The 1995 Northwestern Wildcats football team won the Big Ten championship. Northwestern linebacker Pat Fitzgerald was selected as the consensus Defensive Player of the Year by both the Coaches and Media.[1] Fitzgerald went on to become Northwestern's head football coach, a position he has held since 2006.[2] In addition to Fitzgerald, the Wildcats had five other players selected as first-team honorees: running back Darnell Autry, defensive back Chris Martin, offensive linemen Rob Johnson and Ryan Padgett, and kicker Sam Valenzisi.[1] Head coach Gary Barnett also won the Big Ten's Dave McClain Coach of the Year award.[1]
The 1995 Michigan Wolverines football team under head coach Lloyd Carr also landed six players on the All-Big Ten first team. Michigan's honorees were linebacker Jarrett Irons, defensive tackle Jason Horn, defensive backs Charles Woodson and Charles Thompson, and offensive linemen Jon Runyan and Rod Payne. Woodson was named by the Coaches as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 1995,[1] and he went on in 1997 to become the first defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy.[6]
Penn State under head coach Joe Paterno also landed three players on the first team. They were wide receiver Bobby Engram, offensive lineman Jeff Hartings and defensive back Brian Miller. Running back Curtis Enis was honored by the Media as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.[1]
Offensive selections
College Football Hall of Fame inductee Orlando Pace