Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Football Announces 2000 Award Recipients
12/9/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
December 4, 2000
Bloomington, Ind. -- The Indiana University football team held its annual football awards banquet at 5:30 p.m. today in the Mellencamp Pavilion on the Bloomington campus. The following awards were presented:
BILL ARMSTRONG SPIRIT OF INDIANA AWARD
Established in 1997, the Bill Armstrong Spirit of Indiana Award is awarded to a player who has a genuine love for Indiana University and most closely resembles Bill Armstrong in action, thought, deed, and motive.
A member of the Indiana University Athletic Hall of Fame and former Executive Director and President of the IU Foundation where he served from 1952-83, Bill Armstrong was one of Indiana University's finest ambassadors. As a fundraiser and athletic department consultant he aided IU athletics in many significant ways. He was instrumental in starting men's soccer as a varsity sport and Armstrong Stadium, used for soccer and the Little 500 bicycle race, is name in his honor. He also played a pivotal role in women's athletics and development of the Student Athletic Board. A recipient of the Z.G. Clevenger Award and Distinguished Alumni Service Award, and a former baseball letterwinner from Owensboro, Ky., Bill Armstrong died on July 17, 1998. Anyone who knew him realizes that no words better describe him than "Spirit of Indiana."
Recipient: Sharrod Wallace, Junior, Cornerback, Harrisburg, Pa. (Hargrave Military)
AL BARSCH AWARD
Awarded to the player who has hung tough and fought through adversity.
An alumnus from Ohio, Barsch helped Indiana in recruiting and assisted players in finding jobs in the Cleveland area. He died of cancer in the mid 1980s.
Recipient: Kris Dielman, Tight End/Defensive Tackle, Troy, Ohio (Troy)
HOWARD BROWN AWARD
Awarded to the player who exemplifies the qualities of former Indiana assistant coach Howard Brown. On October 15, 1977, the I Men's Association dedicated a bust of Brown that stands on the field of Memorial Stadium next to the IU locker room. It reads, "He demonstrated compassion, courage, understanding, humor, sportsmanship and a strong competitive spirit as a player, coach, and as a man. He served Indiana University with boundless love and dedication. His example shall serve as an inspiration to all those who follow him." The recipient receives a trophy and has his name engraved on a plaque displayed in the Football Office Complex.
One of Indiana's all-time greats, Brown was the team's Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten championship season of 1945 and again in 1947. He was a captain in both 1946 and 1947.
A native of Dayton, Ohio, Brown played as a freshman in 1942 before joining the Infantry. He won three Purple Hearts while serving in Europe and returned to the Bloomington campus shortly after the start of the 1945 season. He jumped into the starting lineup after just three days of practice and played a key role in Indiana's only undefeated championship season.
After participating in both the College All-Star and East-West games, Brown graduated in 1948 and played three seasons with the Detroit Lions, under his former coach, A.N. (Bo) McMillin.
Brown returned to his alma mater in 1951 as an assistant to Clyde Smith. When Smith resigned at the end of the year, Brown moved with him to become the line coach at Arizona
State. Brown returned to Indiana in 1954 to coach the freshman team. He served as an assistant coach through the 1974 season.
Recipient: Versie Gaddis, Graduate, Wide Receiver, Atlanta, Ga. (Frederick Douglass)
CHRIS DAL SASSO AWARD
Awarded to the defensive lineman who exemplifies the qualities of Chris Dal Sasso, a three-year letterman and captain in 1936. Recipient receives a trophy.
A three-year tackle at Indiana, Dal Sasso captained the 1936 team. Following graduation in 1937, Chris spent 15 years at South Bend Central High School as an assistant coach, head coach and athletic director. His tenure there was interrupted by a four-year stint in the Air Force. His 1951 Central team won the state championship.
In 1952, Chris joined the Indiana football staff as an assistant coach and served in that capacity until taking over an assistant administrator position in 1957. In this position, the Clinton, Ind., native handled the complex Big Ten financial aid program.
Recipient: Paul Mandina, Senior, Defensive Tackle, Rochester, N.Y. (Webster)
CORBY DAVIS MEMORIAL AWARD
Established by the family and friends of Corby Davis to honor the senior player whose conduct on campus, in the classroom and on the football field most closely exemplifies the qualities of former Big Ten MVP Corby Davis. A trophy is awarded and the name of the recipient is engraved on a plaque displayed in the Football Office Complex.
A 1992 inductee of the Indiana University Hall of Fame, Davis earned letters in football in 1934, 1935 and 1937 and lettered in track in 1935. Davis, the Big Ten Most Valuable Player and a 1937 first-team All-America selection at fullback, was a member of the East team in the 1937 East-West game. A Balfour Award winner, Davis was a starter on the College All-Stars in 1938 and was a first-round draft pick of the Cleveland Rams that same year. Splitting professional time because of the war, Davis would enjoy four seasons of success with the Rams before retiring in 1942.
Recipient: Glynn Johnson, Senior, Running Back, Cincinnati, Ohio (Walnut Hills)
DON HOWELL AWARD
Awarded to the outstanding offensive lineman in memory of Don Howell.
A two-way lineman in from Hobart, Ind., Howell played for the Hoosiers from 1954-57 and served as captain of the team in 1957. He played in the 1957 Blue-Gray All-Star Game. After graduation, Howell returned to his hometown of Hobart and served as an assistant coach and later as head coach at Hobart High School. He won over 300 games and was the second winningest coach in Indiana high school football history. Several of his former players have gone on to play football at Indiana University.
Recipient: Craig Osika, Senior, Center, Hobart, Ind. (Hobart)
PETE SCHMIDT AWARD (TEAM ABOVE SELF)
Awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of former Indiana assistant head coach Pete Schmidt, most specifically given to the individual who places the Indiana football program above himself. One of the most highly successful coaches in college football history, Schmidt passed away on September 29, 2000, after a year-long battle with lymphoma. A permanent sign painted in the Indiana football locker room reads, "There is no such thing as a bad day." It is those words, often spoken by Schmidt during his cancer treatments, that may best describe the manner in which Coach Schmidt lived his life.
One of the most highly successful coaches in college football history, Pete Schmidt was nationally respected for his success on the football field and, most importantly, for the positive impact he had on so many lives. A native of Port Austin, Michigan, Schmidt was one of that state's most successful prep coaches at Okemos High School prior to becoming the head coach at Albion College in 1983. It was there that he won national coach-of-the-year honors and led the Britons to the 1994 NCAA Division III National Championship. In his 14 years at the Albion College helm, Schmidt compiled a 106-26-5 record and led the Britons to five NCAA playoff appearances and nine conference championships. During his tenure, every single senior football player earned a degree. Among that impressive group were eight first-team academic All-America selections and three NCAA Post-Graduate Scholars. On the field, Schmidt helped produce 12 first-team Small College All-America recipients. Schmidt was recently inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.
Schmidt joined the Indiana football staff in 1997 and helped orchestrate one of the most improved, and productive, offenses in the Big Ten Conference. He left his signature on an Indiana offensive system that is widely considered to be one of the nation's most diverse. It is an attack that is so difficult to defend because the Hoosiers may run an option on one play and line up in a four-wide receiver set the very next down. Under Schmidt's leadership in 1999, Indiana was the only team in the nation who had a 2,000-yard passer, two 750-yard rushers and two 600-yard receivers. The offense accounted for a staggering 60 plays of 20-or-more yards
An accomplished athlete at Alma College, Schmidt earned eight letters in football and baseball while playing on three conference championship football teams. He was a first-team all-conference selection in baseball and also played one year of basketball. In 1970, Schmidt earned a bachelor's degree from Alma College in physical education and social studies. While serving as a football graduate assistant at Michigan State, he earned his master's degree in 1981.
Recipient: Antwaan Randle El, Junior, Quarterback, Riverdale, Ill. (Thornton)
JENNY SUHR AWARD (ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING)
Awarded to a student assistant in the Indiana football program who best exemplifies the qualities of former student assistant Jenny Suhr, most specifically given to an individual whose attitude and positive outlook serve as a wonderful example for everyone involved in the football program. One of the leaders on the IU-Bloomington campus, Jenny passed away on December 29, 1999, after battling cancer. The love she showed for Indiana football, her effervescent smile, and her unwavering spirit in the face of tremendous adversity provide a constant reminder that extraordinary achievements may be accomplished if one maintains a positive attitude.
One of the most impressive leaders on the IU campus and in the Bloomington community, Jenny Suhr was an accomplished student and athlete. The president of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, Suhr was a business major, volunteered in the Indiana football office, and coached the seventh grade girls basketball team at Tri-North Middle School. The valedictorian of her 1997 graduating class at Bloomington North High School, Jenny played basketball and volleyball for the Cougars. She is the daughter of Jane and Buck Suhr, the latter the administrative assistant to head coach Cam Cameron.
Recipient: Student Volunteer Dana Thomas, senior, Linton, Ind. (Linton-Stockton)
ANTHONY THOMPSON, MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD
Probably Indiana's greatest football player ever, Thompson collected first-team All-America honors following both his junior and senior seasons. Following his senior year he won the Walter Camp Foundation's Player of the Year, the AFCA "Coaches Choice" Player of the Year, the Maxwell Football Award and finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting. The only person to have his jersey retired at Indiana University in any sport, Thompson was named to the All-Big Ten team in 1988 and 1989 and was also named Big Ten MVP and Indiana MVP both seasons. Thompson holds almost every Indiana rushing record including career rushes, career yards gained, yards gained in a single game, and rushes in a single game. Following his senior season, Thompson played in both the East-West Shrine Game and Japan Bowl. Thompson played professionally for the Phoenix Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams.
Recipients: Antwaan Randle El, Junior, Quarterback, Riverdale, Ill. (Thornton)
TED VERLIHAY AWARD
Awarded to the Indiana University football player who has demonstrated the best mental attitude and loyalty to Indiana Football. A trophy is awarded to the recipient and his name is engraved on a plaque displayed in the Football Office Complex. The award was established by the friends and family of Ted Verlihay.
A veteran of the Vietnam War, Verlihay earned a letter following the 1967 season. A native of Pittsburgh, Penn., Verlihay graduated from North Catholic High School where he was an All-State guard and linebacker. He captained his 1963 high school team to a 9-0-1 record. Verlihay was a physical education major at Indiana.
Recipient: De'Wayne Hogan, Senior, Fullback, Indianapolis (Ben Davis)
TED WHEREATT AWARD
Awarded to a senior player who has excelled academically. A trophy is awarded and the recipient's name is engraved on a plaque displayed in the Football Office Complex.
A long-time resident of the Indiana University community, Whereatt served as an Assistant to the Dean of the University Division. In this capacity, he counseled student-athletes with their educational program.
Recipient: Tim Capen, Senior, Wide Receiver, Greenfield, Ind. (Greenfield)
THE THUNDERDOME CLUB
The Thunderdome Club award is the premier award you can receive in the Indiana football program because it is awarded strictly by day-to-day, play-by-play, game-by-game performance. To be eligible for the Thunderdome Club in a given week an individual must meet all of the following criteria:
• attend all academic classes and must practice well each day to stay eligible for that week
• grade out 80% or better
• play at least 20 downs on a defensive unit that shuts out an opponent or on an offensive unit that scores 30 points in a game.
Anyone who makes the Thunderdome Club at least eight out of 11 weeks will receive a trophy at the end of the season.
Recipients: Versie Gaddis, Graduate, WR, Atlanta, Ga. (Frederick Douglass); WR Derin Graham, Jr., Indianapolis (Ben Davis), De'Wayne Hogan, Sr., FB, Indianapolis (Ben Davis) Sione Ohuafi, Redshirt Freshman, Guard, Houston, Texas (Channelview)
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS-OF-THE-YEAR:
Recipients: Derin Graham, Jr., Indianapolis (Ben Davis); Andy Payne, Sr., Fishers, Ind. (Hamilton Southeastern)
IRON MAN AWARDS (901 PLAYS):
Recipients: Center Craig Osika, tackle A.C. Myler, and tackle Enoch DeMar
VERIZEN ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT V TEAM: Joe Gonzalez, Sophomore, S, Avon Lake, Ohio (St. Ignatius)
ALL-BIG TEN RECOGNITION:
Second-Team Quarterback (Coaches and Media): Antwaan Randle El
Second-Team Linebacker (Coaches): Justin Smith
Honorable Mention: T Ecoch DeMar, DT Paul Mandina, K Andy Payne, S Johnny Anderson
SCOUT TEAM AWARDS:
Offensive Scout Team Player-of-the-Year: Prince Pack, Fr., RB, Detroit (St. Martin DePorres)
Defensive Scout Team Player-of-the-Year: Jodie Clemons, Fr., DE, Lansing, Mich. (Sexton)
Special Teams Scout Team Player-of-the-Year: Eli Radke, Fr., Attica, Ind. (Seeger)
ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN RECOGNITION:
Center Trevor Abbs, kicker Adam Braucher, wide receiver Tim Capen, tackle Enoch DeMar, kicker Brett Gaudin, safety Joe Gonzalez, quarterback Gibran Hamdan, safety Greg Jensen, defensive back Matt Mason, linebacker Shane Moat, defensive end Kemp Rasmussen, linebacker Justin Smith, tackle Brett Taylor
