Five Spartans Earn First-Team All-Big Ten Honors
11/30/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 30, 1999
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State?s record-setting wide receiver Plaxico Burress, defensive end Robaire Smith, cornerback Amp Campbell, linebacker Julian Peterson and punter Craig Jarrett earned first-team All-Big Ten honors Tuesday.
Burress, a junior from Virginia Beach, Va., was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and media. He led the team in receptions with 53 for 957 yards, including a Spartan single-season record nine TD catches. Burress led the Big Ten in TD receptions while ranking second in receiving yards (87.0 per game) and third in receptions. He had 10 catches for a school single-game record 255 yards and a score in MSU?s 34-31 victory over Michigan.
"I think it?s great," Burress said. "It came as a surprise for me, especially after I struggled the first half of the year. I owe this honor to the coaches who put a lot of faith in me and got me the ball. Coming into the year, I set a lot of personal goals, but when I wasn?t playing very well I stopped worrying about those things. I just started to go out, play hard and have fun. That approach helped me a lot."
Three players from the Big Ten?s top-ranked defense picked up first-team honors. The Spartans led the league in total defense (299.0 yards per game) and rushing defense (77.0 yards) and ranked third in scoring defense (19.2 points).
Smith, a senior from Flint, Mich., was named first-team All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media. He ranked second on the team in tackles for losses (14 for 81 yards) and sacks (eight for 71).
"It shows how the coaches and media feel about me coming back from my injury (broken leg) last year and my disappointing junior season," Smith said. "I?m glad I had a chance to prove what kind of player I am. I share this honor with every other guy out there ? on defense, offense and special teams. We had the best defense in the league and one of the best in the nation, and this individual award is a reflection of that."
Campbell, a senior from Sarasota, Fla., completed a courageous comeback from spinal-fusion surgery in 1998 to win first-team all-conference honors from both the coaches and media. In 1999, Campbell had 33 tackles, two interceptions and a Spartan single-season record 24 pass break-ups.
"It?s an honor I didn?t think I was going to get," Campbell said. "It?s great to have the opportunity to be first-team All-Big Ten with the corners there are in this league. Coming back from what I?ve been through, breaking my neck last year, I think I?ve proven to people that I can still play football and I?m grateful that people recognize that."
Peterson, a senior from Hillcrest Heights, Md., earned first-team all-league honors from the media and second team from the coaches. He set a Spartan single-season record with 25 tackles for losses (108 yards), including 12 sacks (74).
Jarrett, a sophomore from Martinsville, Ind., ranked second in the Big Ten and No. 12 nationally in punting with his 43.5-yard average. He was a first-team All-Big Ten pick by the coaches and a second-team selection by the media.
Surprisingly, team MVP Aric Morris was a second-team all-conference pick by both the coaches and media. The senior strong safety from Oak Park, Mich., led the Spartans and stood third in the Big Ten in tackles with 122. Morris reached double figures in tackles seven times in 11 games this season, including a career-high 19 stops each vs. Wisconsin and Oregon.
Three other Spartans were named second-team All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media, including senior placekicker Paul Edinger (Lakeland, Fla.), junior offensive guard Shaun Mason (Toledo, Ohio) and sophomore tight end Chris Baker (Saline, Mich.).
Edinger led the Spartans in scoring with 92 points, hitting 18-of-22 field-goal attempts. He ranked third in the Big Ten and No. 8 nationally in field goals at 1.64 made per game.
Baker finished second on the team in receptions with 36 for 370 yards and four TDs, while Mason rebounded from a serious knee injury in ?98 to consistently earn the team?s top run- and pass-blocking grades.
1999 Coaches All-Big Ten
OFFENSE (Pos.) First Team Second TeamQB Drew Brees, Purdue Antwaan Randle El, IndianaRB Ron Dayne, Wisconsin Ladell Betts, IowaRB Thomas Hamner, Minnesota Anthony Thomas, MichiganWR Plaxico Burress, Michigan State Chris Daniels, PurdueWR David Terrell, Michigan Chafie Fields, Penn StateC Ben Hamilton, Minnesota Casey Rabach, WisconsinOG Bill Ferrario, Wisconsin Shaun Mason, Michigan StateOG Steve Hutchinson, Michigan Ray Redziniak, IllinoisOT Chris McIntosh, Wisconsin Jeff Backus, MichiganOT Kareem McKenzie, Penn State Marques Sullivan, IllinoisTE Tim Stratton, Purdue Chris Baker, Michigan StatePK Vitaly Pisetsky, Wisconsin Paul Edinger, Michigan State
DEFENSE (Pos.) First Team Second TeamDL Courtney Brown, Penn State Dwayne Missouri, NorthwesternDL Wendell Bryant, Wisconsin David Nugent, PurdueDL Rob Renes, Michigan Adewale Ogunleye, IndianaDL Robaire Smith, Michigan State Karon Riley, Minnesota/John Schlecht, MinnesotaLB Lavar Arrington, Penn State Na?il Diggs, Ohio StateLB Ian Gold, Michigan Dhani Jones, MichiganLB Brandon Short, Penn State Julian Peterson, Michigan StateDB Amp Campbell, Michigan State David Macklin, Penn StateDB Tyrone Carter, Minnesota Willie Middlebrooks, MinnesotaDB Jamar Fletcher, Wisconsin Aric Morris, Michigan StateDB Tommy Hendricks, Michigan Ahmed Plummer, Ohio StateP Craig Jarrett, Michigan State Drew Hagan, Indiana
Honorable Mention (MSU only): RB Lloyd Clemons, DB Renaldo Hill, C Casey Jensen, OT Greg Robinson-Randall, LB T.J. Turner.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ron Dayne, Wisconsin
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR: Chris McIntosh, Wisconsin
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Courtney Brown, Penn State
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR: Courtney Brown, Penn State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Brooks Bollinger, Wisconsin
1999 Media All-Big Ten
OFFENSE (Pos.) First Team Second TeamQB Drew Brees, Purdue Antwaan Randle El, IndianaRB Ron Dayne, Wisconsin Damien Anderson, NorthwesternRB Thomas Hamner, Minnesota Anthony Thomas, MichiganWR Plaxico Burress, Michigan State Marcus Knight, MichiganWR Chris Daniels, Purdue David Terrell, MichiganC Casey Rabach, Wisconsin Ben Hamilton, Minnesota OG Bill Ferrario, Wisconsin Eric Cole, Penn StateOG Steve Hutchinson, Michigan Shaun Mason, Michigan StateOT Jeff Backus, Michigan Matt Light, PurdueOT Chris McIntosh, Wisconsin Kareem McKenzie, Penn StateTE Tim Stratton, Purdue Chris Baker, Michigan StatePK Vitaly Pisetsky, Wisconsin Paul Edinger, Michigan State
DEFENSE (Pos.) First Team Second TeamDL Courtney Brown, Penn State Akin Ayodele, PurdueDL Rob Renes, Michigan Wendell Bryant, WisconsinDL Karon Riley, Minnesota Dwayne Missouri, NorthwesternDL Robaire Smith, Michigan State John Schlecht, MinnesotaLB Lavar Arrington, Penn State Kevin Bentley, NorthwesternLB Julian Peterson, Michigan State Na?il Diggs, Ohio StateLB Brandon Short, Penn State Ian Gold, MichiganDB Amp Campbell, Michigan State Adrian Beasley, PurdueDB Tyrone Carter, Minnesota Matt Bowen, IowaDB Jamar Fletcher, Wisconsin David Macklin, Penn StateDB Ahmed Plummer, Ohio State Aric Morris, Michigan StateP Drew Hagan, Indiana Craig Jarrett, Michigan State
Honorable Mention (MSU only): DB Renaldo Hill, C Casey Jensen, OT Greg Robinson-Randall, LB T.J. Turner.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ron Dayne, Wisconsin
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Courtney Brown, Penn State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Brooks Bollinger, Wisconsin
DAVE McCLAIN BIG TEN COACH OF THE YEAR: Glen Mason, Minnesota
