Two Penn State players won individual awards and 12 more were honored Monday night by the Big Ten.
Michael Mauti won the Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year Award, while Allen Robinson was named the Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year in the Big Ten. Mauti and Robinson were two of 14 total Nittany Lions whose efforts were commemorated by the conference.
Mauti — who was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten linebacker by both the coaches and media — made 95 tackles, three interceptions and 2.5 sacks in 11 games this season. The senior wasn’t able to play due to a left knee injury last Saturday against Wisconsin, but teammates honored Mauti by wearing his No. 42 on their helmets.
On the offensive side of the ball, Robinson was also a unanimous first-team pick after a breakout season. A sophomore who had just three catches entering the season, Robinson made a Penn State record 77 grabs this season for 1,013 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Robinson also led the conference in receptions (6.4) and yards (84.8) per game. He spoke with the Big Ten Network on Monday night.
“It was a couple games into the season,” Robinson told an analyst when asked when he realized he was a big-time player in the conference. “Still putting in work after practice, just fine tuning some chemistry with Matt [McGloin] is really when I kind of noticed. I went out there every Saturday and tried to give it my best.”
Defensive tackle Jordan Hill was the only other Penn State player to be a first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and media. Hill — who had a career-high 12 tackles, including two sacks, against the Badgers on Saturday — had 64 tackles, 4.5 sacks and an interception this season, and was also Penn State’s recipient of the Big Ten’s Sportsmanship Award, which is given to one member of each of the conference’s 12 teams.
Tight end Kyle Carter (36 catches, 436 yards, two touchdowns) was a first team conference by the media and was an Honorable Mention selection by the coaches.
Center Matt Stankiewitch and guard John Urschel were also both named to the first team by the coaches and second team by the media.
Linebacker Gerald Hodges, who led the team with 109 tackles, was a second-team all-conference pick by both the coaches and the media. Hodges was a first-team All-Big Ten pick last season, and had 8.5 tackles for a loss and two interceptions in the 2012 campaign.
McGloin, who threw for 3,266 yards this season and scored a total of 29 touchdowns (24 passing, five rushing), was an Honorable Mention selection. Ohio State’s Braxton Miller was the media’s first-team quarterback and Taylor Martinez of Nebraska was the signal caller of the coaches’ first team.
Adrian Amos (two interceptions), Deion Barnes (six sacks), Zach Zwinak (1,000 rushing yards), Sean Stanley (9.5 tackles for loss), Stephon Morris (60 tackles) and tackle Mike Farrell were all also Honorable Mention selections.
Big Ten Coach of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors will all be announced Tuesday night.
