Five players were selected on the first team by all three selectors: quarterback Billy Hillenbrand of Indiana; fullback Bob Westfall of Michigan; end Dave Schreiner of Wisconsin; and tackles Alf Bauman of Northwestern and Dick Wildung of Minnesota.
Westfall was the only Big Ten player selected in the first round of the 1942 NFL draft.
The 1941 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team was selected as the national champion in the final AP Poll and led all other teams with seven players named to the first and second teams: quarterback Bill Garnaas (AP-2, UP-2); halfbacks Bill Daley (AP-1, UP-1, INS-2) and Bruce Smith (AP-1, UP-2, INS-1); end Bob Fitch (AP-2, UP-1, INS-2); tackle Dick Wildung (AP-1, UP-1, INS-1); and guards Butch Levy (AP-1, UP-1) and Helge Pukema (AP-2, INS-2).
Though not picked for the first team by any of the selectors, Ohio State fullback Jack Graf won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football award as the conference's most valuable player.
[2] AP = Associated Press, chosen by conference coaches[3] UP = United Press, selected "by experts representing every section blanketed by the western conference"[4] INS = International News Service, "with the assistance of scouts and scribes from all parts of the conference"[5] Bold = Consensus first-team selection of the AP, UPI, and INS