The Chicago Tribune Silver Football, awarded annually to the best in the Big Ten since 1924, predates the Heisman Trophy by 11 years.
Red Grange of Illinois was the first recipient and Jay Berwanger of Chicago won it in 1935, the year he was named the inaugural Heisman winner.
In the current voting format, each Big Ten head coach votes for his first and second choice — worth two points and one point, respectively — and cannot vote for a player on his team.
Here is the list of past winners.
2024: Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon
2023: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
2022: Blake Corum, RB, Michigan
2021: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan
2020: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
2019: Chase Young, DE, Ohio State
2018: Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
2017: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
2016: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State, and J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State
2015: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
2014: Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
2013: Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State
2012: Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State
2011: Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin
2010: Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan
2009: Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan, and Daryll Clark, QB, Penn State
2008: Shonn Greene, RB, Iowa
2007: Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
2006: Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State
2005: Michael Robinson, QB, Penn State
2004: Braylon Edwards, WR, Michigan
2003: Chris Perry, RB,, Michigan
2002: Brad Banks, QB Iowa
2001: Antwaan Randle El, QB, Indiana
2000: Drew Brees, QB, Purdue
1999: Ron Dayne, RB, Wisconsin
1998: Joe Germaine, QB, Ohio State
1997: Charles Woodson, CB, Michigan
1996: Orlando Pace, OT, Ohio State
1995: Eddie George, RB, Ohio State
1994: Kerry Collins, QB, Penn State
1993: Brent Moss, RB, Wisconsin
1992: Lee Gissendaner, WR, Northwestern
1991: Desmond Howard, WR, Michigan
1990: Nick Bell, RB, Iowa
1989: Anthony Thompson, RB, Indiana
1988: Anthony Thompson, RB, Indiana
1987: Lorenzo White, RB, Michigan State
1986: Jim Harbaugh, QB, Michigan
1985: Chuck Long, QB, Iowa
1984: Keith Byars, RB, Ohio State
1983: Don Thorp, DL, Illinois
1982: Anthony Carter, WR, Michigan
1981: Art Schlichter, QB, Ohio State
1980: Mark Herrmann, QB, Purdue
1979: Tim Clifford, QB, Indiana
1978: Rick Leach, QB, Michigan
1977: Larry Bethea, DE, Michigan State
1976: Rob Lytle, RB, Michigan
1975: Cornelius Greene, QB, Ohio State
1974: Archie Griffin, RB, Ohio State
1973: Archie Griffin, RB, Ohio State
1972: Otis Armstrong, RB, Purdue
1971: Eric Allen, RB, Michigan State
1970: Mike Adamle, RB, Northwestern
1969: Mike Phipps, QB, Purdue
1968: Ron Johnson, RB Michigan
1967: Leroy Keyes, RB, Purdue
1966: Bob Griese, QB, Purdue
1965: Jim Grabowski, RB, Illinois
1964: Bob Timberlake, QB, Michigan
1963: Dick Butkus, LB, Illinois
1962: Ron VanderKelen, QB, Wisconsin
1961: Sandy Stephens, QB, Minnesota
1960: Tom Brown, G/DL, Minnesota
1959: Bill Burrell, G, Illinois
1958: Randy Duncan, QB, Iowa
1957: Jim Pace, HB, Michigan
1956: Ken Ploen, QB, Iowa
1955: Howard Cassady, HB, Ohio State
1954: Alan Ameche, FB, Wisconsin
1953: Paul Giel, HB, Minnesota
1952: Paul Giel, HB, Minnesota
1951: Bill Reichardt, FB, Iowa
1950: Vic Janowicz, HB, Ohio State
1949: Red Wilson, TE, Wisconsin
1948: Art Murakowski, FB, Northwestern
1947: Bump Elliott, HB, Michigan
1946: Alex Agase, G, Illinois
1945: Ollie Cline, FB, Ohio State
1944: Les Horvath, HB/QB, Ohio State
1943: Otto Graham, QB, Northwestern
1942: Dave Schreiner, TE, Wisconsin
1941: Jack Graf, QB/FB, Ohio State
1940: Tom Harmon, HB, Michigan
1939: Nile Kinnick, HB, Iowa
1938: Howard Weiss, FB, Wisconsin
1937: Corbett Davis, FB, Indiana
1936: Vern Huffman, HB/QB, Indiana
1935: Jay Berwanger, HB, Chicago
1934: Pug Lund, HB, Minnesota
1933: Joe Laws, QB, Iowa
1932: Harry Newman, QB, Michigan
1931: Clarence Munn, G/FB, Minnesota
1930: Wesley Fesler, TE, Ohio State
1929: Bill Glassgow, HB, Iowa
1928: Chuck Bennett, HB, Indiana
1927: Ken Rouse, C, Chicago
1926: Benny Friedman, QB, Michigan
1925: Tim Lowry, C, Northwestern
1924: Red Grange, HB, Illinois
