July 19, 2006
Iowa all-Big Ten candidates offensive lineman Mike Elgin, defensive back Marcus Paschal and quarterback Drew Tate will represent the Hawkeyes at this year’s Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon/Media Days festivities in Chicago. The event will take place August 1-2.
The entire group features 17 players who have earned All-Big Ten accolades in their careers. The annual event also features all 11 head coaches. Everything will take place at Hyatt Regency. The luncheon is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. on August 2nd with Mark Jones of ABC Sports and ESPN serving as the master of ceremonies.
Highlighting the list of players are six individuals who have earned first-team All-Big Ten accolades during their careers, including Hawkeye Drew Tate, Michigan running back Mike Hart, Minnesota tight end Matt Spaeth, Penn State’s duo of offensive tackle Levi Brown and linebacker Paul Posluszny and Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe Thomas. Tate ranked among the conference’s top five in passing yards, total offense and passing efficiency last season as a junior after garnering first-team laurels as a sophomore.
Four second-team All-Big Ten picks will also be present – Michigan offensive lineman Jake Long and defensive end LaMarr Woodley, Ohio State defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock and Purdue wide receiver Dorien Bryant. Seven of the attendees have also earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten laurels in the last two seasons, including Paschal. Others are Illinois running back Pierre Thomas, Michigan State quarterback Drew Stanton, Northwestern wide receiver Shaun Herbert, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, Purdue defensive end Anthony Spencer and Wisconsin linebacker Mark Zalewski. A complete list of players scheduled to attend the Kickoff Luncheon follows.
The Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon annually draws some of the most interesting and talented names in college sports. The list of former Kickoff Luncheon attendees includes coaching legends like Bo Schembechler, Hayden Fry and Woody Hayes along with each of the Big Ten’s Heisman Trophy winners in the last 35 years – Archie Griffin, Desmond Howard, Eddie George, Charles Woodson and Ron Dayne. In all, over 630 of the conference’s finest players, more than 50 head coaches and 36,500 supporters have made the Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon a yearly stop in their preseason college football schedule.
Tickets are still available for the Kickoff Luncheon. For ticket information, visit the conference website at bigten.org, or call the Big Ten office at 847-696-1010.
PLAYERS ATTENDING 2006 BIG TEN CONFERENCE KICKOFF LUNCHEON
Illinois
E.B. Halsey, SR, RB
J Leman, JR, LB
Pierre Thomas, SR, RB
Indiana
Lance Bennett, SR, WR
Justin Frye, SR, OL
Will Meyers, SR, S
Iowa
Mike Elgin, SR, OL
Marcus Paschal, SR, DB
Drew Tate, SR, QB
Michigan
Mike Hart, JR, RB
Jake Long, SR, OL
LaMarr Woodley, SR, DE
Michigan State
Kyle Cook, SR, OG
David Herron Jr., SR, LB
Drew Stanton, SR, QB
Minnesota
Bryan Cupito, SR, QB
Matt Spaeth, SR, TE
Northwestern
Bryan Heinz, SR, S
Shaun Herbert, SR, WR
Nick Roach, SR, LB
Ohio State
Doug Datish, SR, C
Quinn Pitcock, SR, DT
Troy Smith, SR, QB
Penn State
Levi Brown, SR, OT
Paul Posluszny, SR, LB
Purdue
Dorien Bryant, JR, WR
Curtis Painter, JR, QB
Anthony Spencer, SR, DE
Wisconsin
John Stocco, SR, QB
Joe Thomas, SR, OL
Mark Zalewski, SR, LB