SB Nation Chicago - Illinois DE Whitney Mercilus Is Racking Up National Awards Heading Into Kraft Fight Hunger Bowlhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48877/chicago-fave.png2011-12-14T12:42:49-06:00http://chicago.sbnation.com/rss/stream/23999582011-12-14T12:42:49-06:002011-12-14T12:42:49-06:00Whitney Mercilus Named AP First-Team All-American, Lone Illini Representative
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/illinois-fighting-illini">Illinois Fighting Illini</a> are gearing up for a showdown with UCLA on December 31st in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, and everyone knows the player to watch in that game for the Illini is defensive end <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/36308/whitney-mercilus">Whitney Mercilus</a>. <a target="_blank" href="http://chicago.sbnation.com/illinois-fighting-illini/2011/12/9/2624062/2011-kraft-fight-hunger-bowl">He has won multiple awards and honors</a> already this season, and now has been named a <a target="_blank" href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/ncaa/wires/12/14/2060.ap.fbc.ap.all.america.team.0929/index.html">First-Team All-American peformer by the Associated Press</a>. Mercilus, a redshirt junior DE, led the Illini and the nation with 14.5 sacks and 9 forced fumbles.</p>
<p>Other Big Ten players to make the first-team were Wisconsin junior running back <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/77778/montee-ball">Montee Ball</a>, Wisconsin senior offensive guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/48826/kevin-zeitler">Kevin Zeitler</a>, Michigan senior center <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/6847/david-molk">David Molk</a>, Penn St. senior defensive tackle <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/37478/devon-still">Devon Still</a> and Michigan St. junior defensive tackle <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/36785/jerel-worthy">Jerel Worthy</a></p>
<p><i>For more, keep tabs on <a href="http://chicago.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Chicago</a> and SB Nation's </i><a href="http://sbnation.com/ncaa-football"><i>NCAA football page</i></a><i>. For more on the Fighting Illini, check out <a href="http://www.hailtotheorange.com/">Hail to the Orange</a>, SB Nation's <a href="http://chicago.sbnation.com/illinois-fighting-illini/2011/ncaa-football/teams/illinois-fighting-illini">Illinois Fighting Illini</a> blog.</i></p>
<p><i>Can't get enough of Whitney Mercilus? Check out <a href="http://www.mockingthedraft.com/2011/11/22/2581049/report-illinois-de-whitney-mercilus-expected-to-enter-2012-nfl-draft">Mocking the Draft's analysis</a> on the soon-to-be-NFL defensive end.</i></p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/illinois-fighting-illini/2011/12/14/2635939/whitney-mercilus-named-ap-first-team-all-american-lone-illiniSteve von Horn2011-12-09T14:38:40-06:002011-12-09T14:38:40-06:00Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl 2011: Illinois Fighting Illini Earn National Accolades Heading Into Bowl Game
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<p>The Fighting Illini may not have finished their regular season schedule the way they would have liked, but they have done well in the post-season -- even before the bowl games have begun.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/illinois-fighting-illini">Illinois Fighting Illini</a> (6-6) may not have finished their season with a win on the gridiron, losing six straight on their way to a .500 season, but the did finish the 2011 regular season with a few wins off the field.</p>
<p>The Illini, going through a very public <a href="http://chicago.sbnation.com/illinois-fighting-illini/2011/11/27/2589989/ron-zook-on-the-hot-seat-fighting-illini-coach-leaves-press-conference">coaching transition</a>, have not let their unsavory finish to the season spoil their accomplishments. For starters, the Ted Hendricks foundation <a href="http://tedhendricks.com/11WINNERPR.htm">announced on Wednesday</a> that redshirt junior DE <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/36308/whitney-mercilus">Whitney Mercilus</a> (pronounced "merciless"), who led his team and the nation with 14.5 sacks and an amazing 9 fumbles, had won the Hendricks Award, the award for the nation's top defensive end.</p>
<p>Mercilus's accomplishments are even more impressive when taken into context: Mercilus, playing for an Illini team that was often playing from behind, did not have an excess of opportunities to sack the quarterback as the team was often playing with a deficit. The award is the university's first major award since 1995, when Kevin Hardy wont he Butkus Award for the nation's top linebacker.</p>
<p>On Thursday, Mercilus was also awarded a first team spot on the 2011 Walter Camp All-American team, pushing his accolades to an <a href="http://www.fightingillini.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120811aaa.html">impressive distinction:</a></p>
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<h5>Mercilus Honors in 2011 (as of Dec. 8)</h5>
Ted Hendricks National Defensive End of the Year Award winner<br> First Team All-American (Walter Camp, AFCA, CBSSports.com)<br> First Team All-Big Ten (Coaches and Media)<br> Bronko Nagurski Trophy Finalist<br> Bednarik Award and Rotary Lombardi Award Semifinalist</blockquote>
<p>The Fighting Illini have also placed 11 different football players on the <a href="http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ill/genrel/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/2011-Fall-Academic-ABT.pdf">2011 Fall Academic All-Big Ten</a> team, honors preserved for student-athletes earning a 3.7 GPA or higher. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/nebraska-cornhuskers">Nebraska Cornhuskers</a> football team led the way in this category, totaling 27 football student-athletes worthy of academic honors.</p>
<p>Not to be forgotten, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/ucla-bruins">UCLA Bruins</a> -- who will take on the Illini in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl this December 31 -- also earned <a href="http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120911aaa.html">an accolade of note</a>, placing their freshman saftey, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/113873/tevin-mcdonald">Tevin McDonald</a>, in CBSSports.com's Freshman All-American team. The redshirt freshman collected 3 interceptions, 10 pass deflections and 1 forced fumble in his rookie campaign.</p>
<p><i style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">For more, keep tabs on <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #03406b; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://chicago.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Chicago</a> and SB Nation's </i><a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #03406b; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://sbnation.com/ncaa-football"><i style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">NCAA football page</i></a><i style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">. For more on the Fighting Illini, check out <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #03406b; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.hailtotheorange.com/">Hail to the Orange</a>, SB Nation's <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #03406b; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://chicago.sbnation.com/illinois-fighting-illini/2011/ncaa-football/teams/illinois-fighting-illini">Illinois Fighting Illini</a> blog.</i></p>
<p><i style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Can't get enough of Whitney Mercilus? Check out <a href="http://www.mockingthedraft.com/2011/11/22/2581049/report-illinois-de-whitney-mercilus-expected-to-enter-2012-nfl-draft">Mocking the Draft's analysis</a> on the soon-to-be-NFL defensive end.</i></p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/illinois-fighting-illini/2011/12/9/2624062/2011-kraft-fight-hunger-bowlBradley Woodrum