Among all the great players who played in the Big Ten for the past decade, only one was named as a unanimous selection on BTN's All-Decade team of the 2010s.
After winning multiple national defensive player of the year awards, finishing fourth in the Heisman Trophy race, breaking Ohio State's single-season school record for sacks and earning Big Ten male athlete of the year honors last season, former Ohio State defensive end Chase Young was unanimously selected to the All-Decade team by BTN's 24-person panel of voters.
The only UNANIMOUS #BTNAllDecade selection
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) July 2, 2020
It's gotta be @OhioStateFB star DE and No. 2 overall pick of the @Redskins - @youngchase907.
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“That was one of the most dominant years a defensive player's ever had, not just in the Big Ten but in America,” said former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, who was one of the 24 voters. “His overwhelming size and speed, and then on top of it smart, tough and high-character guy on top of all that. But his size and speed, I don't know if I've ever really seen one like that.”
"His size and speed, I don't know if I've ever seen one like that."@CoachUrbanMeyer and fellow panelists tell you why @OhioStateFB great @youngchase907 was a unanimous #BTNAllDecade selection.
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) July 2, 2020
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Young, who now plays for the Washington Redskins after being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, expressed his gratitude to the voters and his Ohio State coaches – specifically Larry Johnson and Mickey Marotti – and teammates after being informed he had been selected to the team.
“Coach J, definitely a big thanks to him, I feel like he was one of the biggest parts in all my success,” Young said in an interview with BTN's Rick Pizzo. “My parents, they guided me in the right direction to go to Ohio State. And Coach Mick and all the guys in the weight room just pushed us to our limit, and I feel like without everybody, I couldn't do it by myself, so I'm just praising everybody for just sticking with me.”
"I couldn't do it by myself, so I'm just praising everybody for sticking with me."@OhioStateFB great @youngchase907 chats with @BTNRickPizzo about being a unanimous pick for the #BTNAllDecade Team.
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) July 2, 2020
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Fellow former Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa, a two-time consensus All-American and Big Ten defensive lineman of the year, was also named to the All-Decade defensive line on Thursday.
#BTNAllDecade shifts to the front four
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) July 2, 2020
And the first nominee is a familiar name in football circles - BOSA. The @Chargers' @jbbigbear earns a spot after dominating for @OhioStateFB.
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“I used to tell people, what made him so unique, it all starts with the power rush – the bull rush they call it – he gets his hands on you, he was so powerful,” Meyer said of Bosa. “And then he was one of the best I've ever seen at the ability to now translate into that I call it get skinny. He gets his hands on you, the tackle oversets on you, he has the ability to get skinny or turn sideways on you.”
"The size is there, the speed is there, all of that. . . . Everything he did looked so effortless."@RIP_JEP and other voters share why @OhioStateFB champion Joey Bosa (@jbbigbear) made the #BTNAllDecade Team.
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) July 2, 2020
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Joey Bosa's younger brother Nick, who was also a first-team All-American and Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year for the Buckeyes in 2017, earned second-team All-Decade honors from BTN.
Young and Bosa join offensive linemen Wyatt Davis and Billy Price and safety Malik Hooker as Buckeyes who have been named to BTN's All-Decade first team.
The All-Decade team's quarterback, specialists and head coach will be announced by BTN on Friday.