Per RU communications
CHICAGO (Nov. 30, 2015) – Rutgers junior wide receiver/kick returner Janarion Grant (Trilby, Fla.), junior linebacker Steve Longa (Saddle Brook, N.J.) and senior linebacker Quentin Gause (Rochester, N.Y.) were named to the 2015 All-Big Ten teams as voted on by the league’s head coaches and conference media members.
Grant was named a second team return specialist by the media and third team selection by the coaches. Longa was picked to the conference third team by the media and an honorable mention pick by the coaches. Gause earned honorable mention All-Big Ten by the media in addition to receiving the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
One of the top returners in the conference, Grant led the Big Ten with three kickoff return touchdowns and had one punt return score. He became the first player in Rutgers history to return both a kickoff and punt in the same game against Washington State (Sept. 12).
Grant set the Rutgers all-time record for kickoff return yards with 2,411 yards. He established the mark in eight fewer attempts than the previous school record holder. He also posted the school’s single-season record with 984 kick return yards in 2015. Grant ended the season ranked 10th in all-time punt return yardage with 368 yards.
Longa eclipsed the 100-tackle mark for the third time in his career, becoming just the second Scarlet Knight to achieve the feat in three consecutive seasons. His 76 solo tackles led the Big Ten and ranked sixth nationally, while he was second in the conference and eighth in the country with 117 total tackles. Longa averaged 10.8 tackles per game against Big Ten opponents, second-most among players in the league. He had a career-best 19 stops against then-No. 1 Ohio State (Oct. 24), which tied for the most in a Big Ten game this season.
Gause finished 2015 with a career-best 96 total tackles which ranked second on the team. His 60 solo tackles were the sixth-highest total in the conference. He also led Rutgers with 12 tackles for loss. On two occasions, Gause recorded a career-high 15 tackles against Ohio State (Oct. 24) and at Wisconsin (Oct. 31).
The All-Big Ten awards for offense will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
Senior LB Quentin Gause
Honorable Mention (Media)
Big Ten Sportsmanship Award
Junior KR/WR Janarion Grant
Second Team All-Big Ten (Media)
Third Team All-Big Ten (Coaches)
Junior LB Steve Longa
Third Team All-Big Ten (Media)
Honorable Mention (Coaches)
CHICAGO (Nov. 30, 2015) – Rutgers junior wide receiver/kick returner Janarion Grant (Trilby, Fla.), junior linebacker Steve Longa (Saddle Brook, N.J.) and senior linebacker Quentin Gause (Rochester, N.Y.) were named to the 2015 All-Big Ten teams as voted on by the league’s head coaches and conference media members.
Grant was named a second team return specialist by the media and third team selection by the coaches. Longa was picked to the conference third team by the media and an honorable mention pick by the coaches. Gause earned honorable mention All-Big Ten by the media in addition to receiving the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
One of the top returners in the conference, Grant led the Big Ten with three kickoff return touchdowns and had one punt return score. He became the first player in Rutgers history to return both a kickoff and punt in the same game against Washington State (Sept. 12).
Grant set the Rutgers all-time record for kickoff return yards with 2,411 yards. He established the mark in eight fewer attempts than the previous school record holder. He also posted the school’s single-season record with 984 kick return yards in 2015. Grant ended the season ranked 10th in all-time punt return yardage with 368 yards.
Longa eclipsed the 100-tackle mark for the third time in his career, becoming just the second Scarlet Knight to achieve the feat in three consecutive seasons. His 76 solo tackles led the Big Ten and ranked sixth nationally, while he was second in the conference and eighth in the country with 117 total tackles. Longa averaged 10.8 tackles per game against Big Ten opponents, second-most among players in the league. He had a career-best 19 stops against then-No. 1 Ohio State (Oct. 24), which tied for the most in a Big Ten game this season.
Gause finished 2015 with a career-best 96 total tackles which ranked second on the team. His 60 solo tackles were the sixth-highest total in the conference. He also led Rutgers with 12 tackles for loss. On two occasions, Gause recorded a career-high 15 tackles against Ohio State (Oct. 24) and at Wisconsin (Oct. 31).
The All-Big Ten awards for offense will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
Senior LB Quentin Gause
Honorable Mention (Media)
Big Ten Sportsmanship Award
Junior KR/WR Janarion Grant
Second Team All-Big Ten (Media)
Third Team All-Big Ten (Coaches)
Junior LB Steve Longa
Third Team All-Big Ten (Media)
Honorable Mention (Coaches)
