Eslinger Named Big Ten Medal of Honor Winner

University of Minnesota Director of Athletics Joel Maturi announced that Greg Eslinger of the Gopher football team and women’s gymnast Laura Johnson were named Minnesota’s recipients of the Big Ten Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor is the Big Ten’s oldest award given to those athletes who demonstrate proficiency in scholarship and athletics. Given to graduating athletes since 1914, Eslinger and Johnson join more than 1,100 former Big Ten Athletes to have been awarded this prestigious honor.

A native of Bismarck, N.D., Eslinger was named the winner of the 2006 Outland Trophy as the nation’s outstanding interior lineman and the 2005 Rimington Trophy, awarded to the nation’s best center. Eslinger started all 50 games of his college career dating back to his true freshman season in 2002 and became the first football player in Gopher history to be named first-team all-conference by the media and coaches for three consecutive seasons. This past season, he was selected one of 16 national scholar athletes for all divisions of college football in addition to being a first-team All-American selection by six different organizations.

Johnson, a native of Albuquerque, N.M., competed in every meet of her college career since her freshman year. This year, she won a Big Ten individual title on the vault. She qualified for the NCAA Championships the past two years in the all-around competition. Johnson was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year this past season and earned Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors four times. Johnson graduated in four years with a degree in journalism and mass communications and was a University of Minnesota Scholar Athlete four times.

Each institution in the Big Ten selects one male and one female recipient for the Medal of Honor. This year, the 22 student-athletes selected represented 14 sports and included 16 All-Big Ten selections and 20 Academic All-Big Ten honorees.

Eslinger, Johnson Named Big Ten Medal of Honor Winners Even after his University of Minnesota football career is finished, center Greg Eslinger continues to get awards and accolades. Eslinger was one of two Gopher athletes named as recipients of the Big Ten Medal of Honor for proficiency in athletics and academics. University of Minnesota Director of Athletics Joel Maturi announced that Greg Eslinger of the Gopher football team and women’s gymnast Laura Johnson were named Minnesota’s recipients of the Big Ten Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor is the Big Ten’s oldest award given to those athletes who demonstrate proficiency in scholarship and athletics. Given to graduating athletes since 1914, Eslinger and Johnson join more than 1,100 former Big Ten Athletes to have been awarded this prestigious honor.

A native of Bismarck, N.D., Eslinger was named the winner of the 2006 Outland Trophy as the nation’s outstanding interior lineman and the 2005 Rimington Trophy, awarded to the nation’s best center. Eslinger started all 50 games of his college career dating back to his true freshman season in 2002 and became the first football player in Gopher history to be named first-team all-conference by the media and coaches for three consecutive seasons. This past season, he was selected one of 16 national scholar athletes for all divisions of college football in addition to being a first-team All-American selection by six different organizations.

Johnson, a native of Albuquerque, N.M., competed in every meet of her college career since her freshman year. This year, she won a Big Ten individual title on the vault. She qualified for the NCAA Championships the past two years in the all-around competition. Johnson was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year this past season and earned Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors four times. Johnson graduated in four years with a degree in journalism and mass communications and was a University of Minnesota Scholar Athlete four times.

Each institution in the Big Ten selects one male and one female recipient for the Medal of Honor. This year, the 22 student-athletes selected represented 14 sports and included 16 All-Big Ten selections and 20 Academic All-Big Ten honorees.