COLUMBUS, Ohio — Justin Fields has been named the best player in the Big Ten Conference after winning the 2020 Chicago Tribune Silver Football award.
Fields is the 22nd Ohio State player to win the award and the eighth Buckeye quarterback. Seven of the last nine awards have gone to Ohio State players.
The award, presented since 1924, is voted on by the conference’s 14 head coaches.
Fields has led the Buckeyes into Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game against No. 1 Alabama. To get there, he completed 22 of 28 passes for a career-high 385 yards and tied Ohio State’s single-game record with six touchdown passes in a 49-28 win over No. 2 Clemson at the Sugar Bowl.
Fields is ranked fourth nationally in completion percentage (73.4) and fifth in passer efficiency rating (186.6) for the 2020 college football season. In seven games, he’s thrown for 1,906 yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. In the win over Clemson, Fields moved into second place all-time on Ohio State’s career touchdown passes list with 62.
Fields is also a finalist for the Manning Award, which honors the top quarterback in the nation.
Ohio State Silver Football Award Winners
- 2020 – QB Justin Fields
- 2019 – DE Chase Young
- 2018 – QB Dwayne Haskins
- 2016 – QB J.T. Barrett
- 2015 – RB Ezekiel Elliott
- 2013 – QB Braxton Miller
- 2012 – QB Braxton Miller
- 2006 – QB Troy Smith
- 1998 – QB Joe Germaine
- 1996 – OT Orlando Pace
- 1995 – RB Eddie George
- 1984 – RB Keith Byars
- 1981 – QB Art Schlichter
- 1975 – QB Cornelius Greene
- 1974 – RB Archie Griffin
- 1975 – RB Archie Griffin
- 1955 – HB Howard Cassady
- 1950 – HB Vic Janowicz
- 1945 – FB Ollie Cline
- 1944 – HB Les Horvath
- 1941 – FB Jack Graf
- 1930 – E Wes Fesler
