Shannon Brooks wins third Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor

Gophers freshman Shannon Brooks was honored again Monday after rushing for 174 yards and three touchdowns against Illinois.

November 23, 2015 at 4:12PM
Gophers running back Shannon Brooks (27) ran the ball for a 75-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter against Illinois. ] (AARON LAVINSKY/STAR TRIBUNE) aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com The Minnesota Golden Gophers played the Fighting Illini of Illinois on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.
Gophers running back Shannon Brooks (27) ran the ball for a 75-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter against Illinois. ] (AARON LAVINSKY/STAR TRIBUNE) aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com The Minnesota Golden Gophers played the Fighting Illini of Illinois on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. (Tom Wallace — Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Gophers running back Shannon Brooks earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors Monday, marking the third time this season he's won the award.

Brooks rushed for 174 yards and three touchdowns, including the 75-yard game winner in Saturday's 32-23 victory over Illinois.

Brooks is the first Gopher to win the same weekly Big Ten award three times in the same season. He also won Oct. 12 for his performance at Purdue (176 rushing yards, one touchdown), and last week for his game against Iowa (86 rushing yards, one touchdown and one touchdown pass).

Last year, Brooks was a senior at Pickens High School in Georgia. Now, he leads the Gophers in rushing, despite battling some midseason injuries. He has 99 carries for 636 yards (6.4 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns.

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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