Five Gophers make first-team All-Big Ten; Williams, Mortell honored

December 2, 2014 at 7:28AM
Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams dove just short of the end zone despite defensive pressure by Nebraska linebacker David Santos at Memorial Stadium in November.
The Gophers' Maxx Williams was named the Big Ten's top tight end Monday. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Gophers landed five first-team All-Big Ten football selections Monday, including Tight End of the Year Maxx Williams and Punter of the Year Peter Mortell.

Williams and Mortell were both unanimous first-team selections with coaches and the media. The media also named cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun, linebacker Damien Wilson and guard Zac Epping to the first team.

The last time the Gophers had five first-team All-Big Ten selections was 1987, when Darrell Thompson, Rickey Foggie, Chip Lohmiller, Jon Leverenz and Paul Anderson were honored.

The Gophers had zero first-team selections between 2009 (Eric Decker) and last year, when Ra'Shede Hageman and Brock Vereen were selected.

David Cobb has 1,548 rushing yards this year, but he had to settle for a unanimous second-team All-Big Ten selection. The two first-team running back spots went to Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon and Indiana's Tevin Coleman, who both have surpassed 2,000 rushing yards.

Coaches voted four other Gophers onto the All-Big Ten second team: Epping, Wilson, Boddy-Calhoun and fellow cornerback Eric Murray.

The Gophers' honorable mention selections included Cameron Botticelli, Josh Campion, Theiren Cockran and Tommy Olson.

The Big Ten will announce its Coach of the Year award Tuesday, with the Gophers' Jerry Kill, Ohio State's Urban Meyer and Wisconsin's Gary Andersen among the favorites.

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Former Gophers punter Peter Mortell
Peter Mortell was honored as the top punter in the conference. (Brian Stensaas — Star Tribune file/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Joe Christensen

Sports team leader

Joe Christensen, a Minnesota Star Tribune sports team leader, graduated from the University of Minnesota and spent 15 years covering Major League Baseball, including stops at the Riverside Press-Enterprise and Baltimore Sun. He joined the Minnesota Star Tribune in 2005 and spent four years covering Gophers football.

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