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Football
Ohio State Names Herron Team MVP, Captain
By Brandon Castel

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Boom Herron played in only six games for the Buckeyes this season, but that did not stop the senior tailback from picking up major post-season accolades Sunday.

Daniel "Boom" Herron
Photo by Jim Davidson

In front of more than 400 friends, family, players and team staff, Herron was named Ohio State’s 2011 team Most Valuable Player at the annual football team banquet in the Archie Griffin Ballroom at the Ohio Union.

Herron was also named one of Ohio State’s four permanent captains for the 2011 season, along with senior linebacker Andrew Sweat, junior defensive lineman John Simon and senior center Michael Brewster.

“This is the first year that I’ve counted the most valuable player votes and it was close in a lot of different areas,” Ohio State’s interim head coach Luke Fickell said in a statement.

“But Herron, the winner of our team MVP award, was an unbelievable example of how to handle adverse situations on and off the field. He was an example to us all.”

After leading the Buckeyes in rushing last season with 1,155 yards and 16 touchdowns, Heron was suspended the first five games of the 2011 season for his involvement in the tattoos-for-memorabilia scandal.

He was suspended an additional game by the NCAA for the overpayment he received from now-dissociated booster Bobby DiGeronimo, but returned to run for 596 yards and three touchdowns over the final six games of the season.

The Buckeyes won their first three games with Herron back in the lineup, including a 33-29 upset of Wisconsin in Columbus. Herron ran for 160 in that game, but Ohio State slumped with a three-game losing streak to close out the season.

The fact Herron was selected both as a captain and the team MVP says a lot about the way he is viewed inside Ohio State’s locker room and within the program itself.

“Playing at Ohio State has been a dream come true, and it has truly been an honor,” Herron said.

“All the memories and relationships I’ve built here are amazing. I want to thank my teammates for just being great teammates.”

It was a rough season for everyone at Ohio State, but maybe most of all for Brewster and Sweat, who had to shoulder a lot of the pressure and responsibility that would normally be spread out through a senior class.

Mike Brewster
Photo by Jim Davidson

“It is an honor that my teammates have selected me to be a captain,” Brewster said.

“I wish things could have gone better. But not one day went by where guys had their heads down. We always found a way to get things done.”

Fickell elected not to name season captains at the beginning of the year, instead asking every player on the team to assume a leadership role. The captains rotated each week throughout the season, which allowed Herron and Mike Adams to serve as game captains late in the year after they returned from their suspensions.

Brewster led the team with eight games where he served as a captain, including six of the last seven. Sweat was second on the team with seven games, while Tyler Moeller served as captain for six games. Simon was only a captain for four games during the regular season, but the history books will list him as one of Ohio State’s four captains for 2011, along with Herron, who served as a captain in four of his six games this season.

Past MVP Award Winners:

2001: Jonathan Wells
2002: Craig Krenzel & Chris Gamble
2003: Michael Jenkins
2004: Mike Nugent
2005: A.J. Hawk
2006: Troy Smith
2007: Beanie Wells
2008: Beanie Wells
2009: Kurt Coleman
2010: Dane Sanzenbacher

2011 Award Winners

Team MVP: Dan Herron (2010 Dane Sanzenbacher)

Archie Griffin Award (Outstanding Offensive Player): Braxton Miller (2010 Terrelle Pryor)

Bill Willis Award (Outstanding Defensive Player): John Simon (2010 Cam Heyward)

Bo Rein Award (Most Inspirational): Nate Ebner (2010 Sanzenbacher)

Jim Marshall Warrior Award: Tyler Moeller (Brandon Saine & Aaron Gant)

First-Year Offensive Player: Braxton Miller (2010 Corey Brown)

First-Year Defensive Player: Bradley Roby (2010 Johnathan Hankins)

Rex Kern Award (Outstanding Offensive Back): Zach Boren (2010 Boom Herron)

Paul Warfield Award (Outstanding WR): Corey Brown (2010 Sanzenbacher)

Jim Parker Award (Outstanding Offensive Lineman): Michael Brewster and Mike Adams (2010 Justin Boren & Bryant Browning)

Ike Kelley Award (Special Teams Standout): Nate Ebner (2010 Jake McQuaide)

Randy Gradishar Award (Outstanding LB): Andrew Sweat (2010 Brian Rolle & Ross Homan)

Arnie Chonko (Outstanding DB): C.J. Barnett (2010 Chimdi Chekwa & Jermale Hines)

Jack Stephenson Award (Outstanding Defensive Lineman): Johnathan Hankins (2010 Dexter Larimore)

John Galbreath Award (Academic Success): Chris Maxwell

Agonis Club Rick Meyer Award: Ryan Shazier (15 tackles vs. Penn State)

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