Hawk chosen as Buckeyes’ 2005 MVP – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 5, 2005
COLUMBUS, Ohio: To the surprise of absolutely no one, A. J. Hawk has been selected as the Most Valuable Player on the 2005 Ohio State football team. The senior linebacker and two-time All-American received the award earlier today at the annual football appreciation banquet.
Hawk, who recently was chosen as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and is a finalist for the Lombardi, Butkus and Lott awards which will be announced later this week and early next week, led the team in tackles with 109, including 13 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
The Centerville, Ohio native also had an interception and a recovered fumble (both against Texas) and scored the second touchdown of his career, returning a blocked punt six yards to pay dirt against Northwestern.
Hawk, who has led the Buckeyes in tackles each of the past three years, ranks fifth on the all-time tackle list at Ohio State with 382 total stops. He is the first defensive player since Antoine Winfield in 1997 to be chosen as the MVP.
“It is a fitting tribute to a great football player and leader,” said Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, whose 9-2 Buckeyes closed out the season with six consecutive wins. “I’ve never been around a better linebacker, nor have I ever known a player that was more liked and respected by his teammates than A. J.. He is so humble and sincere. The only vote he didn’t get was his.”
Senior co-captain Nate Salley received the Bo Rein Most Inspirational Award, which like the MVP award, is voted on by the players. Salley has been a three-year starter at free safety.
The John W. Galbreath Award for Academic Excellence went to senior running back Brandon Schnittker. Schnittker, who was a nominee for a National Football Foundation Scholarship and Academic All-America, has a 3.8 grade point average in marketing and has had three perfect 4.0 quarters. Other awards included Troy Smith as the Most Valuable Offensive Player and Mike Kudla as the Most Valuable Defensive Player.
Smith averaged 248.5 yards per game in total offense this year and accounted for 25 touchdowns. He had three games of more than 300 yards in total offense, capped off by the Michigan game in which he threw for 300 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 37 more and another score in the Buckeyes’ 25-21 victory.
Kudla was the mainstay of the defensive front and had 8.5 tackles-for-loss and 6.5 sacks in his 34 tackles.
The Jim Marshall Warrior Award went to linebacker Anthony Schlegel, who finished second to Hawk in tackles with 75, including a game-high 10 stops in the win at Michigan.
True freshmen Alex Boone, who started four games at tackle, and Malcolm Jenkins, who started four at cornerback, were named the most outstanding offensive and defensive players, respectively.
A total of 16 seniors were feted at the banquet.
