Greene named Big Ten MVP

IOWA CITY, IA. – University of Iowa All-American running back Shonn Greene has been named winner of the Chicago Tribune's Silver Football, emblematic of the Big Ten Conference's Most Valuable Player.

The announcement came today following a vote of Big Ten head coaches.

Greene, a junior from Sicklerville, NJ, received seven first-place votes from the head coaches (Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own players). Penn State's Derrick Williams (WR) received two first place votes while Penn State's Daryll Clark (QB) and Ohio State's James Laurinaitis (LB) each grabbed one vote.

It's the second time Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz has had the league's Player of the Year. Quarterback Brad Banks won the award in 2002. It's the tenth time an Iowa football player has won the award. Greene has already been named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and was a first-team all-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and media.

Greene rushed for 1,729 yards in 2008 to establish an Iowa record for yards in a season. He was the only player in the nation to rush for over 100 yards in every game. His 217 rushing yards against Wisconsin ties for the sixth most ever, at Iowa. He also rushed for 211 against Purdue. His 17 rushing touchdowns tie the Hawkeye record for most in a single season.

Iowa's previous winners of the Silver Football are:

1929 - Willis Glassgow, HB

1933 - Joe Laws, QB

1939 - Nile Kinnick, HB

1951 - Bill Reichardt, QB

1956 - Ken Ploen, QB

1958 - Randy Duncan, QB

1985 - Chuck Long, QB

1990 - Nick Bell, RB

2002 - Brad Banks, QB

2008 - Shonn Greene, RB