Josey Jewell, Josh Jackson Headline Associated Press All-Big Ten Awards for Iowa Football

It should come as no surprise to anyone after the season they had, but Josey Jewell and Josh Jackson continue to hoard any and all awards at their respective positions after the Associated Press gave them some all-conference nods earlier today.

On top of his First-Team All-Big Ten honor, Josey Jewell was named AP’s Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year over a list of solid linebackers that includes fellow first-teamer TJ Edwards and AP second-teamer Devin Bush. For the uninformed, those two are Butkus Award finalists and Jewell is not, so it’s bizarre that he was snubbed from the Butkus list while he continues to rack up these accolades.

Jackson himself is a first-teamer after tying for the FBS lead with seven interceptions, just one short of Iowa’s single-season record (Desmond King, Lou King, Nile Kinnick all tie with eight). His addition to the first-team makes it three straight years an Iowa defensive back has made the team.

The junior cornerback is also up for the Jim Thorpe Award and could be the second Hawkeye in three years to win the award (King in 2015). The Thorpe Award will be presented on Thursday night to the nation’s best defensive back by former Hawkeye DB Bob Stoops, so it would be an incredible honor for Jackson to be given the award by a former Iowa standout.

Sean Welsh was also named Second-Team All-Big Ten by AP this season after a year that no Hawkeyes were on the AP all-Big Ten teams in 2016. Welsh has also been named first-team all-Big Ten by the media and second-team all-Big Ten by the coaches.