The 1986 All-Big Ten Conference football team consists of

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

players chosen as All-

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

players for the

1986 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Penn State winning the national championship. Coached by Joe Paterno, they defeated Miami (Fl) 14–10 in the Fiesta Bowl. This Fiesta Bowl was the first in the game's history to decide the na ...

. Three players were unanimously chosen as first-team players by the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

media panel: quarterback

Jim Harbaugh James Joseph Harbaugh (; born December 23, 1963) is an American football coach and former quarterback, who is the current and 20th head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines. He played college football at Michigan from 1983 to 1986. He play ...

, receiver

Cris Carter Graduel Christopher Darin Carter (born November 25, 1965) is an American former American football, football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles (1987–1989), the Minnesota Vikings (1990� ...

, and linebacker

Chris Spielman Charles Christopher Spielman (born October 11, 1965) is a former American football player and is a special assistant to the owner and CEO for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played linebacker at Ohio State University, ...

. Conference co-champions

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

and

Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...

led the conference with seven first-team players each. Michigan's first-team selections included Harbaugh, Jumbo Elliott,

Mark Messner Mark W. Messner (born December 29, 1965) is a former American football player who played in the National Football League (NFL) as a linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams during the 1989 NFL season. He sustained a serious knee injury in the 1989-90 ...

and Andy Moeller. Ohio State's first-team selections included unanimous choices Carter and Spielman.

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

followed with four first-team honorees, including running back

Rick Bayless Rick Bayless (born November 23, 1953) is an American chef and restaurateur who specializes in traditional Mexican cuisine with modern interpretations. He is widely known for his PBS series '' Mexico: One Plate at a Time''. Among his various acco ...

Offensive selections

Quarterbacks

, Michigan (AP-1; UPI-1) *

Jim Karsatos Jim Karsatos (born May 26, 1963) is an American football player, Starting lineup, starting at quarterback for two years with the Ohio State University, Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes football, Buckeyes. He is of Greek-American origin from the isl ...

, Ohio State (AP-2)

Running backs

Darrell Thompson Darrell Alexander Thompson (born November 23, 1967) is a former professional American football running back who played for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers. He was selected by Green Bay in the first roun ...

, Minnesota (AP-1; UPI-1) *

, Iowa (AP-1) *

Jamie Morris James Walter Morris (born June 6, 1965) is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins and a record-setting running back in college for the University of Michigan Wolverine ...

, Michigan (AP-2; UPI-1) * Larry Emery, Wisconsin (AP-2)

Centers

* Bob Maggs, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1) *

Ray Hitchcock Raebern Brooks Hitchcock Jr (born June 20, 1965) is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins, who drafted him in the 12th round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He played college foot ...

, Minnesota (AP-2)

Guards

* Mark Hammerstein, Michigan (AP-1; UPI-1) * Jeff Uhlenhake, Ohio State (AP-1) * Bob Kratch, Iowa (UPI-1) * Troy Wolcrow, Minnesota (AP-2) * Scott Kehoe, Illinois (AP-2)

Tackles

* Dave Croston, Iowa (AP-1; UPI-1) * Jumbo Elliott, Michigan (AP-1; UPI-1) * Jim Hobbins, Minnesota (AP-2) * Bob Riley, Indiana (AP-2)

Tight ends

* Ed Taggert, Ohio State (AP-1) * Rich Borresen, Northwestern (AP-2; UPI-1)

Receivers

, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1) *

Andre Rison Andre Previn Rison (born March 18, 1967) is a former American football wide receiver who played professionally for the National Football League's Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers, ...

, Michigan State (AP-1; UPI-1) *

Mark Ingram Sr. Mark Valentino Ingram Sr. (born August 23, 1965) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League who played for the New York Giants (1987– 1992), the Miami Dolphins (1993 to 1994), the Green Bay Packers (1995), ...

, Michigan State (AP-2) * Stephen Pierce, Illinois (AP-2)

Defensive selections

Linemen-outside linebackers

Jeff Drost Jeff Drost is a former Tackle (American football)#Defensive tackle, defensive tackle in the National Football League. Biography Drost was born Jeffrey Wayne Drost on January 27, 1964 in San Angelo, Texas. For the 2022 season he is an assistant f ...

, Iowa (AP-1; UPI-1) *

Eric Kumerow Eric Palmer Kumerow (born April 17, 1965) is a former American football linebacker who played three seasons for the Miami Dolphins and one season with the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL). He played 42 games in his NFL caree ...

, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1) *

Van Waiters Van Waiters (born February 27, 1965) is a former professional American football linebacker who played five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings. He was a third-round draft pick by the Browns ...

, Indiana (AP-1; UPI-1) *

Dave Haight Dave Haight (April 11, 1966) is an American former college football player for the University of Iowa. He was the Big Ten’s Defensive Lineman of the Year as a junior in 1987 and was named a first team All-American the following year. Playing ...

, Iowa (AP-1) *

, Michigan (AP-1) * Bob Dirkes, Northwestern (AP-2) * John Budde, Michigan State (AP-2) * Kevin Holley, Purdue (AP-2) * Mark Nichols, Michigan State (AP-2) * Darryl Lee, Ohio State (AP-2)

Linebackers

* Andy Moeller, Michigan (AP-1; UPI-1) *

, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1) * Shane Bullough, Michigan State (AP-2; UPI-1) *

Bruce Holmes Bruce Barton Holmes (born October 24, 1965) is a former American football linebacker who played two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings. He was drafted by the Chiefs in the twelfth round ...

, Minnesota (AP-2; UPI-1) * Michael Reid, Wisconsin (AP-1) *

Fred Strickland Fredrick William Strickland, Jr. (born August 15, 1966) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins. He playe ...

, Purdue (AP-2)

Defensive backs

Nate Odomes Nathaniel Bernard Odomes (born August 25, 1965) is a former professional American football cornerback who played for the Buffalo Bills (1987–1993), Seattle Seahawks (1994–1995), and the Atlanta Falcons (1996). Before his NFL career, he p ...

, Wisconsin (AP-1; UPI-1) *

Rod Woodson Roderick Kevin Woodson (born March 10, 1965) is an American former professional football defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. He is currently the Head Coach of the XFL's Vegas Vipers. Woodson was drafted in the ...

, Purdue (AP-1; UPI-1) * Garland Rivers, Michigan (AP-2; UPI-1) * Sonny Gordon, Ohio State (AP-1) * Leonard Bell, Indiana (AP-2) * Alex Green, Indiana (AP-2)

Special teams

Kickers

* John Duvic, Northwestern (AP-1) *

Chip Lohmiller John McLeod "Chip" Lohmiller (born July 16, 1966) is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, and St. Louis Rams. He played college football at the Univ ...

, Minnesota (UPI-1) *

Rob Houghtlin Rob Houghtlin (January 4, 1965) is a former kicker for the University of Iowa's football team from 1985 to 1987. He made four game-winning field goals in his career, the most memorable of which led Iowa to a victory over Michigan in 1985. Early ...

, Iowa (AP-2)

Punters

Greg Montgomery Gregory "Greg" Hugh Montgomery Jr. (October 29, 1964 – August 23, 2020) was a National Football League punter from (1988-1997) for the Houston Oilers, Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens. Raised in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, Montgomery played foot ...

, Michigan State (AP-1; UPI-1) *

Tom Tupa Thomas Joseph Tupa Jr. (born February 6, 1966) is a former American football punter and quarterback in the National Football League. Personal life and high school career As a child, Tupa participated in the NFL's Punt, Pass, and Kick contest, ...