the league's coaches, while DL Anttaj Hawthorne was a first-team pick of the conference's media. Lewis was a second-team choice of the media and Hawthorne was a second-team pick of the coaches.
OL Dan Buenning earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the media and honorable mention from the coaches. OL Donovan Raiola was a consensus honorable mention choice, with LB Jeff Mack (media) and RB Dwayne Smith (coaches) also garnering honorable mention acclaim.
The entire 2003 All-Big Ten team selections can be found at www.bigten.org.
Evans (receiving yards) and Leonhard (interceptions) both led the conference in major statistical categories. Evans is currently No. 2 on the Big Ten 's all-time receiving yardage list. Leonhard is just five interceptions from becoming Wisconsin's career leader.
Lewis ranks in the top six in the conference in both tackles for loss and QB sacks. Hawthorne is tied for second in the Big Ten with 20 tackles for loss, the sixth-highest season total in school history.
Buenning and Raiola started all season for the Badgers at LG and C, respectively, and helped Wisconsin to its No. 3 ranking in the conference in total offense. Mack, a team captain, started all season and has 89 total tackles thus far. Smith has rushed for 856 yards and nine TDs this season.
Wisconsin is currently waiting to hear word on what will be its ninth bowl appearance in 11 seasons (Michigan and Ohio State are the only other schools in the Big Ten that have appeared in nine or more bowl games the past 11 seasons).
