Daryll Clark, Brandon Graham share Silver Football

Penn State's senior quarterback Daryll Clark, and Michigan's senior defensive end Brandon Graham, have split the Chicago Tribune Silver Football Trophy vote for the best player in the Big Ten. It is the first time in the award's history (since 1924) that more than one player receives the honor.

On the Big Ten Network's exclusive announcement last night, Gerry DiNardo defended Clark's selection, "Some of it falls on Clark," BTN analyst Gerry DiNardo said, "but the majority of it should not. Penn State's offense is built to run the football... Did he make some bad decisions in those games? No question. But he hardly could get his feet set. It seemed like he had to start moving at 2.3 seconds."

In today's Tribune article, Big Ten beat reporter Teddy Greenstein jabbed Clark's selection, pointing out the cliche that DC can't win in the clutch, specifically this season.

Clark is more likely to be a fourth- or fifth-round pick. The chiseled 6-foot-2, 230-pounder excelled this season in 10 games, completing 66.4 of his passes with a 22/6 touchdown pass/interception split... But in his team's two biggest games, against Iowa and Ohio State, he completed just 24 of 60 passes, firing four picks and one touchdown pass. Both were losses.

We all know that DiNardo's assessment is much more intelligent, not to mention backed up by actual football analysis. But let's not get into the negatives of this. Clark earned this by leading a severely depleted Penn State squad to another 10-win season and a New Years Day bowl berth. He has been a great leader for the Nittany Lions, and should be appreciated by all fans for it.

Past Nittany Lions who have been awarded the Silver Football are quarterbacks Michael Robinson (2005) and Kerry Collins (1994).