Ohio State Announces 2006 Athletes of the Year – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | General
June 15, 2006
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State named its 2006 Men’s and Women’s Athletes of the Year Thursday. Jessica Davenport, of the women’s basketball team, and A.J. Hawk, of the football team, were selected by Ohio State athletics administrators based on their athletic performances throughout the 2005-06 season.
Davenport, a junior center, repeated as Big Ten Player of the Year this season and was named Kodak/WBCA and Associated Press All-American for the second-consecutive year. She led the conference in points (18.7), rebounds (8.9), blocks (3.1) and field goal percentage (.618). Davenport, a product of Columbus Independence High School, also was selected as the Big Ten Player of the Week four times this year.
In 2006, Davenport became Ohio State’s career leader in blocked shots as well as the second-youngest Buckeye to top 1,500 career points. Davenport was a finalist for the Wade Trophy and Wooden Award for the second year in a row. She was one of just four collegiate players picked for USA Basketball’s 2006 National Team Spring Training Tour that won gold in the Australian Opals Tournament.
Hawk, a No.5 selection by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft, finished his senior season at Ohio State with 121 tackles, a team high for the third-consecutive year. He also led the team in tackles-for-loss (16.5) and sacks (9.5) and was his team’s unanimous selection for co-captain and MVP. Hawk leaves Ohio State as the fifth-leading tackler in program history with 394 total stops. During his collegiate career, he was part of a team that led the nation in rushing defense in 2003 and ’05 and won Big Ten co-championships in 2002 and ’05.
Hawk earned the defensive MVP honor at the 2004 and 2006 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl games and helped the Buckeyes to four bowl appearances and a 4-0 postseason record in his career. The Big Ten’s preseason and postseason Defensive Player of Year in 2005, Hawk was the recipient of the Lombardi Award and was a finalist for the Bednarik, Lott and Butkus awards. He ended his career by earning his third-consecutive First Team All-Big Ten honor.
Ohio State Athletes of the Year
| Year | Male | Sport | Female | Sport |
| 1982 | Art Schlichter | Football | — | |
| 1983 | Chris Perry | Golf | Cathy Kratzert | Golf |
| 1984 | John Frank | Football | Sarah Josephson | Synchro Swimming |
| 1985 | Robert Playter | Gymnastics | Yvette Angel | Basketball |
| 1986 | Mike Lanese | Football | Tracey Hall | Basketball |
| 1987 | Butch Reynolds | Track/Field | Karen LaFace | Diving |
| 1988 | Chris Spielman | Football | Bridgette Tate | Track/Field |
| 1989 | Joe Greene | Track/Field | Nikita Lowry | Basketball |
| 1990 | Mike Rancanelli | Gymnastics | Susan Gottlieb | Swimming |
| 1991 | Jim Jackson | Basketball | Holly O’Leary | Volleyball |
| 1992 | Jim Jackson | Basketball | Leisa Wissler | Volleyball |
| 1993 | Chris Nelloms | Track/Field | Audrey Burcy | Basketball |
| 1994 | Chris Sanders | Track/Field | Katie Smith | Basketball |
| 1995 | Blaine Wilson | Gymnastics | # Laura Davis | Volleyball |
| 1996 | * Eddie George | Football | Katie Smith | Basketball |
| 1997 | * Blaine Wilson | Gymnastics | Amy Langhals | Golf |
| 1998 | Hugo Boisvert | Hockey | Vanessa Wouters | Volleyball |
| 1999 | Scoonie Penn | Basketball | Dominque Calloway | Track/Field |
| 2000 | Jamie Natalie | Gymnastics | Donica Merriman | Track/Field |
| 2001 | Jamie Natalie | Gymnastics | Donica Merriman | Track/Field |
| 2002 | Raj Bhavsar | Gymnastics | Anna Smith | Softball |
| 2003 | Craig Krenzel | Football | Stacey Gordon | Volleyball |
| 2004 | Dan Taylor | Track /Field | Allison Hanna | Golf |
| 2005 | Mike Nugent | Football | Stacey Gordon | Volleyball |
* Recipient of the Big Ten Jesse Owens Award
# Recipient of the Big Ten Suzy Favor Award
