CHAMPAIGN — While the Illinois football season came to a disappointing end on Saturday with a 45-43 loss to Northwestern, ending the bowl hopes of the Fighting Illini, the team earned a number of Big Ten honors this week including senior defensive tackle Johnny Newton being named the Nagurski-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as well as the Smith-Brown Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year.
Newton, who led all Big Ten defensive tackles with 44 quarterback pressures and sacks with 7.5, is the fourth player in school history to earn the the league’s Defensive Player of the Year Award joining Dana Howard (1993, 1994), Darrick Brownlow (1990) and Moe Gardner (1990).
For the season, Newton finished with 52 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, nine quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, one fumble recover and four blocked kids. In his career, Newton had 188 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, and 18.0 sacks, which tied Gardner, a College Football Hall of Famer, for the most sacks by an Illinois defensive tackle in program history.
“Right now honestly I don’t know yet, I’m still living in it,’’ said Newton about his career after Saturday’s game with Northwestern. “I never really looked into the hype you know. I never looked into all the awards and the accolades. I’m always living in the now and it hasn’t even hit me how I’ve played my last college game, it doesn’t feel real. Like I said, I live in the now, by next week it’ll probably hit me and everything will start to hit me.’’
Newton was also selected All-Big Ten First Team by both the coaches and the media as was wide receiver Isaiah Williams, who became the seven wide receiver in program history to earn first-team honors, and he is the first since A.J. Jenkins in 2011.
Williams led the Big Ten in receptions with 82 and he ranked second in receiving yards with 1,055, trailing only Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Marvin Harrison Jr., who had 1,211 for Ohio State.
The junior from Trinity Catholic in St. Louis has had at least one reception in all 37 games he’s played since switching from quarterback prior to the start of the 2021 season. It’s the longest active streak in the Big Ten and tied for the longest streak in program history with Josh Ferguson (2011-15). Additionally, Williams had five 100-yard receiving games this season and he was the only player in the nation with two game-winning touchdown receptions in the final minute or overtime during the season.
Williams is currently No. 2 in all-time receptions at Illinois with 214, trailing only David Williams (1983-85) with 262. He was also an honorable mention selection by both the coaches and the media as a kick return specialist.
Defensive lineman Keith Randolph Jr. from Belleville West was an All-Big Ten third team selection by the media, while he was honorable mention by the coaches.
Additionally, Illinois had 11 other players earned honorable mention honors on either offense or defense, including former Danville standouts Caleb Griffin (kicker) and Julian Pearl (offensive lineman).
For both Griffin and Pearl is the second consecutive season that the Danville duo has earned all-league honors as their respective position.
Griffin was 14-of-19 on field goal attempts during his senior season and he made game-winners against Toledo and Maryland, become the first-ever Illinois kicker to have two game-winners in the same season.
“I’m happy to see my hard work payoff after multiple years on the bench,’’ said Griffin, who sat behind James McCourt and Chase McLaughlin in his first four seasons at Illinois. “There was a lot of years where I didn’t see the field to even be considered for all-conference awards, so to be selected in my two main years of playing really means a lot to me.’’
Pearl, who started his collegiate career on the defensive side of the football, made 39 starts in his Illini career on the offensive line including 23 straight to cap his career at left tackle.
Other honorable mention all-conference selections for the Illini were: QB John Paddock, RB Kaden Feagin, OT Isaiah Adams, OG Josh Gesky, C Josh Kruetz, DB Xavier Scott, LB Dylan Rosiek, OLB Seth Coleman and P Hugh Robertson.