Four Badgers named first-team All-Big Ten
November 19, 2007 | Football
Four Wisconsin football players earned first-team All-Big Ten honors, the Big Ten Conference announced Monday night on the Big Ten Network.
The four first-teamers are the most for the Badgers since the 2004 squad had five.
TE Travis Beckum and DB Jack Ikegwuonu were both consensus first-team selections, while C Marcus Coleman was a first-team choice of the media and kicker Taylor Mehlhaff was a first-team selection by the league's coaches.
OL Kraig Urbik and DE Matt Shaughnessy were both consensus second-team all-conference picks. P Ken DeBauche was a second-team selection of the Big Ten coaches, while Mehlhaff was a second-team pick by the media.
Several Badgers earned honorable mention All-Big Ten acclaim, including consensus choices DB Shane Carter, LB Jonathan Casillas, QB Tyler Donovan and DL Nick Hayden. Coleman and WR Paul Hubbard were honorable mention choices by the coaches. DeBauche and RB P.J. Hill were honorable mention picks by the media.
Beckum, named a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award (nation's best tight end) earlier Monday, leads the nation's tight ends with 73 receptions for 960 yards. Ikegwuonu led the Big Ten with 14 passes defended in conference games and ranks second in the league in overall games with 16 passes defended. Mehlhaff, a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, leads the Big Ten with 20 field goals. Coleman has started 25 straight games.
Urbik has started 38 consecutive games for the Badgers, while Shaughnessy leads Wisconsin with 16 tackles for loss. DeBauche's 43-yard average in conference games ranked second in the Big Ten.
Carter leads the conference and ranks No. 3 nationally with seven interceptions. Casillas is Wisconsin's leading tackler for the second consecutive season (he has 86 thus far). Donovan, who is 11-3 as a starter at Wisconsin, ranks fourth in the conference in pass efficiency. Hayden is third on the team in QB sacks and fourth in tackles for loss. Hubbard made 13 catches for 278 yards in an injury-shortened seven games this season. Hill, also hampered by injury, has rushed for 1,080 yards and 14 TDs.
WR Luke Swan was named Wisconsin's winner of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
