To the victors go the spoils, and for Indiana that means the postseason recognition keeps rolling in.
On Tuesday two IU players earned Football Writers Association of America All-American honors.
Linebacker Aiden Fisher was named to the first team, and cornerback D’Angelo Ponds was named to the second team. It marks the first time since 1945 Indiana earned a pair of FWAA All-Americans.
Also on Tuesday, coach Curt Cignetti earned his third and fourth national coach of the year awards.
Fisher gives Indiana their third All-American linebacker in five years, following Aaron Casey in 2023 and Micah McFadden in 2020. He appears to be the first-ever first team All-American linebacker in program history.
Fisher led the team and ranked third in the Big Ten in total tackles at 108 stops on the season. He started all 12 games and chipped in eight-plus tackles in eight games on the season, with four double-digit tackle games. He had 4.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and broke up three passes.
Ponds is the first IU cornerback to earn All-American honors since Tiawan Mullen in 2020.
He was graded the No. 3 coverage cornerback in the Big Ten per Pro Football Focus (84.7). Ponds appeared in all 12 games with 11 starts. He totaled 53 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss. The sophomore grabbed two interceptions and broke up nine passes. He returned one interception for a touchdown against Washington. Ponds also blocked a punt at Michigan State that ended in a safety.
Meanwhile, coach Curt Cignetti added two more National Coach of the Year honors to his resume on Tuesday as the Walter Camp Football Foundation, Inc., and Associated Press each recognized his work on the sideline. He is the fourth Indiana head coach to earn the award from the AFCA after orchestrating one of the biggest turnarounds in FBS history.
The Tuesday awards add to Cignetti’s rapidly growing list of postseason honors. Here’s what he’s won so far:
- Associate Press National Coach of the Year
- Walter Camp Football Foundation National Coach of the Year
- American Football Coaches Association National Coach of the Year
- Home Depot National Coach of the Year
- Hayes-Schembechler Big Ten Coach of the Year (Big Ten coaches)
- Dave McClain Coach of the Year (Big Ten media)
- Associated Press Big Ten Coach of the Year
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