Penn State Football: Barkley Takes Home Three Major Big Ten Honors

Saquon Barkley didn’t win all of the Big Ten awards on Thursday but he nearly did.

The junior running back was named the 2017 Graham-George Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, 2017 Ameche-Dayne Big Ten Running Back of the Year and 2017 Rodgers-Dwight Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year. The conference announced the honors on Thursday morning.

Of note, Barkley is the second player in conference history to win three major awards, joining Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers (Defensive Player of the Year, Linebacker of the Year, Return Specialist of the Year) in 2016.

Barkley claims his second-straight Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and is the first player to do so since Ohio State’s Braxton Miller in 2012 and 2013. Barkley is the third player to win multiple Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors (Miller; Drew Brees, Purdue in 1998 & 2000) and is the first running back to win multiple Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors.

The Coplay, Pa., native is the first back-to-back Big Ten Running Back of the Year since Wisconsin’s Montee Ball (2011 & 2012). He is the first Penn State player to be Return Specialist of the Year (award established in 2015).