Jabrill Peppers. Photo courtesy of mgoblue.com
EAST ORANGE, NJ (updated Tuesday Dec. 6, 9:40 a.m.) – Jabrill Peppers is highly regarded as one of the top college football players in the nation.
The East Orange native proved it on the field this season as he earned three major Big Ten Conference individual awards. Peppers, a junior linebacker for the University of Michigan, was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, Linebacker of the Year, and Return Specialist of the Year.
Peppers, a 6-foot-2, 210-pounder, helped lead a unit that finished first in eight Big Ten defensive categories, according to the mgoblue.com. He contributed a career-best 72 tackles, 16 tackles- for-loss, four sacks, one interception and one forced fumble. Peppers earned All-Big Ten first team honors in the return game, posting 21 punt returns for 310 yards (14.8 average) and one touchdown. He had 10 kickoff returns for 260 yards (26.0 average). He also contributed on the offensive side of the ball, rushing 27 times for 167 yards and three touchdowns while catching two passes.
Peppers also finished fifth among the five finalists for the prestigious Heisman Trophy award, given to the nation’s top collegiate player, announced on Saturday night, Dec. 10. Peppers also was named to the Associated Press All-American First Team for the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.
Michigan has a 10-2 record and is ranked fifth in the College Football Playoff Rankings. Michigan will face Florida State in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Friday, Dec. 30, in Miami, Fla.
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