The Big Ten will distribute 17 awards to past and current Big Ten football players at the 2011 Big Ten Awards Gala at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis Friday night, and three past IU football players will be in attendance.
Former quarterback Antwaan Randle El will co-present the Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year to Ohio State freshman quarterback Braxton Miller. Randle El's co-presenter (who also shares half of the namesake of the trophy) is former Minnesota running back Darrell Thompson.
Former IU running back and College Football Hall of Fame member Anthony Thompson will co-present the inaugural Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award to former IU running back George Taliaferro along with former Minnesota quarterback Tony Dungy. Read more about the award here.
Anthony Thompson be presenting an award will also address the crowd alongside former Ohio State running back Archie Griffin Friday night. Griffin will be receiving the Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award.
Award namesakes will be honored on the field before Saturday's Big Ten Championship Game, while this year's receivers of the awards will be honored between the first and second quarters of the game. The game between Wisconsin and Michigan State will kick off at 8:17 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
