Tom Harmon is Big Ten Icon #5

Submitted by MGoShoe on

Tom Harmon is Big Ten icon number 5. Old 98 gets the treatment starting this Sunday at 9 pm ET on the BTN.

http://www.bigtennetwork.com/dpp/about_us/Tom-Harmon-Named-Big-Ten-Icon-No.-5

Michigan’s Tom Harmon has been named Big Ten Icon No. 5. Presented by Discover and hosted by Keith Jackson, Big Ten Icons continues at 9 PM ET on Sunday with a profile of the 1940 Heisman Trophy winner and charter member of Michigan’s Hall of Honor.

The episode includes new one-on-one interviews with Michigan Athletic Director David Brandon, award-winning sportscaster and former Wolverine football standout Jim Brandstatter, journalist John Bacon, and others.

Edit: Thanks Jeepin' Ben. Hasitly prepared OP squeezed between meetings.

oriental andrew

January 31st, 2011 at 1:15 PM ^

That would be my guess as well, in order from 1-4.  Jesse Owens was ridiculous and actually has a plaque in his honor at Michigan Stadium.  Red Grange was voted by ESPN to be the top college football player,. in any conference, of ALL TIME.  Magic and Griffin could flip flop the 3-4 spots.  

  1. Jesse Owens
  2. Red Grange
  3. Magic Johnson
  4. Archie Griffin
  5. Tom Harmon

Salinger

January 31st, 2011 at 12:29 PM ^

I haven't seen the entire list, but I'd have to think, if he hasn't been used already, that Archie Griffin would be #1 for his 2 Heismans.  

 

Let the Neg's begin!

jmblue

January 31st, 2011 at 1:28 PM ^

The Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year award is named after Jesse Owens.  That's a pretty strong clue.  

The Heismans alone can't be a deciding factor, because the trophy was established in the 1930s (after Red Grange played, among others).  Also, Griffin's second Heisman win (1975) was controversial.  His statistical production was down significantly that year, and many feel he won it more on reputation than anything.  

 

WolverineHistorian

January 31st, 2011 at 1:03 PM ^

Any Michigan player that can make a stadium full of Buckeye fans cheer deserves this high of a ranking. 

I guess in 1940, OSU fans weren't the worst fans in America like they are now. 

Fresh Meat

January 31st, 2011 at 2:02 PM ^

I lost respect for this list when a female track athlete from NU was ahead of Woodson.  I'm sorry, but if we are talking "Icon" how can an athlete that no one has ever heard of be ahead of Woodson? 

Tater

January 31st, 2011 at 3:26 PM ^

Before Magic got to MSU, they had been to the NCAA Tournament twice, with one of the appearances being Final Four.  Jud Heathcoate had gone 12-15 the year before in his rookie year, and they went 25-5 and 26-6 with one Elite Eight and one National Championship.  

If Magic hadn't done what he did at MSU, Heathcoate never would have gotten the chance to hire an assistant named Tom Izzo.  Heathcoate was never a great coach, but he did keep his program within sniffing distance of Michigan and was able to leave on his own terms.  So, as much as I detest all things Sparty, I am going to have to give credit to Magic Johnson.  

Even if he ends up at number one, it's not that bad.  MSU was so weak before he got there that I really hadn't developed a distaste for them when he was there, so it's almost like he wasn't really one of "those" Spartans I have come to know and dislike.

jmblue

January 31st, 2011 at 4:37 PM ^

Along those lines, I'm a little surprised that Mateen Cleaves didn't make the list at all.  The Magic-led 1979 championship certainly made Heathcoate bulletproof, but MSU's program didn't really have staying power until Cleaves & Co.  In between Magic and Cleaves, MSU was mostly a middle-of-the-pack program.

jmblue

January 31st, 2011 at 4:33 PM ^

As I said, I think actually ranking the 50 athletes is splitting hairs - it's an incredible honor to just be on the list.  But if you really want to debate Magic and Harmon, remember that we are talking about "icons" here, whatever that means.  The Magic-Bird championship game is one of the most remembered championships ever (even though the game itself wasn't necessarily that great).