Meet the 3 finalists for the Chicago Tribune Silver Football, celebrating its 100th anniversary

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A disruptive edge rusher. A record-setting passer. A high-scoring runner.

The three finalists for the 2024 Chicago Tribune Silver Football play different positions and in different regions — spanning almost 2,700 miles — yet they share in common a massive impact during this Big Ten season.

Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson (listed alphabetically) were the top three vote-getters for the Silver Football, which goes to the Big Ten’s best player as selected by conference head coaches and is presented by the Tribune in partnership with the Union League Club of Chicago.

This year’s winner will be announced Dec. 12 on Big Ten Network’s “B1G Today” (11 a.m. CST).

Carter, a junior from Philadelphia, leads the conference and ranks third nationally with 19½ tackles for a loss and is tied for second in the Big Ten with 10 sacks. He won national defensive player of the week honors for his performances against Illinois and Washington, posting four TFLs, two sacks and a forced fumble in each of those victories.

Carter and the third-ranked Nittany Lions (11-1) will play No. 1 Oregon (12-0) in the Big Ten championship game Saturday in Indianapolis (7 p.m., CBS-2).

He’ll be looking to put heat on Gabriel, who in his sixth college season and first for the Ducks broke Case Keenum’s FBS record for total career touchdowns. The Hawaii native enters Saturday’s game with 183 TDs (149 passing, 33 rushing, one receiving) during his time at Central Florida (2019-21), Oklahoma (2022-23) and Oregon, and he’s also closing in on Keenum’s career record for total offense, trailing by 739 yards.

Gabriel leads the Big Ten this year in passing yards (3,275) and completion percentage (73.5%), is third in TD passes (24) and ranks fourth in the conference and eighth nationally in passing efficiency with a 165.05 rating. He threw for 341 yards and two scores and also ran for a 27-yard touchdown late in the Ducks’ 32-31 victory over then-No. 2 Ohio State.

Johnson, a junior from the Cincinnati area, broke out this season with 1,537 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns (21 rushing, two receiving) to rank first in the conference and fourth nationally in both categories. The Doak Walker Award finalist has scored at least one touchdown in all 12 games for the Hawkeyes (8-4) and has topped 100 rushing yards eight times with a high of 206 against Minnesota. He has four three-TD games.

The Silver Football is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The award predates the Heisman Trophy by 11 years, with Illinois’ Red Grange the inaugural winner in 1924.

Each of the 18 Big Ten coaches selects a first- and second-place choice, and they are not allowed to vote for their own players. First-place votes are worth two points and second-place votes are worth one.

The Chicago Tribune Silver Football for 1965, which was awarded to Jim Grabowski of the University of Illinois. The award, presented annually since 1924, is given to the top football player in the Big Ten. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

One hundred years later, the Chicago Tribune Silver Football remains one of the highest honors a Big Ten player can receive.

Originally intended for the “player of greatest value to his team” and not necessarily the “greatest player,” the Tribune’s football trophy was “to give the self-effacing chap who labors only for teamwork and team success an opportunity as nearly equal as possible to the ball carrier out in the limelight,” Chicago Daily Tribune sports writer Harvey Woodruff wrote.

“Success of the stars is made possible by the work seldom revealed to the spectators, of men who are blocking opponents and offering interference.”

Here’s what to know about the award — and all of its winners.

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