ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The Big Ten Conference announced its annual defense and special teams award winners Monday night (Nov. 30) during a live show on the Big Ten Network, with 11 players from the 19th-ranked University of Michigan football team earning conference recognition.
Jabrill Peppers earned individual honors when he was named the Thompson-Randel El Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Peppers becomes the fifth Wolverine to earn conference freshman of the year honors, joining Charles Woodson (1995), Anthony Thomas (1997), Steve Breaston (2003) and Mike Hart (2004).
Peppers and Jourdan Lewis earned first-team honors by both the coaches and the media as defensive backs.