Former Gophers Dave Winfield and Paul Giel are deserving of careful consideration when the Big Ten Network determines the Big Ten Conference’s all-time greatest athletes. The network announced the project last week and said in a news release that a top 50 list will be determined by “a panel of on-air talent, network executives, conference officials and long-time Big Ten observers.”
Athletes selected will be seen in a 20-episode series, Big Ten Icons, hosted by legendary college sports broadcaster Keith Jackson. The series debuts September 18 following a Big Ten Network football game. The countdown from No. 20 continues every Tuesday night through the end of football season and into the spring. The greatest athlete will be identified next March in conjunction with the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament. Those selected for the top 50 will do so based on their achievements in the Big Ten, not other experiences such as professional or Olympic competition.
Winfield was an All-American baseball player and was both a superior pitcher and hitter. He was named MVP of the College World Series in 1973 where he almost helped the Gophers, a northern team, to a national championship. In basketball he was a starting forward and key contributor to the 1972 Gophers’ Big Ten championship team. Although Winfield didn’t play college football he was such a good athlete he was drafted by the NFL, as well as the NBA and major league baseball.
Giel was All-American in two sports for the Gophers, baseball as a pitcher and football as a quarterback. Playing in the early 1950’s, Giel was later drafted by the New York Giants and went directly to the major leagues. In football he was twice named the Big Ten’s most valuable player. Many historians argue that if he had played with a better team at Minnesota he would have been the 1953 Heisman Trophy winner.
Winfield and Giel should be locks to be included on the top 50 list, and deserving of high ranking. Other Big Ten athletes with exceptional resumes include Jesse Owens, Archie Griffin, Jerry Lucas, and Jack Nicklaus from Ohio State, Kirk Gibson and Magic Johnson from Michigan State, Red Grange and Dick Butkus from Illinois, Indiana’s Mark Spitz and Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne. In addition to Winfield and Giel, other Gophers who should receive top 50 consideration include Bobby Bell, Shelton Benjamin, Eric Decker, Bud Grant, Noel Jenke, Bronko Nagurski, Mychal Thompson and Bruce Smith.
The top 50 project will be promoted at the Big Ten basketball tournament that starts tomorrow in Indianapolis. Eight-foot tall bobbleheads representing each school will be stationed around Conseco Fieldhouse during the event. The bobbleheads will include Red Grange (Illinois), Steve Alford (Indiana), Chuck Long (Iowa), Charles Woodson (Michigan), Mateen Cleaves (Michigan State), Dave Winfield (Minnesota), Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern), Jesse Owens (Ohio State), John Cappelletti (Penn State), Drew Brees (Purdue) and Ron Dayne (Wisconsin).