Fighting Illini Features
Mike Hatfield
ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE: Mike Hatfield
Mike Hatfield’s 70-year journey through life has been underscored by family, friends, athletic competition, personal achievements, and a passion for serving people.
Growing up on Earl and Rosemary Hatfield’s farm west of Hoopeston, young Mike was a three-sport participant at both Hoopeston and Hoopeston-East Lynn High School in the early 1970s. He was the only athlete in Vermillion County who earned All-County honors in wrestling, cross country and track and field.
Hatfield initially pursued a wrestling career at Parkland College but the school would up dropping the program. Fortunately, former Illini great Lee LaBadie, then Parkland’s cross country coach, talked the 145-pounder into staying in Champaign and competing for him. While competing for Parkland, Hatfield won three NJCAA Region IV track titles, was named to the NJCAA all-state team six times, and left as the school record holder in the 3,000 steeplechase.
“I was the 13th man in cross country, so my strategy was to move to the steeplechase rather than the three-mile or the six-mile,” Hatfield said.
As a sophomore at Parkland, it was when the Cobras were competing at Eastern Illinois University that a host Panthers coach approached Hatfield about transferring to EIU as a walk-on. It was another smart move for young Mike as he eventually was a member of EIU’s ’77 NCAA Division II champs and a sixth-place finisher in the steeplechase. Hatfield held EIU school-record time for more than 25 seasons.
Unsuccessful in his bid to make the 1980 United States Olympic Team, Hatfield followed Panther athletic director Mike Mullaly to California in 1979 when Mullaly got the Cal State-Fullerton job. Hat’s initial assignments included operations, tickets and football travel, then later head coaching duties in cross country.
“We were bad,” he admitted, “so bad that in a meet at UCLA, we had a guy get lost on the course. I had to go out and find him to make sure that we had five guys finish.”
When Mullaly became Boise State’s A.D. in 1981, he again invited Hatfield to accompany him.
“Boise State is beautiful but it’s in Idaho,” Hatfield said. “My wife and I were expecting our first child at that point, so the fallback plan was to go home to help my dad on the farm or to teach or coach at the high school. My coaching buddies at Fullerton were good friends with (Illini athletic director and assistant) Neale Stone and Vance Redfern, so I had lunch with them when I got home to Illinois and they told me about a couple of jobs that were open. One was as an academic advisor. I told them that I didn’t have any experience as a counselor and that I had struggled to go to class as a student. But they told me, ‘That’s perfect … you’ll know what they’re thinking before they do.”
“Then they told me that I had to go talk to Mike White. Mike intimidated a lot of people and, in his mind, he thought I was a California guy. During the interview, he started changing his clothes to go to a golf outing. After a few minutes, White said, ‘Okay, we’ll see you on Monday.’”
“So then I went back to see Vance and he says, ‘I thought you were going to see Coach White?’ I told him that I had. Vance asked, ‘What did he say?’ He said he’d see me on Monday. Somehow, I got the job.”
Hatfield said that the most amazing success story that he experienced as UI’s academic advisor was that of Illini football’s Howard Griffith.
“There’s not even a close second place in Illinois athletic history, maybe even in Big Ten history,” he said. “Howard was a Prop 48 (a rule that set the minimum academic requirement at a 2.0 grade-point average and a score of 700 on the SAT or 15 on the ACT). He couldn’t participate. It was awful but Griff did what he was supposed to do. A year later, he got a scholarship, then he became a starter, then he sets the NCAA single-game record for touchdowns. He gets drafted, gets injured, then gets traded and earns two Super Bowl rings. From where he began to where he is now with the Big Ten Network, the progress he’s made is phenomenal.”
Hatfield was then appointed Illinois’ athletic ticket manager in 1989.
“At Fullerton, we had about 150 season-ticket holders in football, so that was the extent of me dealing with the cardboard back then,” he said. “My primary assignment was to get involved with the seating priority for men’s basketball, prioritizing donors who were buying season tickets. It was an uphill climb but it allowed me to get to know so many of our donors.”
Hatfield surprisingly changed roles again in 1999.
“I was out in California at a ticketing conference and had called my wife to ask her to pick me up at the airport,” he explained. “She said, ‘Oh, yeah, congratulations. I saw that you’re going to be working at the development office.’ I said, ‘Oh, really … I didn‘t know that either.’ Well, since my focus as ticket manager was on football and men’s basketball, that turned out to be the bread and butter of what I did in development.”
Hatfield’s role changed again in the summer of 2010.
“I was 53 when the University offered the voluntary separation incentive program,” he said. “Andy Dixon and I, who were hired the same weekend in 1981, both decided to do the retirement thing the same day in 2010. Then, two days after leaving athletics, I started as a development guy at the U of I’s St. John’s Catholic Newman Center. Altogether, I ended up spending 42 years on campus.”
Since 1997, Hatfield has become a member of four different Halls of Fame: Hoopeston High School (2012), Parkland (2015), EIU (1997 as an individual and then with a team in 2024), and the Greater Illiana Sports Hall of Fame (2021).
So, celebrating his 70th birthday on Oct. 30, what are Hatfield’s life’s objectives?
“Number one is don’t let the old man in,” he chuckled, “then to continue to enjoy my own family and the families of Hoopeston, Parkland, Eastern, Fullerton and Illinois. I enjoy staying engaged with friends.”
By Mike Pearson, author of Illinois Legends, Lists & Lore (Third Edition available online). Get more Illini birthdays, trivia and historical tidbits daily on “X” at IlliniLegends, on Facebook at SportsLegendsListsLore, and on LinkedIn. His website is www.SportsLLL.com.
Current Illini stars
Current Illini Female Athletes Grateful to the Work of their Predecessors
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Three intellectually and athletically gifted Fighting Illini women's student-athletes—all born three decades after Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972 was signed into law—admit that they've only read stories and viewed documentaries about the pioneering women who preceded them.
And yet, redshirt volleyball senior Diana Brown (Columbus, Ohio), track and field junior Noor Abdellatif (Antioch), and senior gymnast Mia Takekawa (Sacramento, Calif.) all share a sense of indebtedness.
"I mean, it's kind of crazy," said Abdellatif. "Just trying to be equal, they had to go through all those challenges and experience all of those hardships. They fought for what they wanted the outcome to be. It's just amazing how persistent they were."
Brown says that something worth doing is never easy.
"For women to be able to play sports back then, a lot of things needed to be broken down, including the stigmas and opinions," she said. "Compared to them, it seems like my life is really easy. There's so much in history that has been broken down and built up. To see where we are now, I appreciate what all has been built up. I think we can all learn a lesson from that."
Though Takekawa hasn't personally engaged with anyone who fought for women's rights in the 1970s and '80s, her cousin (Sarah Takekawa) played soccer at Saint Mary's College of California in the early 2000s. Over the years, Mia has heard some stories from her.
"I looked up to Sarah when I was thinking about college athletics," she said. "I've definitely had more financial privileges and a lot more media attention than she had 20 years ago. But, in terms of the people that paved the path for me here at the University of Illinois, it's definitely important to know where we started, where we are now, and where we still have to go."
Until just recently, the trio was unaware of what happened in April of 1977 when Illini track and field athletes Nessa Calabrese and Nancy Knop formally charged UI's Athletic Association with discrimination against women in the operation of its programs. The wide-ranging suit asserted that the AA spent six-and-a-half times more money for its men's sports than it did for its women's teams, awarded financial aid to male freshmen but prohibited it for women in their first year, and provided scholarship assistance to men over a five-year academic period as compared to only four years for women.
"It must have taken a lot of guts for them to do what they did, knowing that in that kind of environment back then that there could have definitely been backlash," Takekawa said. "Because of their actions, we are now able to have the privileges that we have today, to be able to compete and have equality. It is extremely important that today's athletes and women in general to be able to continue to speak out about things that still aren't necessarily equal."
And, in their opinion, how is the University of Illinois' current athletic department living up to those equity requirements today?
"As far as I can tell, women are getting equal treatment in terms of finances, but equality in benefits probably still has room for improvement," Abdellatif said. "For example, you don't see women's sports getting praised as much as the men's sports here. On social media, our successful women's sports deserve as much praise as say men's basketball. We'd certainly like people to follow women's sports more than they do."
"In our country," Brown added, "football and men's basketball are put ahead of every other sport. I totally understand that they bring in a lot of profit and that allows other sports to be part of the program. Our university has done a nice job in getting new (training) facilities for our softball and baseball teams. They do very well in taking care of us and I feel as though we are given a lot of the same opportunities, such as (access to) our athlete cafeteria. I think that our university tries as hard as they can to promote gender equality in a world where it's really hard to do that."
"Our coaches are great with their support, as is the rest of the staff with academics and financial assistance," Takekawa said. "Sure, the money-maker sports—football and basketball—have the facilities and all that, but we get new equipment when we need it. We may not get all the flashy things, but, day-in and day-out, we do get a lot of support."
Many women's student-athletes are still on the ground floor when it comes to the issue of name, image and likeness (NIL) benefits, though both Brown and Takekawa have had opportunities come their way.
I'm very appreciative of the opportunities I've gotten from Campus•Ink (apparel)," Brown said. "They are really trying to make it all about the athlete instead of just the clothing. I work closely with one of their designers and we're trying to come up with apparel that really, truly represents me. To be honest, I have high aspirations after my collegiate career ends, so I was kind of focusing more on that instead of pursuing the NIL deals that other athletes have."
Takekawa admits that her sport has one of the highest profiles among collegiate athletes regarding NIL.
"I've done a few deals, so I have been pretty lucky to be able to take advantage of NIL," Takekawa said. "Gymnastics is one of the few sports in which the women's side is more popular than the men's side."
All three women are taking utmost advantage of their University of Illinois educations. Brown graduated last May, majoring in molecular and cellular biology and minoring in psychology. Abdellitif is studying kinesiology and hopes to become a physical therapist, while Takekawa is majoring in bioengineering and is on a track targeted towards therapeutics. Following her graduation in 2023, she'll pursue a career in pharmaceuticals.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/8/31/title-ix-current-illini-female-athletes-grateful-to-the-work-of-their-predecessors.aspx
International Illini
Title IX’s Influx of Illini Women from the International Stage
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Except for Antarctica, every other continent on Planet Earth has at one time been represented by women's athletes who've worn the Orange & Blue of the Fighting Illini.
The list of more than 100 Illini who've hailed from countries outside of the borders of the United States is headlined by Hall of Famers Lindsey Nimmo Bristow from England and Perdita Felicien Campbell and Emily Zurrer from Canada, but there are countless other foreign athletes who've also flown the University of Illinois' colors.
UI Director of Athletics Josh Whitman says that the international student-athletes with whom he's been associated seem humbled to have had the opportunity to compete in America.
"By and large, our international student-athletes are very grateful to be here," Whitman said. "It's fun to watch them grasp the American athletics experience and come to understand the platform they've been provided. They're a lot of fun to be around because they're incredibly humble and they're very motivated to take advantage of and really enjoy the full spectrum of the opportunity that exists in a place like Illinois. I think that anytime someone gets the chance to experience something that's truly different than what you're accustomed to or what you grew up knowing, it always gives you a different view on that opportunity."
Executive Senior Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator Sara Burton harkens back to the international student-athletes she encountered as a soccer player at Knox College.
"Certainly, what was modeled to me through their behavior and their words was that they weren't taking that opportunity for granted in any way, shape or form," Burton said. "They really looked to maximize that opportunity. And I think that is congruent with today's international student-athletes. I've worked with several personally. In fact, I have a thank you note here from one of my women's basketball student-athletes who shared a point of gratitude for our support of her around some specific travel needs related to her visa. That's something that doesn't go unnoticed with our international student-athletes. They take great pride in having an opportunity to compete and perform on behalf of Illinois. There's just a great deal of gratitude around those opportunities and they look to maximize them."
One of UI's very first international athletes who had an unusually high profile occurred in 1988 when Coach Mike Hebert added Bolsward, Holland's Petra Laverman to the roster. She earned first team All-Big Ten honors two years later. And two years after that, in 1992, Hebert threw a second net into The Netherlands to land first team All-American Kirstein Gleis.
The Illini track and field program has had a sizable number of foreign athletes. One of the very first was heptathlete Carmel Corbett Welso from New Zealand. She was a three-time All-American in the heptathlon and high jump. Canada has been especially kind to the Illini track program, sending future Olympians Felicien and Yvonne Mensah to Champaign-Urbana.
The Great White North has also dispatched top-notch athletes to soccer (Zurrer and Leisha Alcia), volleyball (Lorna Henderson), and other sports.
Besides Bristow, Europe's contributions to U of I athletics have included Swedish track Olympians Jenny and Susanna Kallur, Lithuanian volleyball standout Rasa Virsilaite and basketball starter Iveta Marcauskaite, and Czech Republic hoops star Petra Holesinska.
Among current 2022-23 Illini rosters, slightly more than a dozen current female student-athletes hail from foreign countries, including three swimmers (Suvana Baskar from India, Jenri Buys from South Africa and Paloma Canos Cervera from Italy), three basketball players (Geovana Lopes from Brazil, Aicha Ndour from Senegal and Liisa Taponen from Finland), three gymnasts (Amelia Knight from the United Kingdom, Mia Scott from England and Kiera Wai from Canada), and two Canadian soccer athletes (Ashley Cathro and Joanna Verzosa-Dolezal).
Former International Illini
Leisha Alcia (Canada), soccer
Sara Anastasieska (Australia), basketball
Camille Baldrich (Puerto Rico), tennis
Carmel Corbett Welso (New Zealand), track & field
Gayathri DeSilva (Sri Lanka), tennis
Ilkau Dikman (Turkey), swimming & diving
Perdita Felicien Campbell (Canada), track & field
Kirsten Gleis (The Netherlands), volleyball
Shivani Ingle (India), tennis
Yvonne Harrison (Puerto Rico), track & field
Lorna Henderson (Canada), volleyball
Nikita Holder (Canada), track & field
Petra Holesinska (Vracov, Czech Republic), basketball
Jenny Kallur (Sweden), track & field
Susanna Kallur (Sweden), track & field
Ashley Kelly (British Virgin Islands), track & field
Petra Laverman (The Netherlands), volleyball
Ashleigh Lefevre (Australia), soccer
Iveta Marcauskaite (Lithuania), basketball
Yvonne Mensah (Canada), track & field
Lindsey Nimmo Bristow (England), tennis
Pedrya Seymour (Bahamas), track & field
Kornkamol Sukaree (Thailand), golf
Pimploy Thirati (Thailand), golf
Rasa Virsilaite (Lithuania), volleyball
Emily Zurrer (Canada), soccer
Current International Illini
Suvana Baskar (India), swimming & diving
Jenri Buys (South Africa), swimming & diving
Paloma Canos Cervera (Italy), swimming & diving
Ashley Cathro (Canada), soccer
Siyan Chen (China), golf
Amelia Knight (United Kingdom), gymnastics
Geovana Lopes (Brazil), basketball
Aicha Ndour (Senegal), basketball
Mia Scott (England), gymnastics
Liisa Taponen (Finland), basketball
Tracy Towns (Canada), cross country/track & field
Joanna Verzosa-Dolezal (Canada), soccer
Kiera Wai (Canada), gymnastics
International Athletes in UI's Athletics Hall of Fame
Perdita Felicien Campbell was a three-time NCAA hurdles champion and was named 2001 and 2003 NCAA Track Athlete of the Year. She earned All-America honors 10 times while at Illinois. Felicien was a two-time world champion in the 100-meter hurdles and two-time world silver medalist. She set UI, Big Ten and NCAA records in 60 meter and 100-meter hurdles. Felicien represented Canada at 2000 and 2004 Olympic games and is a 10-time Canadian champion. She set the Canadian record in the 100-meter hurdles in 2004, which still stands today. Felicien was the first Canadian woman to ever win a medal at the World Championships. During her career, she won gold and silver at both the World Championships in the 100-meter hurdles and World Indoor Championships in the 60 meter hurdles. Felicien was inducted into the Athletics Canada Hall of Fame in 2016.
Lindsey Nimmo Bristow is the most acclaimed women's tennis player in Fighting Illini history after being named the 1993 Big Ten Player of the Year and earning All-Big Ten honors three times from 1991-93. Nimmo was the first Fighting Illini women's tennis player to earn All-America honors, doing so as a senior in 1993. A native of Sutton Coldfield, England, Nimmo also earned the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1993 for excellence as both an athlete and student as she was named Academic All-Big Ten three times. She finished her Illini career as the school's record holder for career wins and wins in a season (48), compiling a career mark of 103-33 and season record of 48-7 in 1993 and was her team's most valuable player each of her final three years. Nimmo was named CoSIDA Academic All-American in 1993. Nimmo remains as Illinois' only Big Ten Player of the Year in women's tennis. She currently lives with her husband, Dal, in Naperville, Illinois.
Emily Zurrer earned All-America honors three times in 2006 (1st/3rd/3rd teams), 2007 (2nd/4th teams) and 2008 (3rd team), was a three-time First-Team All-Big Ten selection her final three seasons and selected to the All-Freshman squad in 2005. She was First-Team All-Region as a junior and senior. During her tenure on the back line, Illinois produced 42 shutouts and gave up the second-fewest goals in program history in 2008, allowing just 19. As a senior, Zurrer was the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Year. She competed for Canada at the 2008 (starting every game) and 2012 Olympics, helping her squad to a bronze medal in 2012. Zurrer was the 2009 Big Ten Medal of Honor selection from Illinois. She played professionally in Sweden, Germany, Canada and the U.S., and now works as a realtor and fitness instructor in British Columbia, Canada.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/8/17/general-title-ixs-influx-of-illini-women-from-the-international-stage.aspx
Jill Ellis
Jill Ellis’ Leap of Faith on Soccer Leads to Accomplishment-Filled Career
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
From her home near Portsmouth on England's southern coast, then five-year-old Jillian Anne Ellis was completely unaware as to how much a new American law called Title IX would eventually affect her life. At that time in 1972, all she knew was that she wasn't getting the same opportunity to play organized sports as her older brother, Paul.
Jill's life changed dramatically in 1981 when her dad, John, was offered the chance to move his family across the Atlantic and establish a soccer academy in the United States.
"I was 15 and about to go into my final year of school," Ellis remembered. "My parents said, 'Well, do you want to come with us to the States or would you rather stay and finish up here?' I said, 'Heck, I'm coming.' I was very excited to make the move."
Attending Fairfax, Virginia's Robinson Secondary School, Jill finally got the opportunity to play the sport that her father taught.
"When I first came over, I tried out for soccer and absolutely fell in love with it," she said. "You have to remember that soccer is the sport that every sports fan in Europe follows. It was neat for me suddenly going from being a fan to actually being a player."
Ellis excelled as a high school athlete and received an invitation to play soccer for the College of William & Mary, an institution founded in 1693 that was named after former English royalty. Receiving no financial aid until her senior season, it was strictly an opportunity to receive an education in her majors of English Literature and Composition.
Performing on the soccer pitch for the Tribe from 1984-87, Jill scored 32 career goals. As a senior, she was accorded third-team NSAA All-America honors.
The '80s were a time when women's collegiate sport was still sprouting, and female athletes received few frills beyond the ability to compete.
"We wore men's uniforms and had to buy our own cleats," Ellis recalled. "For our pregame meals, we were lucky if we went to McDonald's. It was on the very forefront of the evolution for women's soccer in college sports. However, there was a certain robustness and comradery of the athletes back then. You weren't playing for a scholarship; you were playing because you loved it. There wasn't any other motivation other than playing for the love of the sport.
"One of the things that really stood out for me was that there were no female coaches," Ellis remembered. "I mean zero. When I was playing, I don't recall ever competing against or having a female coach. In my senior year, we finally had a female assistant coach (April Heinrichs). It was literally the first time that I'd ever been coached by a female. The landscape was just barren in terms of coaching opportunities for women. Interestingly enough, I kind of fought against a coaching career initially. Soccer was more of a vehicle for me to get my education."
Soon came a career-changing moment for Ellis.
"I was working as a writer in North Carolina for a large tech company when April called me and offered me a coaching job," she said. "For a young person, I was making decent money. I had an apartment, I had heath care, I had a car. Still, I was really struggling with what I was going to do with my life. I remember calling my father and telling him that I'd been offered this coaching job for $6,000 a year. He was excited ... my mother not so much. But, for me, it was a moment of picking passion over paycheck. I took a leap of faith, jumped in with both feet, and never looked back because I absolutely loved it."
After three years as an assistant at Maryland, one at Virginia, and three more at North Carolina State, Ellis received an inquiry in the winter of 1997 from the University of Illinois about its head coaching position.
"I actually had gone home to Charlotteville to see my parents for the weekend," she remembered. "Dad left me a message that said Dr. (Karol) Kahrs had called from the University of Illinois. Full disclosure, I got out a map. There was no Google back then. I wanted to learn exactly where the school was and what kind of a school it was. I called Dr. Kahrs back. She said, 'We'd love to talk with you about our head coaching position and bring you out.' I went for a visit and I remember it was freezing cold. I met with Karol and I met with Ron, got to see what their plans were, and I really believed in their vision. The one daunting thing was that I had to put a team on the field in only about four or five months after I was hired. Looking back, had I been more thoughtful and more conservative, I probably should have thought that through. Ultimately, I liked what Ron and Karol pitched to me in terms of what we could build and I said 'Yeah, let's do this.'"
Ellis hit the ground running.
"I did a quick study and found out that there was a club team on campus," she said. "My plan was to get there as fast as I could and find out if there were some recruits who were still undecided. Once I got to campus, we held open tryouts with the club team. I was pleased with the core group. I looked for a certain level of athleticism and to identify those women who could play specific positions. The players were bright, resilient, passionate, and so appreciative of this opportunity. They went to the University of Illinois for the academics and, all of a sudden, they get to play a varsity sport with the inaugural team. That opportunity wasn't lost on them."
Ellis recalled the message to her players in one of the first meetings.
"I remember saying to the players, 'Listen, I'm going to be patient but I'm not going to lower my expectations,'" she said. "It was a message of we're going to be fit and we're going to be an aggressive team in terms of how we play. We're going to have tremendous work ethic and we're going to have each other's backs. I can't remember how many games we won that first year, but we celebrated the highs big time. It really was a great foundation on which to build ... great people with great character."
A sense of excitement abounded as the Illini approached their very first game on Sept. 5, 1997, against Loyola.
"I remember the players getting their uniforms and just being just so excited," Ellis said. "It kind of took me back to when I made my first team at (age) 15. Your jersey, when you make a team, is such a prized possession. Sure, there was a little bit of anticipation and anxiety, but one of the things that they bought into was 'We've got everything to gain and nothing to lose.' So we took the field with a very attacking mindset."
The Illini opened up with victories in their first four games, but then lost the next seven in a row. That set the stage for a Big Ten battle in mid-October against Northwestern, a match in which the Illini prevailed by a score of 3-2 in double overtime. It was a particularly memorable moment in that inaugural season.
"That was definitely a dog-pile game," she said. "As a coach, you're just so happy for the players because you know (the effort) they'd put into the game."
In May of 2022, 24 years after the eventual two-time World Cup Championship coach of Team USA departed Champaign-Urbana for a job at UCLA, Ellis received an invitation to speak at the U of I's Commencement ceremony.
"It was serendipity," she said. "It was getting back to where it had all begun and an appreciation of coming back to where I'd cut my teeth and planted my feet in the coaching ranks in terms of making it my profession. It was a huge honor. I was so privileged and proud to come back during the celebration of Title IX's 50th anniversary. It was an acknowledgment and a tip of the hat to the University for adding this sport and continuing to grow the game of women's football. Coming to America was an absolute life-changing moment for me. Growing up in England, never would I have dreamed of having a career in sport."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/8/10/jill-ellis-leap-of-faith-on-soccer-leads-to-accomplishment-filled-career.aspx
Eichelberger Field
The Women of the 2000s: Softball Begins and a Flurry of All-Star Performers Headline the Beginning of the 21st Century
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
The much-awaited new millennium introduced an additional sport to the University of Illinois' varsity women's athletics lineup, but plenty of other prominent storylines occurred during the first 10 years of the 21st Century.
About one year after softball made its debut in March of 2000, Eichelberger Field became the home for a plethora of talented athletes.
Women's golf got a big boost in 2004 when construction of the Demirjian Indoor Golf Practice Facility was announced. A beautiful new tennis area, the Khan Outdoor Complex, followed three years later.
Individually, names like Felicien, Alcia, Hunt, Mensah and Bizzarri grabbed multiple headlines.
Here is a chronological look at several of the most memorable Illini women's moments from 2000-09.
Jan. 2, 2000: Women's basketball romped past No. 5 Georgia, 82-65, at the Assembly Hall.
Mar. 11, 2000: UI's softball team made its varsity debut, splitting a doubleheader at Coastal Carolina. Due to the lack of a home field, Coach Terri Sullivan's players were never seen by the majority of Illini faithful.
Mar. 17, 2000: Illini women's basketball defeated Utah in an opening-round game of the NCAA Tournament, 73-58.
Apr. 15, 2000: Groundbreaking ceremonies for Eichelberger Field.
June 13, 2000: Sophomore Jessica Aveyard, Illinois' first-ever swimming All-American, won the Dike Eddleman Award as UI's top female athlete.
Aug. 31, 2000: Karol Kahrs retired after 36 years of service.
Sept. 15-Oct. 1, 2000: At the Olympics, Illini swimmer Ilkay Dikman (Turkey) and Perdita Felicien (Canada) competed for their home countries.
Nov. 8, 2000: Illinois soccer played and won its first-ever NCAA Tournament game, defeating Xavier, 2-0.
Mar. 15, 2001: Illini women's swimming and diving made its very first appearance in the NCAA Championships, ultimately tying for 35th place.
Mar. 30, 2001: In its first-ever Big Ten games, Coach Terri Sullivan's Illini softball team swept Michigan State, 4-1 and 10-2. Illinois finished with a 12-8 conference record.
Apr. 27, 2001: UI's 4x100-meter shuttle hurdle relay quartet of Jenny Kallur, Camee Williams, Susanna Kallur and Perdita Felicien set a world record (52.85) at the Drake Relays.
Apr. 29, 2001: Illini women's tennis nipped Northwestern for the Big Ten title.
May 1, 2001: Volleyball's Betsy Spicer was named the female recipient of the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor.
May 10-12, 2001: At Ann Arbor, Illini softball went 2-2 in its very first Big Ten Tournament.
May 12, 2001: Illini tennis beat Virginia Commonwealth, 4-2, to claim its first NCAA Tournament victory.
May 19, 2001: Perdita Felicien ran the world's fastest time in the 100-meter hurdles (12.75).
Nov. 26, 2001: Don Hardin named Big Ten volleyball's Coach of the Year; senior Shadia Haddad named conference's Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Dec. 28, 2001: Illini women's basketball topped No. 12 Michigan, 85-81, at Ann Arbor.
March 8, 2002: Sixty-meter hurdler Perdita Felicien captured UI track and field's first-ever NCAA indoor title with a collegiate-record time of 7.90.
May 6, 2002: Illinois' Jessica Aveyard named Swimmer of the Year by the Illinois Swimming Association.
May 10, 2002: Shortstop Lindsey Hamma and outfielder LeeAnn Butcher became Illini softball's initial first-team All-Big Ten selections.
June 1, 2002: Perdita Felicien wins the NCAA 100-meter hurdles title.
Oct. 12, 2002: Illini volleyball topped Coach Mike Hebert's sixth-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers, 3-2.
Nov. 7, 2002: Illini soccer defeated No. 11 Penn State, and four days later beat No. 13 Purdue.
Jan. 10, 2003: UI's Allison Prather set the UI record in one-meter diving (270.85).
Jan. 26, 2003: Illini women's basketball defeated 10th-ranked Minnesota, 94-80, in Champaign.
Feb. 23, 2003: Illini women's tennis team shocked top-ranked Duke, 4-3.
May 15, 2003: The Illini softball team captured the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, a 5-3 win over Georgia Tech.
June 14, 2003: Perdita Felicien won the NCAA 100-meter hurdles crown with a time of 12.74.
June 26, 2003: Illini athletes swept both the Big Ten's Jesse Owens Male and Suzy Favor Female Athletes of the Year awards. NCAA tennis champ Amer Delic and wrestling titlist Matt Lackey shared the prize for the men, while NCAA hurdles champ Perdita Felicien was the women's award winner. The trio was named UI Athletes of Year on June 4.
Aug. 28, 2003: Perdita Felicien registered victory in the 100-meter hurdles at the World Track & Field Championships.
Sept. 23, 2003: Former Illini great Tonja Buford-Bailey was hired as UI's assistant track coach.
Nov. 9, 2003: Illini soccer prevailed over Michigan, 2-0, to win the championship game of the Big Ten Soccer Tournament, its first-ever conference title.
Nov. 21-23, 2003: Illini women pioneers, including some from the 1930s, gathered on campus for the 3D Celebration reunion.
Dec. 12, 2003: Illini soccer goalkeeper Leisha Alcia named an All-American.
Feb. 20, 2004: Ilkay Dikmen broke Illinois swimming's 100 breaststroke record (1:02.11).
Apr. 3, 2004: Illini gymnast Cara Pomeroy posted the school's first-ever perfect score, a 10.0 on the parallel bars at the NCAA South Central Regional.
Apr. 17, 2004: Illini softball beat No. 9 Michigan, 3-2, to claim its first-ever victory over a Top Ten team.
Aug. 22, 2004: Illini track and field alumnae Susanna Kallur (Sweden) and Perdita Felicien (Canada) competed in the Olympics, advancing into the 100-meter hurdles semifinals.
Sept. 11, 2004: Coach Don Hardin's Illini volleyball team upset top-ranked Southern California in five sets at the Illini Classic.
Sept. 18, 2004: UI held groundbreaking ceremonies for its Demirjian Golf Practice Facility.
Oct. 30, 2004: Illinois' Cassie Hunt won Big Ten cross country's individual championship.
December 2004: In the month of December, Illini women's basketball traveled to Louisiana State and defeated the 21st-ranked Bulldogs, 71-65 and then followed up with a 78-63 win over No. 16 UCLA.
May 3, 2005: Tennis standout Cynthya Goulet won the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor.
May 15, 2005: Illinois won the Big Ten Women's Track and Field Championships for the fifth time in its history. There were three individual championships and five second-place finishers.
Oct. 30, 2005: Women's cross country's Cassie Hunt won the 2005 Big Ten title with a time of 21:00. As a team, the Illini placed second.
Feb. 18, 2006: Illini swimmer Barbie Viney won UI's first individual Big Ten title in 24 years, posting a record time of 49.06 in the 100 freestyle.
Feb. 26, 2006: UI's Yvonne Mensah was named Athlete of the Meet at the Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Apr. 6, 2006: Longtime Illini women's golf coach Paula Smith announced retirement. On June 8, former Illini Renee Heiken Slone was named as Smith's replacement.
May 2, 2006: Soccer star Christen Karniski named female winner of the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor.
June 1, 2006: Softball star Jenna Hall became Illinois' first-ever All-American. She ended her record-breaking season with .481 batting average, a .651 on-base percentage and an .847 slugging percentage, all UI records.
Oct. 1, 2006: Two goals by Ella Masur rallied the Illini soccer to an upset win over No. 9 Penn State, 3-2.
Mar. 22, 2007: In Theresa Grentz's final game as Illini coach, host Kansas State beat Illinois, 66-51.
Apr. 20, 2007: Groundbreaking ceremony for UI's Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex.
May 11, 2007: Jolette Law, longtime assistant coach at Rutgers, was named head coach of the Illini women's basketball team.
May 13, 2007: Illinois tied for the Big Ten women's outdoor track and field title, 129-129 with Michigan. Yvonne Mensah captured four gold medals, winning the 100, 200 and triple jump, as well as anchoring UI's victorious 4x100 relay.
Feb. 16, 2008: Illini softball upset UCLA, 6-2, handing the Bruins one of only nine losses they'd incur that season.
Mar. 7, 2008: Clutch free throw shooting by Lori Bjork and Rebecca Harris clinched a 68-64 Illini women's basketball win over top-seeded Ohio State at the Big Ten Tournament, qualifying Illinois for the championship game.
Apr. 4, 2008: Longtime women's track and field coach Gary Winckler announced that he would step down. Tonja Buford-Bailey was designated as Winckler's replacement.
April 24, 2008: Allison Buckley became first Illini women's gymnastics' first All-American.
Apr. 25, 2008: Illini women's tennis stunned Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship quarterfinals.
Apr. 30, 2008: Illini shortstop Angelena Mexicano crushed her 24th home run of the season to break the Big Ten single-season record.
Nov. 16, 2008: Illini soccer beat Missouri in game two of the NCAA Tournament on penalty kicks.
Nov. 24, 2008: The Illini women's cross country team placed 10th at the NCAA Championships.
Dec. 1, 2008: Volleyball coach Don Hardin announced his retirement. Eleven days later (Dec. 12), his coaching era ended with a third-round NCAA Tournament loss to California.
Aug. 8-24, 2008: Susanna Kallur (Sweden) and Emily Zurrer (Canada), competed in track and field and soccer, respectively, at the Olympic Games.
Jan. 8, 2009: Illinois named Kevin Hambly head volleyball coach.
Apr. 16, 2009: Illini women's gymnastics made its first-ever appearance at the NCAA national championships, placing 12th. UI's Bob Starkell was named as the nation's Women's Coach of the Year.
June 11, 2009: Emily Zurrer, Illini soccer star, won the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor.
June 13, 2009: Angela Bizzarri captured UI's first-ever NCAA title in a distance event (5,000 meters in time of 16:17.94).
Aug. 6, 2009: Former Illini coach Gary Winckler was named to the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame.
Oct. 16, 2009: A crowd of 7,632 watched rookie coach Kevin Hambly's 10th-ranked Illini sweep past former coach Mike Hebert's No. 6 Minnesota Golden Gophers in Big Ten action at Assembly Hall.
Nov. 23, 2009: Angela Bizzarri won the NCAA individual national championship, earning her National Cross Country Athlete of the Year honors (Nov. 25) and the Honda Award (Dec. 9).
Dec. 16, 2009: Volleyball's Laura DeBruler was named a first-team All-America.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/8/4/general-the-women-of-the-2000s-softball-begins-and-a-flurry-of-all-star-performers-headline-the-beginning-of-the-21st-century.aspx
Kate Riley Smith
KATE RILEY SMITH: Living Your Life Legendary
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Though her closet is now filled with more items featuring purple and white, former Illini basketball standout Kate (Riley) Smith proudly treasures her undergraduate education at the University of Illinois as a primary reason for the success she's enjoyed during her prestigious career in business and higher education.
Today, Smith's title at Northwestern University is Assistant Athletic Director for Career Enhancement and Employer Relations. She directs the Wildcat athletic department's NU for Life Program.
The Edina, Minn. native lettered twice as a forward for Coach Laura Golden (1989 and '90) and twice for Coach Kathy Lindsey (1991 and '92). She also shined in the classroom. So exceptional was Smith as a business administration major that Illini administrators named her as the school's female honoree of the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor in 1992.
That award is one of the most precious jewels on Smith's glittering resume.
"I was recently part of an awards ceremony at Northwestern," she said. "I realized there are only 28 student-athletes out of 9,000 in the Big Ten that win the Conference Medal of Honor. Thirty years ago, it would have been only 20. The prestige of this award is such an honor and one that I certainly did not expect or anticipate. I had no idea that I was being considered. It's something I will forever be grateful. I had always prided myself in being both a student and an athlete. I had always been a very dedicated student, so to be acknowledged among all of your peers ... to this day there's a little bit of 'how did that happen?'"
Upon her graduation from UI's College of Business, Smith was focused on developing a career in corporate marketing. Following a brief period in commercial real estate, she ultimately worked for some of America's consumer biggest brands.
"My dream was to work in marketing at the intersection of sports on the consumer side of business," she said. "Marketing is about influencing attitudes and opinions about brands, and I was intrigued by that."
Smith opted to pursue her MBA at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management and it proved to be a real game-changer for her, accelerating her path in marketing. During a 14-year career with Proctor & Gamble, General Mills and PepsiCo, she eventually advanced to become senior director of marketing for Gatorade.
A decade ago, Smith pivoted in her career and returned to Northwestern to become the Kellogg School's Assistant Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid. She remained in that position until September of 2021.
Coming Full Circle
With the emergence of COVID and after 10 years of working in admissions, Smith began to imagine a career that eventually brought her full circle.
Last February, NU Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Dr. Derrick Gragg brought Smith on board to join his Wildcat athletics staff.
"In my own journey, I have so appreciated all of those people who helped develop me and my career path," she said. "Just as all the schools in the Big Ten have such great cultures and communities, the culture at Northwestern is fantastic as well. I most enjoy sitting with the student-athletes and talking about their goals, their dreams and helping them map out their potential career. It's kind of full circle, being back at a Big Ten institution."
In April of 2017, on the 25th anniversary of Smith winning the Big Ten Medal of Honor, she returned to Champaign-Urbana to speak to Illinois' student-athletes at the OSKEE Awards.
"As I was writing my speech, I wanted to say thank you to some of the people who had shaped and influenced who I was," she said. "That brought me to Jenny Arnold, a 12-year-old girl who was my super fan during my playing days as an Illini. For some reason, she decided that I was her favorite. She made signs and celebrated me. I got to know her and, for at least a decade, ultimately became a pen pal of her after I graduated. When Jenny became a young woman, we fell out of touch. As I wrote the speech, I was determined to find her and see what she was doing. I discovered that she had passed away from breast cancer. When Jenny developed terminal cancer, she wrote a book that was titled 'Learning to Live Legendary.' What her message was for me was doing whatever you want to do in life and do it in a way where you make an impact and help and support others.
"To me, legendary doesn't mean infamy," Smith continued. "It means that you're doing something that has a positive impact on the world around you. As I was giving the speech that night, one of the student-athletes in the audience recognized that Jenny's sister was her Fellowship of Christian Athletes' advisor. Her sister (Sara Arnold Hurst) and I eventually had an hour-long conversation about Jenny and her adult life, becoming a mom and what it was like to lose her. It was just an amazing moment to have that reconnection through her sister. Jenny had chosen me as someone that she admired."
"This is where sports provide you with experiences, connections and opportunities that I don't think come organically in other ways," Smith said.
Education is Everything
"To me, education is everything," she said. "Obviously, I pursued my master's and I've been able to meet and work with so many people who have pursued master's degrees across different fields of study. My former dean had a great quote that said 'Who said that 21 is when you should stop learning?' Education is crucial in terms of opening your mind and teaching you critical thinking skills in whatever you study. What you study aligns more with your interest areas but the process of learning and expanding your understanding of the world around you are so important.
"You'll not compete as an elite athlete for your entire life," Smith continued. "At some point you'll pivot in another direction. What you invest in your education helps prepare you for that moment. In terms of living your life legendary, how can you apply the skills and talents that you possess and give back to the world and community around you?
"I have experienced the value of my education both at the University of Illinois and at Northwestern," she said, "and I wouldn't trade it for the world."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/7/27/womens-basketball-kate-riley-smith-living-your-life-legendary.aspx
Terri Sullivan
Softball Early Years: Guiding the Program Off the Runway and Into the Sky
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
In 1998, when Illinois Athletic Director Ron Guenther announced that women's softball was being added to the University of Illinois athletics' menu, it became the last program among the Big Ten's longtime members to join the party.
Two years after the Illini introduced soccer to its fans, softball became Illinois' 10th women's varsity program, filling a void in a state long known for its girls' fastpitch excellence.
"Illinois is a great softball state," Guenther told the Decatur Herald & Review. "It's in the city, in the suburbs, downstate ... it's everywhere."
The Illini AD's next step was to identify the sport's first Illini coach. Interest in heading up UI's program was significant, but youthful UIC assistant coach Terri Sullivan had been planting seeds about her interest for a while with Guenther.
"I had heard rumors that the University of Illinois would possibly be starting a softball program," Sullivan said. "I began sending letters and Ron was forwarding them on to Karol Kahrs, just letting them know who I was. They always got back to me and always had something positive to say."
Finally, Guenther set up an in-person meeting with Sullivan.
"We were hosting regionals at UIC at the time and I met with Ron in Chicago about the position," Sullivan said. "We talked about what it would take to build a program from the ground up and he mentioned that he wanted a person with a lot of energy to get it off and running. I could tell that he was a coach's coach. And, lo and behold, I got the position. It was exactly the challenge I was looking for. I was just 29, but they had a lot of faith in me."
Sullivan was introduced at a mid-July press conference in 1998, then immediately hit the recruiting trail.
"I remember telling Ron that I had to leave the next day to recruit," she said. "One of the biggest recruiting tournaments for college coaches was taking place in Colorado. Nearly every coach was going to be there. Rick (Raven), our equipment manager, gave me (Illini) polos to wear that were down to my elbows. I remember those first recruiting letters included (the phrase) 'building something from the ground up ... and being the first team to make history'. Our pitch was that you could go somewhere where things are already built or be a part of building something. They had to determine what was the best fit for them. It was a message that I really believed in. Besides talent, we wanted to identify players who were dedicated, coachable, enthusiastic, unselfish, etc. The people component was a big part of it for us."
Another important question the Sullivan had to immediately answer was whether Illini softball would actually field a team during the 2000 season.
"I had brought along Donna DiBiase who had been a player and a graduate assistant at UIC," Sullivan remembered. "We decided that we wanted to play. Illinois had (fielded) a club team for some time and it didn't take long for me to see that those girls were competitors who would run through a wall for you. We had something like 140 kids try out for the team and we picked enough players to play that first season. We just had the time of our lives. It was just an amazing group of young women who were on that team from the club sport and also a few who were originally there for academic reasons but who had played high school softball."
Sullivan was well aware of the extreme talent level that Big Ten softball presented.
"There were some dominant programs in the Big Ten," she said. "Our initial goal was to compete our way into the middle third (of the conference) and then, hopefully, by year three, winning at the upper echelon. Those were lofty goals, but we never wanted to use the youth of our team as an excuse. Everybody knew it; we didn't need to tell anyone. We didn't want that to be a crutch when we took the field. I've always been a big believer in playing a monstrous, aggressive schedule. `That directly comes from my father (former Depaul and Loyola coach and AD, Gene Sullivan)."
Sullivan's 2000 Illini squad posted a respectable 13-17 record and that group was greatly enhanced in 2001 by a 15-person recruiting class that included future stars Amanda Fortune, Lindsey Hamma, Erin Jones, Janna Sartini, Erin Montgomery, Sarah Baumgartner, Katie O'Connell, Lindsey Tanner, Alicia Hammel and others.
"We had some terrifically talented players, players from state championship teams that wanted to be part of firsts," Sullivan said. "That recruiting class just had it in them. It's a prime example of how a together team can really do great things. No team ever intimidated them. It was just really fun to be a part of. If there was a challenge going on and you were playing a team that, on paper, you're not supposed to beat, we always tried to tell our players to be serious but have fun. It's going to be demanding, but we're going to have fun. We're going to be dedicated and disciplined but have fun."
The program's initial monumental victory came on Feb. 23, 2001, when Illinois visited 16th-ranked Florida State.
"Coach (JoAnne) Graf was a Hall of Fame coach at Florida State," Sullivan said. "Before the game, she told me that it was going to take a while, but to be patient and that we'd get there. In talking to the team before the game, I relayed about what she'd said and I tried to create a little bit of fire. Well, we had some real competitors on that team. I remember Katie O'Connell kind of looking at me and saying 'What are we supposed to do for the next four years?' Well, we went on to beat Florida State in that game (1-0 in eight innings) and it really set the stage for what Illinois softball would become ... playing pitch-by-pitch, inning-by-inning, believing in yourself, and having a positive attitude and energy. We did go on to have some success (a 49-23 record) but we didn't get an NCAA bid that year or the next year. We thought we had earned it and had worked hard to be competitive with everybody. The challenges were all fun ones. It's all about the players and any success the coach has comes from them. For me, to be around young people and trying to motivate and inspire them, all of the challenges were worth it."
Years later, Sullivan remains indebted to donors Lila Jeanne "Shorty" Eichelberger and Rex and Alice Martin for their generosity in establishing Illinois' Eichelberger Field and the Martin Softball Complex. The facility debuted on Mar. 27, 2001.
"Shorty was much more than a donor," Sullivan said. "She traveled with us on the road and she became our No. 1 fan. And the Martins ... well, you just couldn't ask for better people for our team to be around."
Sullivan stepped down from her role as the Illini coach following the conclusion of the 2015 season to focus on her family. DePaul's current Assistant Director of Athletics of Academic Advising, wife of former Illini football star and administrator Shawn Wax, and the mother of a 12-year-old daughter and two older stepdaughters, says that the sky's the limit for future softball players.
"The athletes today have incredible access to training facilities and coaches and competition," she said. "My parents always told me that you can't be what you can't see. And now you're seeing women coaching at all levels, both in male and female sports, and the door has been opened for female executives. The opportunities to work, to teach, to coach and then get rewarded for it are tremendous."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/7/20/softball-early-years-guiding-the-program-off-the-runway-and-into-the-sky.aspx
1978 Lawsuit
When Courage Moved the Needlefor Illini Women's Athletics
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
While the addition of seven varsity-level sports in the Spring of 1974 was undoubtedly a milestone moment for women's athletics at the University of Illinois, Title IX historians will argue that a more significant moment occurred three years later when a pair of courageous student-athletes filed a lawsuit charging sexual discrimination.
On April 11, 1977, at Circuit Court in Urbana, Nessa Calabrese and Nancy Knop charged UI's Athletic Association with discrimination against women in the operation of its programs. The multi-faceted suit contended that the Association spent six-and-a-half times as much for men's sports as for women's teams, awarded financial aid to male freshmen but prohibited it for women in their first year, and provided financial aid for men over a five-year academic period but for only four years for women.
There were additional complaints as well, according to Calabrese, all based on unequal treatment between women and men's athletes.
"Volleyball was my passion," said Calabrese, the former Illini two-sport star. "In those days, and I hope now, too, to play sports in college you have to be passionate about sports. There was so much sacrifice involved. We were only allowed to practice a few times a week because there were no facilities. At the gym in which we were practicing, you could barely keep the ball in play because the ceiling was so low.
"Track and field was kind of the same way. You're competing in the discus ring at the track in the stadium, but you're practicing somewhere else like a corn field. We were setting up little flags trying to figure out what's 120 feet or what's 150 feet. People grumbled and complained and tried to move the needle but were basically unable to do so. So, regarding access to facilities, it was even worse."
It was much the same in the weight room.
"Women did not have access to the weight room at the stadium," Calabrese said. "Weightlifting is a big part of any sport, but certainly track and field. The powers that be with the Athletic Association didn't even want women training in the stadium because that was for football and men's track and field, both Fall and Spring. On more than one occasion, when we were using the stadium, we were locked inside. Sometimes we had to scramble to get over the gate or the wall just to practice."
Inequality continued in terms of the equipment they were—or rather were not—issued.
"We can talk about something as simple as buying a pair of shoes," Calabrese continued. "When I started college, I believe that minimum wage was $2.05, and in those days a decent pair of shoes cost $30 to $40. All of the women basically bought their own shoes. Also, there were a very limited number of uniforms. In using myself as an illustration with track and field, different events required different types of equipment. There were two discus that I had to practice with. They were rubber, undersized in weight, and laughably, (missing) big chunks. So it was really difficult to throw with any degree of accuracy because, aerodynamically, they didn't fly right. I had one javelin with the point cut off it, so you can imagine how that would fly. The only time I could use equipment that conformed with whatever the event was, was in an actual competition."
Then there was the issue of traveling to competitions.
"Typically, a track and field team might have 25-to-30 athletes for all the different events, but we might have had 15 uniforms and a travel budget for 12-to-15 women," Calabrese said. "When we went to a state or Big Ten competition, you're asking your discus thrower—i.e. me—to run (a leg) on the 800-meter relay. I was great for about the first 50 yards, but then it's like—duh—that must be the discus thrower. But track and field is a team sport and you have to win a certain number of events to win a tournament. The size of our roster all had to do with money.
"I qualified for the national championship—I believe it was in Texas," she continued. "We weren't allowed to leave two or three days early so we could have the benefit of being at that school's facilities to practice. (Instead) we left the night before and drove all night. I literally got out of the van and as I was running toward either the discus or javelin competition, they were actually calling my name. So, this was the type of stuff that we had to contend with."
The combination of all these inequities ultimately pushed Calabrese over the brink.
"I was young and fairly naïve about the law," she said. "If you're trying to be an advocate for change and you want to do so in an unoffensive and hopefully successful manner, you at least initially try to go through the proper channels. I believe I exhausted all of those channels over a period of six-to-nine months, including meetings with the women's athletic director (Karol Kahrs). It became very clear to me that nothing was going to be done. Certain changes would have to be done over a period of years and certainly I no longer would be an athlete at that particular point in time and thus would not have legal standing."
After exhausting those channels, Calabrese arranged a meeting with attorney Ed Rawles.
"This suit would not have been settled if not for this particular man," she said. "We had a couple of conversations and he agreed to take this on for women's sports and men's minor sports. It took close to two years before it was settled. I was maybe 19 when this started and I really thought that there was equal protection, at least under the law as the law existed. I came to find out that the law is really a lot about money, strategy, being in front of the right judge, having the right attorney, and loopholes. Really, it's much more of a game than a pursuit of justice. Shout out to Ed Rawles who helped to educate me in the law and who was persistent and tenacious.
"When the Athletic Association had exhausted all of its options, we were down to a two-week window where there was a court date," she said. "The ramifications to the U of I would have been significant and an embarrassment to the university—which was never, by the way, my intention—but that's what it was going to come down to."
That's when newly appointed Chancellor William Gerberding stepped in to arbitrate the dispute.
"He was someone who had more stature and control than the men's A.D. (Cecil Coleman)," Calabrese said. "(Gerberding) met with me and I think he was really flabbergasted as to what was going on and how long it had been going on and what the potential financial ramifications as well as the reputation of the university would be. He intervened and told Cecil Coleman and Karol Kahrs in no uncertain terms that there would be negotiations and a settlement, and this would not go to court. In one or two days of negotiations, it was settled."
Terms of the March 28, 1978, settlement stipulated that the support for qualified women's athletes—by payment of room, board, book expenses, tuition and fees, and tutoring—would be handled in a similar fashion as it was done for male athletes. It also required the same grades for men and women to be eligible for competition and for grants-in-aid, and it increased financial support for coaches of women athletes and for the expense of recruiting women athletes.
Furthermore, Gerberding committed that the university would underwrite some of the possible additional costs for a two-year period.
"It is easy in the afterglow to overlook the enormous amount of courage involved," Gerberding said when the settlement was announced. "Nessa and Nancy pursued this act in the face of an indifferent and hostile environment and against the advice of many who agreed with their ideas. It was a creative moment. The position of women wasn't merely moved ahead, but fundamentally transformed, and the University of Illinois is indebted to these two women and their attorney."
So, in Calabrese's opinion, what still needs to change for women's athletes in 2022 and beyond?
"Clearly, women's accomplishments in sports and women's ability through their notoriety in sport has not only transformed certain sports, but also the world," she said. "When I watch women's athletes today, their level of skill and accomplishment is amazing and tremendous. Scholarships, particularly in this day and age when higher education is so terribly expensive, have enabled certain young women with a dream to get an education and do the thing that they love. When you see the sport participation, it really blows me away and makes me happy.
"Now, all of that being said, what has not changed is that there is still a tremendous amount of discrimination, not just in sport but also in hiring practices and women's basic rights. What we've seen, in a very glaring way, is the extent to which discrimination still exists. It's very disheartening.
"I do not understand why women do not advocate for or support or champion for other women. Women in this country are a strong, formidable force. They have the power to move mountains and so many women have moved mountains individually. But if you want to orchestrate real change, you need to be united, be respected, be strong, and be courageous. And if you can't be courageous, then contribute in any way that you can. If you don't support each other, no one else will. It took hundreds of years for women to achieve what they have and it can be taken away from you in a very short period of time you don't fight for the things that are important and fair and just."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/7/15/general-when-courage-moved-the-needle-for-illini-womens-athletics.aspx
1990s Illini Stars
Decade of 1990s Propelled Illini Women’s Athletes to National Prominence
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
The third decade of University of Illinois women's athletics propelled the Fighting Illini into national prominence, including individual NCAA championships and multiple Big Ten Athlete of the Year recognitions.
Significant accomplishments by volleyball, basketball, golf and track and field helped Illini publicists spread the word about the achievements of such athletes as Tonja Buford, Renee Heiken, Lindsey Nimmo and Ashley Berggren.
Additionally, newly appointed Illini Director of Athletics Ron Guenther was responsible for a flurry of coaching hirings, including basketball's Theresa Grentz and volleyball's Don Hardin. He also oversaw the creation of two new varsity programs—soccer and softball—and the selection of coaches Jill Ellis and Terri Sullivan.
Four new athletic facilities also were built for the latter two sports, plus facilities for basketball, track and field and tennis. The Bielfeldt Athletics Administration Building also was completed. Furthermore, during the 1990s, the volleyball program began hosting its competitions at Huff Hall.
Here is a chronological look at several of the most memorable Illini women's moments of the 1990s:
February 24, 1990: Illini women's track and field team athletes claimed six individual Big Ten championships enroute to tie-for-second-place finish.
March 24, 1990: The Fighting Illini women's gymnastics team won the Big Ten team championship, something it had never achieved before. Bev Mackes was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.
May 9, 1990: Illini hired Kathy Lindsey as its new women's basketball coach.
June 2, 1990: At the NCAA Championships, UI's Celena Mondie-Milner placed second in the 100-meter dash, while she and teammates Renee Carr, Tonja Buford and Althea Thomas finished second in the 4x100-meter relay.
September 4, 1990: Huff Hall debuted as the home of Illini volleyball. On hand for the special occasion were UI basketball's famed "Whiz Kids".
February 23, 1991: Illini team athletes claimed three individual Big Ten championships enroute to a second-place finish.
March 11, 1991: Basketball's Sarah Sharp named first-team All-Big Ten; Mandy Cunningham earned conference's Freshman of the Year honors.
May 5, 1991: Sophomore Renee Heiken won medalist honors at the Big Ten Women's Golf Championships.
May 18, 1991: Freshman Tonja Buford was named the top athlete at the Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships, winning the 100 hurdles and running legs on the winning 400 and 1,600 relay units.
August 22, 1991: Illini women's gymnastics Big Ten uneven bars co-champion Lynn Devers was named NCAA State of Illinois Woman of the Year.
September 20, 1991: Cross country's Laura Simmering set an Illini record with a time of 16:46 at 5,000 meters.
September 28, 1991: The U of I celebrated the 10th anniversary of women's athletics in the Big Ten Conference.
November 2, 1991: Illinois dedicated its new $2.5 million Atkins Tennis Center.
January 26, 1992: Kathy Lindsay's basketball squad upset No. 18 Northwestern, 70-58.
February 29, 1992: Illinois' Tonja Buford claimed three individual titles (55m, 200m, 55m hurdles) at the Big Ten Championships as UI won team trophy.
May 3, 1992: Illinois' Becky Biehl earned medalist honors at the Big Ten Championships, shooting a four-round total of 319.
May 14, 1992: Ron Guenther was named Illinois' athletic director.
May 23, 1992: Tonja Buford won three individual events and ran a leg on the winning 4x100 relay team, leading Illinois to victory at the Big Ten Women's Track and Field Championships.
June 6, 1992: Buford won the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships, becoming the first Illini women's track athlete to win a national title.
August 2, 1992: Buford competed in Barcelona's 1992 Olympics, just missing the finals in the 400-meter hurdles event.
November 9, 1992: Illini volleyball's Kirsten Gleis named Big Ten Player of the Year.
November 28, 1992: Illini volleyball topped No. 22 Ohio State at Huff Hall, 3-0, extending UI's Big Ten winning streak to 18 straight. Illinois went on to win its first two NCAA Tournament matches before losing to No. 2 Stanford in the regional semifinals.
December 10, 1992: UI volleyball swept past No. 7 Nebraska in NCAA Tournament play, improving its record to 32-3. The next day, a record crowd of 4,316 watched UI lose in four sets to No. 2 Stanford.
December 16, 1992: Illini volleyball's Kirsten Gleis named first-team All-America, Tina Rogers second-team.
March 6, 1993: Victories in the 55 dash, the 55 hurdles and the 200 dash by Tonja Buford led Illini women's track and field to a 41-point team victory over Wisconsin at the Big Ten Championships.
May 2, 1993: Tennis's Lindsey Nimmo was named Big Ten Women's Player of the Year, leading Illinois to a program-best second-place finish in the Big Ten.
May 7, 1993: Following 16 years of service, Bev Mackes retired as head women's gymnastics coach.
May 9, 1993: Renee Heiken shot a final-round 73 and captured medalist honors for the second time at the Big Ten Women's Golf Championships.
November 30, 1993: Tina Rogers and Kristin Henriksen won first-team All-Big Ten honors for the second straight season.
February 18 & 19, 1994: Senior swimming Jennifer Sadler set varsity records in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle at the Big Ten Championships.
February 26, 1994: Five individual titles helped Illini track and field team finish second at the Big Ten Championships.
October 21, 1994: Ground was broken for the construction of the Bielfeldt Athletics Administration Building. It was dedicated on Oct. 4, 1996.
November 29, 1994: Volleyball's Julie Edwards won first-team All-Big Ten honors.
February 26, 1995: Four individual titles, including two in the long jump and pentathlon by Carmel Corbett, helped Illini track and field team win the Big Ten Championships.
May 15, 1995: Theresa Grentz was named as the new Illini women's basketball coach.
May 21, 1995: The Illini women's track and field squad won eight of the Big Ten Championships' 19 events and crushed runner-up Wisconsin in the final team standings, 163-112.
May 31, 1995: Illinois and Nike announced a new multi-million-dollar deal.
June 2, 1995: Tonya Williams became only the second Illini woman to win an NCAA outdoor title, capturing the 400-meter hurdles event.
September 23, 1995: Erin Borske's single-march record 44 kills led Illini volleyball past Penn State.
November 24, 1995: Illini defeated UNC-Greensboro in Coach Theresa Grentz's coaching debut.
December 13, 1995: Erin Borske won first-team All-America honors.
December 27, 1995: Volleyball's Mike Hebert resigned from his post as Illinois' head coach to assume a similar position at Minnesota. On January 19, 1996, Louisville's Don Hardin was named as his replacement.
January 19, 1996: Illini basketball destroyed No. 14 Arkansas, 88-64.
February 8, 1996: The 100th anniversary of the founding of the Big Ten Conference was observed.
February 25, 1996: Six individual titles, including two by Dawn Riley, led Illini track and field team to its fourth indoor Big Ten team title in the last five years.
March 1, 1996: Illini basketball won its first-ever Big Ten Tournament game, topping Indiana, 84-70.
May 31, 1996: Illinois' Tonya Williams captured the NCAA 400-meter title.
December 29, 1996: Illini women's basketball upset No. 16 Wisconsin, 73-67, led by Ashley Berggren's 23 points.
January 8, 1997: Ashley Berggren's 23 points and 20 more from Alicia Sheeler helped Illinois blitz No. 10 Arkansas, 100-81.
January 30, 1997: UI named Jillian Ellis as the first Illini soccer coach.
February 14, 1997: The Illini women's basketball team won a Big Ten game for the 11th time in its last 12 opportunities, beating host Ohio State, 84-81. Illinois went on tie for the Big Ten title, its first ever, and battle its way into the NCAA's Sweet Sixteen.
February 23, 1997: A record-breaking crowd of 16,050 at the Assembly Hall watched Illini women's basketball host Purdue.
March 1, 1997: Theresa Grentz was named Big Ten's Coach of the Year, Ashley Berggren Player of the Year.
March 2, 1997: Illini women's basketball topped Michigan State in the semifinal round, 77-66, to qualify for its first-ever championship game appearance. Iowa defeated Illinois in the championship game, 63-56.
March 14 & 16, 1997: Illini basketball defeated Drake (79-62) and Duke (85-67) at the NCAA Tournament. They were eliminated by top-ranked UConn six days later.
March 27, 1999: Illini gymnastics' Gina Weichmann won the Big Ten championship in balance bar.
September 5, 1997: Illini soccer's first-ever game ended with a 4-0 shutout against Loyola.
October 14, 1997: Soccer's Rachel Smith scored three goals in one half against Aurora, leading Illinois to a record-setting 10 goals (10-1). This still stands as a record for largest margin of victory.
December 8, 1997: Illini basketball placed No. 5 in the Associated Press poll, its highest ranking ever. Four days later, UI lost at No. 1 Tennessee, 78-68.
December 28 & 30, 1997: Illini basketball defeated No. 22 Purdue and No. 11 Wisconsin in back-to-back games.
February 27, 1998: Ashley Berggren was named Illini MVP for a record third consecutive time. Theresa Grentz was honored as Big Ten's Coach of the Year.
March 9, 1998: Ashley Berggren named third-team All-America, becoming the first UI player to attain national honors.
March 14 & 16, 1998: UI basketball opened NCAA Tournament play with back-to-back victories over Wisconsin-Green Bay and UC-Santa Barbara. The Illini placed 14th in the final national poll.
March 21, 1998: Ashley Berggren ended her career as UI's all-time leading scorer (2,089 points).
October 8, 1998: Illini women's basketball team practiced for first time at UI's new Ubben Center.
November 5, 1998: Junior midfielder Kelly Buszkiewicz became the first Illini soccer player to win first-team All-Big Ten honors.
November 19, 1998: Basketball opened its season with 76-58 victory at No. 19 Stanford.
December 4 & 5, 1998: Coach Don Hardin's Illini volleyball team beat Southwest Texas and No. 17 Colorado to open NCAA Tournament play.
December 19, 1998: Basketball stunned No. 14 Florida, 97-77.
February 28, 1999: Illini women's basketball defeated nationally ranked Penn State for a second time, winning by a score of 77-75 on a last-second shot at the Big Ten Tournament. It lost to Purdue the next day in the championship game, 80-76.
June 23, 1999: Terri Sullivan was named Illinois softball's first coach.
July 7, 1999: Tricia Taliaferro was named Illinois soccer's second coach.
August 27, 1999: Illinois christened its new soccer field with a 3-1 victory over Marquette.
September 14, 1999: Illini soccer was included in the national rankings for the very first time, placing 21st in the National Soccer Coaches Association poll.
September 19, 1999: Illini soccer defeated No. 12 Wisconsin, 3-1, UI's first-ever victory over a ranked opponent.
November 27, 1999: UI's women's basketball team beat No. 6 Notre Dame in South Bend, 77-67. Three days later, UI lost at No. 1 UConn.
December 18, 1999: Illini basketball beat No. 20 Kansas, 61-59, in their first-ever game at the United Center.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/7/7/general-decade-of-1990s-propelled-illini-womens-athletes-to-national-prominence.aspx
Nancy Thies Marshall & her family
Growing Up Nancy Thies
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Young teenage girls have a myriad of challenges with which to deal, including appearance and self-esteem, developing friendships and surviving bullies, peer pressure, and the physiological evolution of their bodies.
And while young Nancy Thies (Marshall) dealt with all of that, the multi-talented Urbanian who grew up at 2115 Boudreau Drive also was training to become a world class athlete in gymnastics.
At the tender age of 15, she became an Olympian, performing at the 1972 Games in Munich, Germany against gold medal winners Olga Korbut and Ludmila Tourischeva. The future Illini gymnast and Big Ten champion is credited with being the first person to perform back aerial tumbling on the balance beam in Olympic competition.
During her multi-faceted career, Nancy has worked for NBC-TV as an analyst, authored athletic-themed books, volunteered and led nonprofit organizations, and served on numerous advisory boards. She retired in 2020 as the Director of Human Resources at Corban University in Salem, Ore. Nancy married Charlie Marshall in 1981 and they have three children and four granddaughters.
In 2010, she was inducted into the World Acrobatic Society Hall of Fame, and in 2017 became a charter class member of the University of Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame.
In a recent interview, Marshall discussed the beginnings of her athletic career, capped by her performance as an Olympian.
You grew up in Urbana on Boudreau Drive, which is parallel to Grange Drive and in the same neighborhood as Zuppke Drive and George Huff Drive. When you were growing up, did you make the connection of these names to Illini lore?
I did because I sat around the table with two parents (Dick and Marilyn) who attended the U of I in the early '50s and I had grandparents who attended the U of I in the '20s. At many of our gatherings we would talk about the role that some of these people played. When I was young, Charlie Pond was still a big part of the U of I. My Mom and Dad would talk about the great success that he had. My own coach, Dick Mulvihill, was a protege of Charlie's.
Part of my desire and passion to go to the U of I was that I could bring something to this story about the beginning of women's athletics. I speak with deep respect for the fact that other women had opportunities to do sport but not on the competitive and sanctioned level that was now, all of a sudden, opening up. So, for me, part of my narrative was this hope of going to my school, my hometown school … could I do something that would help build back that culture of excellence and that culture of success.
I knew I was one of two Olympians to participate in this next chapter of women in sports. I wanted more to come to the U of I and try to be a part of something on the ground level than to delay my freshman year and train for the '76 Olympics. That was the decision I made in '75.
As pre-teens, many young girls aren't all that far removed from playing with dolls and watching cartoons. So how old were you when gymnastics entered your routine?
I had some sort of gymnastics lessons from a ballet teacher here in Urbana when I was six. Our YMCA (McKinley) had the gymnastics program that Dick Mulvihill started and I began that at age eight. In some ways, my experience with competitive sports is an anomaly when you look at this great big, grand picture of the development of women's sports.
If you look at the Olympic level, you already had some programs for women in track and field, swimming and diving, and a few other sports. So those sports, even though they weren't necessarily being administered through a collegiate lens, were a bit more developed in terms of opportunities for women. At age 11—right after the '68 Olympics—Dick Mulvihill sat me down in the gym (in the basement of Lincoln Square). I remember the conversation. He said, 'Nancy, you're 11, but in four years you'll be old enough to go to the Olympics. I think you can go, but this is what it's going to take.' And at 11, I kind of was answering that question.
My sister Ann, who's nine years younger than me, is actually the best athlete in the family. She graduated from high school in 1984, so she got to experience on a high school level much more the development of women's sports. My sister, Suzie, ran track at Urbana in those beginning years of competitive sports. She went to Indiana and she and four others are the women who demanded a women's track team at Indiana University. They got the women's track team started under Sam Bell. So we have a lot of stories in our family about those years and how it affected the three girls in our family.
Because you were so young, did gymnastics steal away any of your childhood?
That's a good question to ask a 64-year-old. For 60 years of my life, I've always said 'Heavens no. It didn't steal it … it enhanced it.' Maybe I say that because I had parents who were so committed to my life beyond gymnastics.
In our family, gymnastics was always seen through a lens of 'How is this going to enhance our lives?' Not just mine, but also my siblings' and my parents' lives. While it wasn't always in the budget to take everyone to every meet, we were always taking advantage of those meets.
One meet that was in Philadelphia in which I competed—USA versus the French National Team—my brother, David, went along because he was studying French at Urbana High School. He loved the experience as much as I did. Then, my sister, Suzie, traveled to Oregon with me when I was training there. My parents always did whatever they could to make my experiences enhance all of our lives.
I don't know that gymnastics necessarily stole my childhood away. I've often been asked to talk to young women and I will often use a phrase to begin my talk … about if my 64-year-old self could talk to my 15-year-old self. Of course, there are always things that I would do differently, but I think it opened up doors and sent me places that I never, ever would have gone. I'm so grateful for that.
Gymnastics allowed you to travel world-wide … unbelievable experiences, right?
I often will describe my gymnastics experience a little bit like a Forest Gump (metaphor). Until the day he died, Dick Mulvihill would describe me as the one Olympian that he trained that walked into the gym with two left feet. I think he saw me as sort of this challenge as someone who people thought could never make it to the Olympics.
I was never the star. Even on our local YMCA team, I was number four, five or six on the team. Though I worked hard, I made the Olympic Team in '72 because some of those ahead of me got injured or decided to be done. I kept moving up the ranks and there was a spot for me. When I think about going to the Soviet Union and South Africa and the (1973) event that happened with the Chinese piano player, all of those were brushes with a much bigger story than my own. It's probably one of the reasons why I went into history and journalism in college because those stories were so fascinating to me.
In the '70s, so much was happening within the narrative of Apartheid and the Cold War and the opening of relationships with China. And after my sophomore year when I retired from competitive gymnasts, I stepped into my work (as an analyst) with NBC Sports. We made several trips to Eastern Bloc countries—Romania, Hungary, three trips to China—so this really gave me a sense of what was happening. I always talk about being a tree in the middle of a story about a forest, and the story about the forest was a whole lot more fascinating than the story about the tree. But you need the trees to make the forest. Whether it was traveling the world or my time at the U of I, it was always with the question about which is the bigger picture.
It's not about me winning medals or the Big Ten championship. I realize that the university can't officially recognize it, but I have a trophy that shows that my team was the first Big Ten women's championship team for the U of I. That is a bigger story to me than personally.
Not many people of today's era recall the names Jan Fauntz, Linda Metheny, Colleen Mulvihill and Diane Bolin, but they're all U of I grads who were U.S. Olympians. Furthermore, most of them were great influences on you … correct?
Yes, especially Linda, Diane and Colleen. They were my mentors, my heroes, my role models. They were the three from my own personal team that made the Olympic Team in '68. And that's why when Dick sat me down at age 11 and said 'You can make an Olympic Team', that didn't sound like hogwash to me. He was infusing in me a vision that was so much bigger than what I myself thought I was or what I could do. Knowing that those four were women that attended the U of I and who competed in the Olympics prior to me. They didn't even have a chance to compete in college. For me, I got that choice.
It was an interesting entry into the world of college athletics. There was a lot of promotion about the fact that women were now going to receive scholarships. I was very excited about that. I was still on the national team in 1975 when I said that I wanted to compete at the U of I. But the understanding at that time was that as a freshman you had to prove yourself before you could receive that scholarship. So, the first time I could get it was my sophomore year and it wasn't anything more than a tuition scholarship. I remember that conversation between me and Karol Kahrs and (coach) Allison Milburn. I remember it being a little bit of a sting and just because the U of I was going to have a team didn't mean that this was a well-oiled machine. Everyone was finding their way, including Karol Kahrs. She and I had some hard conversations during those years.
At the 1972 Olympics, you we're all of 15. How did your parents and your coaches prepare you for those bright lights?
One of the benefits I had, of course, was Dick Mulvihill. He had coached Olympians on the '64 and '68 teams. On a pretty regular basis, somebody was coming back (to Urbana) from an international competition. We used to spend hours in the basement of Don Clegg, who was an amateur film maker. He would come to our gym and he would film us, and he would also go to world championships and Olympic competitions and film those. He had a film-viewing room in his basement. We'd go watch those films with Dick, frame-by-frame, pointing out what some world champion gymnast from the Soviet Union or East Germany or Czechoslovakia was doing with her arms.
From a training perspective, the language that was always used was 'Well, when you get to Munich' or 'This is what you will do at the Trials.' It was very matter-of-fact. When I look back on it, I think 'Oh, my gosh, I was 15 and I was up on a podium, performing by myself.' But when I was there (at the Olympics), we had talked so much about it and nobody had trained harder than the gymnasts from McKinley YMCA. Everybody knew it. We were the Béla Károlyi coached team of the '70s. We were a well-oiled machine, ready for intense competition.
I remember that the training camp was in New Haven, Conn. We were there for four weeks. At night, I started dreaming that I was sleeping on the balance beam because we had spent so much time on the beam I felt like I really could sleep on it. It was just part of me.
This past year when Simone Biles went through so much, when she came back to do the balance beam. If you look at the video of her performance, she stands there and she has her hands above the beam for just a few seconds and then she puts her hands on the beam. Any gymnast who has been at the Olympics and competed, I could feel what she felt. You're up on a podium at a very large arena and feeling really small. Then you add all of the layers of her story on top of that. She walked up those steps and stood on that podium and she put her hands on the beam and she started her routine. I said to myself at the time, 'She's done it … she's won.' Not because of what kind of medal she was going to get but the pressure of being in that place at that time and the ability to say 'I'm going to beat the beast.' I just have so much respect for her. That was great courage. For me, I just had to get up and do what I practiced a million times. I didn't have the weight of a COVID delay and expectations and issues that were messing with your equilibrium, not to mention everything she went through with the Larry Nassar story.
And then, a few years ago, you were honored as a charter class member of the Illini Hall of Fame … the same class that included Boudreau and Grange and Huff and Zuppke. That had to be sort of a full-circle moment for you.
It was. When Josh Whitman called me with the news, I just sat there in awe, feeling extremely honored. I knew that they wanted to have some women in that first class. There have been so many amazing women athletes who've come through the U of I, so I felt very honored.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/7/5/general-growing-up-nancy-thies.aspx
Dawn Riley Duval
Celebrating 40 years of Women’s Big Ten Medal of Honor: Conquering Athletics and Academics
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Nineteen years after the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives (Big Ten Conference) was established in 1896, its leaders created its most prominent award—the Conference Medal of Honor.
Combining the academic goals set forth by the leaders of America's first collegiate league, the prize was initially awarded in 1915 to one graduating student-athlete from each of its member institutions who had "attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work."
In 2022, 108 years later, the Medal of Honor continues to stand as the conference's foremost accolade.
When women's athletics were first incorporated under the auspices of the Big Ten in 1982, female athletes became eligible to receive the honor. At Illinois, that first honoree was senior basketball star Lisa Robinson.
A total of 41 Illini women now belong to the Medal of Honor's exclusive club and all have distinguished themselves as outstanding contributors not only in the corporate world but also to society as a whole.
Here is a list of the Illini women who've won the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor, what they achieved as athletes at Illinois and what they're accomplishing in 2022:
1982 - Lisa Robinson, basketball: She graduated as Illinois women's basketball's all-time leading scorer and currently is an academic advisor and instructor at the United States Air Force Academy.
1983 - Mary Ellen Murphy Martin, golf: The four-time Illini women's golf letter winner was a participant in the final AIAW and the first NCAA Championships. She also earned the NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship. Mary Ellen is now a physical therapist at Athletico Physical Therapy in suburban Chicago.
1984 - Karen Brems, gymnastics: The first Illini athlete to win awards for Athlete of the Year and the Conference Medal of Honor in the same season, Karen is a Senior Engineering Manager at Rivian (software) in Palo Alto, Calif.
1985 - Sue Arildsen Waters, tennis: Illinois' most valuable player in 1982. Her current information was not available.
1986 - Christy Flesvig, tennis: An Illini letter winner from 1983-86, she is Director of Sales and Marketing for Glidewell Director and Glidewell Dental in Newport Beach, Calif.
1987 - Jonelle Polk McCloud, basketball: Jonelle was the first Illini women's basketball player to earn first-team honors on the All-Big Ten squad (1986 and '87). Today, she manages Peoria's Proctor Recreation Center and directs J.E.M.S. Basketball (Journey to Empowerment through Motivation and Self Esteem).
1988 - Disa Johnson, volleyball: A first-team All-Big Ten selection in 1986 and '87, she now is an account service representative for State Farm Insurance in Champaign.
1989 - Chris Schwarz, volleyball: During her four seasons (1985-88), the Illini won three Big Ten titles and compiled a cumulative record of 136-17. Her current information was not available.
1990 - Celena Mondie-Milner, track & field: An 18-time All-America selection and 2018 inductee into the UI Athletics Hall of Fame, she's now Associate Vice President for Strategy and New Student Support at the University of Texas in Austin.
1991 - Lynn Devers Pounds, gymnastics: The 1991 State of Illinois Woman of the Year was the Big Ten uneven bar champ and carried a 4.97 GPA in the classroom. She is now a Senior Business Analyst and Senior Talent Development Consultant for Perficient in Charlotte, N.C.
1992 - Katie Riley Smith, basketball: A former Illini captain and Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Kate now serves as Assistant Athletic Director of Career Enhancement at Northwestern University.
1993 - Lindsey Nimmo Bristow, tennis: The 1993 Big Ten Player of the Year now is Vice President of Corporate Tax and Global Trade at AbbVie in Chicago.
1994 - Tonya Booker, basketball: A three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and her team's top assist producer in 1994. She lives in Portland, Ore., with her partner and four children. Tonya works as the Land Stewardship Division Manager for the Portland Parks and Recreation. She also coaches youth soccer, softball and basketball teams.
1995 – Carmel Corbett Welso, track & field: A two-time All-America high jumper and one-time All-America heptathlete, she serves as Director of Research for Janus Henderson Investors U.S. in Denver, Colo.
1996 – Dawn Riley Duval, track & field: Eight times an All-America honoree in track and field and a 2022 Illini Hall of Fame inductee, Dr. Duval is now Executive Director at Soul 2 Soul Sisters in metropolitan Denver.
1997 – Kelly Scherr McClure, volleyball: Winning first-team All-Big Ten honors in 1996, she recently served as the head volleyball coach at Champaign's St. Thomas More High School.
1998 – Ashley Berggren, basketball: UI's all-time leading scorer, three-time All-Big Ten selection and 2019 Illini Sports Hall of Fame inductee, she now resides in London, England where she is the Founder and Director at All in Nature, an outdoor enrichment program for youth.
1999 – Stacey Schapiro Marks, tennis: A former Illini captain and All-Big Ten honoree, she currently serves as Vice President for Operational Excellence at Abrigo in Austin, Tex.
2000 – Tara Mendozza, track & field/cross country: Winner of All-America honors at 800 meters and the mile, she is now a Physician's Assistant at SpineOne in Lone Tree, Colo.
2001 – Betsy Spicer Brookbank, volleyball: A two-time first-team All-Big Ten honoree, the mother of four now operates Little Volleys Academy in Barrington.
2002 – Gia Lewis-Smallwood, track & field: The 2020 UI Hall of Famer and most accomplished field event athlete in Illini history once held the American record in the discus and competed at the 2012 Olympic Games. A native of Champaign, she now resides in Alexis, Ill.
2003 – Michelle Webb Voss, tennis: The most proficient doubles player in Illini single-season history is now an Associate Professor at the University of Iowa's Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.
2004 – Jennifer McGaffigan Green, tennis: Illinois' career victory leader in both singles and doubles now is an accountant at John Deere in Apex, N.C.
2005 – Cynthya Goulet, tennis: A 2004-05 Illini Most Valuable Player, she now is Managing Director at Chicagoland's Lincoln International.
2006 – Christen Karniski, soccer: Christen was a second-team All-America defender for the Illini. Today, she is Senior Acquisitions Editor at Rowman & Littlefield in Wilmington, Del.
2007 – Yvonne Mensah, track & field: The All-America hurdler and distance jumper is now a Senior Associate at PwC Audit and Accounting in suburban Washington, DC.
2008 – Mary Therese McDonnell, soccer: The Illini's 2007 Most Valuable Player serves as a private practice speech language pathologist in Golden, Colo.
2009 – Emily Zurrer, soccer: A member of Canada's 2008 Olympic Team and a 2022 Illini Hall of Fame inductee, she and her husband reside in British Columbia.
2010 – Angela Bizzarri Pflugrath, track & field/cross country: The most decorated women's distance runner in Illini history was a 2019 inductee into the Illini Hall of Fame. Today, she is a pediatric resident at Valley Children's Heathcare in Madera, Calif.
2011 – Hillary Haen Tennant, volleyball: The second setter in Illini volleyball history to be named an All-American is now residing in Champaign with her husband and three children.
2012 – Jenna Carosio, soccer: Illinois' Defensive MVP in 2011, she's now Superintendent of Pinkard Construction in Denver.
2013 – Alina Weinstein, gymnastics: The former Illini star was a first-team All-American on floor and second-team honoree in the all-around. Today, she is an administrator at Superconductive in the San Francisco Bay area.
2014 – Vanessa DiBernardo, soccer: The former Illini all-star and 2020 UI Hall of Fame inductee has been a member of the NWSL's Chicago Red Stars since 2014.
2015 – Liz McMahon, volleyball: She became the first Illini athlete in any sport to win the prestigious Senior CLASS Award. Today, she coordinates international key accounts at Hyperice, a company located in Irvine, Calif. that specializes in body recovery and movement enhancement technology.
2016 – Allie Bauch, softball: The outstanding second baseman, who earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and was the first Illini softball player ever to be named an Academic All-American, is now a mathematics teacher at Hoffman Estates Township High School.
2017 – Nicole Evans Cazley, softball: The Illini softball star who averaged nearly .300 and slugged 53 home runs is today a team leader at Noom in San Antonio, Tex.
2018 – Nicole Choquette, cross country/track & field: A Big Ten champion at 600 meters, she recently earned a Ph.D. degree in Agriculture and Horticultural Plant Breeding at North Carolina State University.
2019 – Ali Bastianelli, volleyball: As a senior in 2018, she earned All-Big Ten first team and All-America third team honors as a middle blocker. Currently, she plays professionally for Athletes Unlimited.
2020 – Taylor Edwards, basketball/softball: She owned a career ERA of 3.41 through 357 innings as an Illini pitcher and won a letter for UI's basketball team. In additional to serving as a client management analyst for AllianceBernstein in Nashville, Tenn., Taylor also plays professional softball.
2021 – Tristyn Nowlin, golf: A five-time All-Big Ten selection, she concluded her career with a UI record 73.40 scoring average and now plays professionally.
2022 – Megan Cooney, volleyball: A team captain, she helped Illini volleyball to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Final Four fun in 2018. Currently, she is pursuing a master's degree in speech and hearing science at the University of Illinois.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/6/28/general-celebrating-40-years-of-womens-big-ten-medal-of-honor-conquering-athletics-and-academics.aspx
Jonelle Polk
Illini Women’s Athletics Began to Take Flight in the ‘80s
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
After taking "baby steps" during their first six years of existence, Fighting Illini women's varsity teams and athletes began to sprout wings during the 1980s.
That decade is primarily recognized as the time when the University of Illinois' female athletes were officially aligned with championship competition, both with the Big Ten and nationally, but it also was a period of multiple firsts, individual accomplishments, and significant legacy.
The '80s also saw the emergence of championship-producing coaches (Mike Hebert and Gary Winckler) and future Illini Hall of Fame athletes (Mary Eggers Tendler, Celena Mondie-Milner, Nancy Brookhart Cherin, and Jonelle Polk McCloud).
MOST MEMORABLE ILLINI MOMENTS OF THE 1980S
1980: Long jumper Becky Kaiser became UI's first female athlete to win All-America honors, placing second at the AIAW national meet.
November, 1980: UI cross country's Marianne Dickerson placed first at the AIAW state meet.
January 13, 1981: History was made at the annual NCAA convention in Miami as delegates voted 137-117 to include women's athletic programs within the NCAA governing structure. The action sounded the death knell for the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW).
March 5, 1981: With a victory at Illinois-Chicago, Coach Jane Schroeder's Illini basketball team won its 20th game, the first UI squad to do so.
August 15, 1981: With the University of Minnesota remaining as a potential holdout, Illinois and eight other Big Ten schools voted to affiliate their women's athletic programs with the conference. Minnesota joined the others on Oct. 8.
October 23-24, 1981: The first Big Ten women's volleyball championship was held at the University of Illinois.
November 1981: Illinois' women's cross country squad competed in the very first official Big Ten women's championship at East Lansing, placing ninth as a team.
January 13, 1982: The Illini women's basketball team upset No. 3 and previously unbeaten Long Beach State, 97-91, in triple overtime. Kim Brombolich and Lisa Robinson paced UI with 23 points apiece.
March 1982: Illinois' Laurie Pederson won the Big Ten 100-yard freestyle title, UI's swimming and diving program's first-ever individual championship.
March 14, 1982: In UI's initial NCAA tournament game, host Kentucky defeated Illinois' women's basketball team.
May 14 & 15, 1982: The first Big Ten women's outdoor track and field championship meet was held at Illinois. Rolanda Conda and the 800-meter medley relay team of Jayne Glade, Kathy Pannier, Conda and Gretchen Grier captured UI's first relay title.
May, 1982: Sandy Sutton became women's golf's first All-Big Ten honoree. Illinois placed fourth among eight teams at the very first conference tournament.
June, 1982: Basketball's Lisa Robinson became the first Illinois women's athlete to win the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor.
June, 1982: UI's Rolanda Carter (800 medley), Marianne Dickerson (10,000), Vegee Elsen (4x800 meter relay), Jayne Glade (4x800 meter relay), Gretchen Grier (800 medley and 4x800 meter relay), Kathy Pannier (4x800 meter relay), Margaret Vogel (4x800 meter relay), and Becky Kaiser (long jump) all earned All-America honors for their performances at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field championships.
September 18, 1982: In its first official Big Ten match, the Illini volleyball team defeated Wisconsin.
November 1982: In the first-ever Big Ten women's cross country championship meet, Marianne Dickerson earned first-team All-Big Ten honors with a sixth-place finish.
January 3, 1983: Kendra Gantt scored an Illini record 49 points as the women's basketball team topped Kent State, 82-60.
March 11-12, 1983: The first National Collegiate Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships were conducted in Pontiac, Mich. UI long jumper Becky Kaiser became the first Illini women's athlete to place in an NCAA event (third).
April, 1983: The University of Illinois's Savoy golf course hosted its first-ever Big Ten Championship. UI placed fifth in a field of nine.
April 29, 1983: A 5-4 victory over Minnesota marked Illini women's tennis's first-ever Big Ten dual meet victory.
July 8, 1983: Mike Hebert was hired as UI's volleyball coach.
September 16, 1983: Illini volleyball defeated Wisconsin, 3-0, marking the very first victory for a Mike Hebert-coached squad.
June, 1984: UI gymnast Karen Brems became the first Illini women's athlete to win the school's Athlete of the Year award and earn the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor in the same season.
November, 1984: Kelly McNee placed sixth at the Big Ten women's cross country meet, earning first-team All-Big Ten laurels. Her team was runner-up to champion Wisconsin, UI's best finish ever.
November 24, 1984: A season-opening victory over Bradley launched Laura Golden's six-year Illini basketball coaching career.
January 18, 1985: Gary Winckler was hired as head coach of UI's women's track and field program.
May, 1985: The doubles team of Jessie Daw and Kathy Neil became the first Illini women's tennis players to earn All-Big Ten honors.
October 4, 1985: A Big Ten attendance record crowd of 2,632 watched Illini volleyball sweep Iowa.
October 26, 1985: Mike Hebert's Illini volleyball team improved its record to 30-0 with a 3-1 win against Ohio State. It went on to win its first Big Ten title.
November 1985: Volleyball's Mary Eggers was named Freshman of the Year, becoming the first UI player to do so.
December 6, 1985: Illini volleyball made its debut in NCAA Tournament action a successful one, defeating Western Michigan, 3-1. One week later, a 3-0 loss to fifth-ranked Southern California ended UI's season at 39-3.
March, 1986: Jonelle Polk became UI women's basketball's initial first-team All-Big Ten player. She repeated the honor in 1987.
March. 12, 1986: Angie McClellan scored the game-winning basket with 17 seconds left to give Illini women's basketball a 69-68 opening-round NCAA Tournament victory against Ohio University, its first ever. Three days later, No. 2 Georgia routed Illinois, 103-64.
June, 1986: Illinois women's track and field competed for the first time at the NCAA Championships, placing 49th.
November 29, 1986: A 3-0 sweep of Michigan completed a perfect 18-0 record for the Illini volleyball team and wrapped up UI volleyball's second straight Big Ten title. UI's season ended at 36-3 on Dec. 13 with a loss in the NCAA Tournament at Nebraska.
December, 1986: UI volleyball's Mary Eggers earned first-team All-America honors as well as being named Big Ten Player of the Year.
March, 1987: Illinois' women's swimming and diving team finished fifth at the Big Ten Championships, its highest placing ever.
March 11 & 14, 1987: In NCAA Tournament play, Coach Laura Golden women's basketball team beat Bowling Green in the first round, then lost to No. 3 Auburn.
May, 1987: Illini women's tennis coach Mary Tredennick became Big Ten Coach of the Year.
November, 1987: Illini volleyball advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the first time. UI lost to eventual champ Hawaii in the semifinals.
November 29, 1987: With a 73-68 win over No. 14 Vanderbilt, Illinois women's basketball claimed its first-ever victory over a nationally ranked team. Ten days later, it defeated No. 13 SIU.
March, 1988: Heather Singalewitch became the first Illinois women's athlete to be honored as the Big Ten's Gymnast of the Year.
May 22, 1988: Celena Mondie-Milner paced the women as both Illini track and field programs captured first-place finishes at the Big Ten Championships. It was the women's first conference team title.
May, 1988: The doubles team of Kathy Neil and Cynthia Chambers became the first Illini women's tennis players to compete in the NCAA Championships, losing 7-5, 6-7, 7-6.
November 26, 1988: With a 3-2 victory at Iowa, Illini volleyball finished a perfect 18-0 Big Ten record. It advanced to the Final Four, but once again lost to Hawaii in the NCAA semifinals.
March, 1989: Illini women's track & field captured its first-ever Big Ten Indoor Championship.
May 20, 1989: UI's women's track and field squad racked up a record-setting 169 points at the Big Ten Championships in Indianapolis, winning its first-ever outdoor conference title.
June, 1989: Illinois women's track and field finished in the top ten of the team standings for the first time at the NCAA Championships, placing seventh.
June, 1989: UI announced that volleyball competition was being moved from Kenney Gym to Huff Gym.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/6/15/general-illini-womens-athletics-begin-to-take-flight-in-the-80s.aspx
Mike Hebert
Mike Hebert (part two): Back-to-Back-to-Back
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
NOTE: This is Part 2 of a two-part story detailing the impact of former Illinois' volleyball head coach Mike Hebert. In Part 1, we reviewed Mike Hebert's non-traditional journey towards becoming head volleyball coach of the Fighting Illini.
To a great extent, Mike Hebert inherited a Fighting Illini volleyball program in 1983 that reflected second-class citizenship.
Without much support, he and assistant coach Don Hardin took it upon themselves to improve Kenney Gym's dingy atmosphere. Thanks to the efforts from the program's newly formed Networkers support group, colorful banners that were sponsored by community boosters made the century-old facility a little less drab.
His first squad in '83 was characterized by a group of marginally talented players who worked hard and carried themselves well. Though it only produced five victories in 30 matches, Hebert's crew never quit.
"I loved those players," he said. "They were good kids, but more than that I respected them for their willingness to buy into a new deal."
In 1984, junior Denise Fracaro represented the transition from the old system to the new. With the addition of a freshman class that included Disa Johnson, Paula Douglass, Buff Binkley and Lori Anderson, Illinois' overall record improved to 18-15 and to a respectable 6-7 in Big Ten play.
"More than any other player," Hebert wrote, "Denise embodied the transition of the Illini program from cellar-dweller to contender."
Fracaro and sensational freshman Mary Eggers were UI's two catalysts to success in 1985, Hebert's third year in Champaign-Urbana.
"At the beginning of the season," Hebert wrote, "we just wanted to be better than we'd been in '84. None of us had any idea what was about to happen. It became a watershed season, marking the transition from a young and improving team to one that was nationally elite."
Sweeps of its own Illini Classic and tournaments at UNLV, BYU and SIU highlighted an astounding 30-0 start. Attendance at Kenney increasingly began to build, capped by a Big Ten record crowd against Iowa on Oct. 4.
"That night, people discovered how intense Kenney Gym could get if you yelled," Hebert said. "Our team thrived on the chaos and a whole new era of Illini volleyball was born that night."
The Illini's unbeaten streak stayed intact until Nov. 1st when they lost at Northwestern. A 38-2 overall record and a 16-2 conference mark earned Illinois a No. 4 seed in the program's very first foray into NCAA Tournament play. That meant they'd face top-seeded Western Michigan at Kalamazoo. Hebert's club won the first two sets, 15-9 and 15-11, then WMU won set three, 15-12. Illinois rebounded with gusto in the fourth, winning 15-2.
"I'll never forget that scene," Hebert wrote. "Everything was deathly silent in the gym except for us. We had screwed up all of Western's great plans. That was how 1985 went for us, one storybook match after another."
Southern California ended UI's glorious season a week later at 39-3, but the Illini had accomplished more than they could have hoped for.
"Suddenly we could go anywhere to recruit without having to convince people we were a legitimate team," Hebert said. "I had no more doubts about whether volleyball would work at Illinois. We had joined the elite."
Hebert knew he had a good team in 1986; he just didn't know how good. The Illini went 11-2 through the opening run of non-conference games, then began rolling up Big Ten victories, one after another. Wins at Michigan and Michigan State began the streak in late September and conference sweeps continued for the following seven Big Ten weekends, leading to a Nov. 19 match against Purdue at Kenney Gym. After losing to the Boilermakers in set one, Illinois captured the next three, clinching their first conference crown.
"It was a milestone for Illinois women's sports," Hebert wrote.
In December's NCAA Tournament, Illinois dispatched Northern Iowa and Western Michigan, but lost to its nemesis, host Nebraska.
Hebert's '87 Illini featured women's volleyball's best middle-blocking tandem in Eggers and Nancy Brookhart. The now growingly confident coach surrounded his superstars with other talented players, including Johnson, Laura Bush, Lisa Dillman and Barb Winsett.
Though a frustrating home loss to Kentucky and a disappointing defeat at highly ranked Nebraska proved to be blemishes, Illinois went on to mount yet another sterling performance against its Big Ten competition, posting a nearly flawless 17-1 record and a second straight conference title.
Illinois defeated an excellent Pittsburgh team in the first round of the '87 NCAA Tournament. That set up another intense match against Western Michigan. Trailing the Broncos 10-4 in the fifth set, Hebert feared that the Illini's bid for glory was evaporating.
"I sat on the bench, completely out of moves," he wrote. "All I said was 'Look, whatever happens, I'm really proud of you. I know you're playing your hearts out. Let's try to think about it one point at a time, just chip away. Don't get caught up in the winning and losing of the match, just stay in each point.'"
Miraculously, Illinois scored the last 11 points to win the match. Now, Hebert faced another big problem. He had less than 24 hours to draw up a game plan against top-seeded Nebraska for a spot in the NCAA's big dance. Fortuitously, Hebert's team attacked the Cornhuskers like surgeons and midway through set three, sensing a trip to Indianapolis, Illinois fans began to chant … "Final Four, Final Four", over and over again.
The following weekend, the Illini train unfortunately derailed against Hawaii.
"It went down as a 3-0 loss," Hebert said, "but we had established ourselves as a legitimate program that could play with anyone in the country."
Heading into the 1988 season, Volleyball Monthly magazine picked Illinois as the No. 1 team in the country. The Illini's pioneering class of Johnson, Anderson, Douglass and Binkley had graduated, but an excellent team that included Eggers, Brookhart and Bush was coming back. Hebert's ace assistant, Don Hardin, had earned a head coaching job at Louisville, so the team experienced a slight alteration its chemistry.
Regardless, the Illini magic formula stayed unbroken and they rolled to another perfect 18-0 Big Ten mark.
"We simply had much more talent," Hebert wrote. "The '88 team didn't have the emotion and inspiration of the '86 and '87 teams, but it just methodically went out and won with its rich supply of talent."
Three straight opening victories in NCAA play again got Illini volleyball into the Final Four, this time in Minneapolis, matching them a second straight year against Hawaii. A respectable four-set defeat at the hands of the talented Rainbows yielded a third consecutive season-ending disappointment.
Hebert would continue as head coach of the Illini for seven more seasons, highlighted by a fourth Big Ten championship in 1992. He left Illinois for the University of Minnesota following the '95 season and successfully guided the Gophers for 15 years.
In 2009, a season before he retired, Hebert began a valiant 10-year battle with Parkinson's disease. It ended with his passing on Oct. 21, 2019 at the age of 75.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/6/7/general-mike-hebert-part-2-back-to-back-to-back.aspx
A young Mike Hebert
Mike Hebert (part one): Discovering Volleyball
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
NOTE: This is Part 1 of a two-part story detailing the impact of former Illinois' volleyball head coach Mike Hebert. In part two, we describe how his program slowly took shape, evolving from a first-season record of 5-25 into a unit that would earn Illini women's athletics' its first three Big Ten championships.
He's the answer to an Illini trivia question. Who was the first coach to lead a University of Illinois women's sports team to an official Big Ten championship?
And the way his Illini career unceremoniously began in 1983, no one—including Mike Hebert himself—would have accurately predicted the success that would eventually follow.
The shy youngster grew up in San Bernardino, Calif., but lost his dad—Air Force Captain Robert Hebert—in 1952 during a fatal combat mission in the Korean conflict.
Wrote Mike in his 1993 biography, "The Fire Still Burns", "I must have heard a thousand times from well-meaning relatives and acquaintances 'Now that your father's gone, you have to be the man of the house.' I didn't want to be the man of the house. I was a kid, eight years old; I just wanted my dad."
Hebert said that his "obligation to be emotionally in charge" was the first in a series of defining moments.
"I began to develop a strong competitive urge," he wrote, "a will to succeed."
Hebert's early passion was water sports, typical for a young person who grew up 50 minutes from the Pacific Ocean. He dabbled in other sports, and primarily unsuccessful tryouts in baseball and football were followed by moderate success in track and field as a jumper and then more lofty accomplishment as a basketball player. As a teenager, he was employed at a hamburger joint owned by brothers named McDonald—yes, those McDonalds.
After a stint at BYU for college, he transferred home to Cal-Santa Barbara and discovered the sport of volleyball. Sand courts were everywhere and, said Hebert, "In no time I fell in love with the game. I had a 36-inch vertical jump, I was quick, could hit the ball pretty hard, and was a good defensive player."
As a senior at UCSB, Hebert applied for the Peace Corps.
"The notion of helping people and at the same time expanding my horizons was attractive," he wrote. "The next thing I knew I was getting off a plane in Lagos, Nigeria. This is it, beach boy. This is no vacation; this is life. (Going from) Isla Vista to Nigeria was like jumping from a Jacuzzi into a pool of ice water."
Hebert was supposed to spend two full years in Nigeria, but a deteriorating political atmosphere necessitated an early exit for him and the other Peace Corps volunteers. Shortly after his arrival back in America, he departed for Indiana University to study for his master's degree in university administration. In Bloomington, Hebert's life underwent further dramatic change, getting married and having two daughters. In his spare time, he cranked his volleyball game up a notch, playing for Jerry Yeagley, a man more notably known as IU's highly successful soccer coach.
In 1972, Hebert and his young family moved to Pittsburgh to teach secondary school education at Chatham College. Three years later, he was teaching ninth-grade social science at Pittsburgh's Peabody High School. Hebert remained active with volleyball by playing in a YMCA league. There, he was discovered by the University of Pittsburgh and was hired as the Panthers' first women's varsity coach for $2,500 a year.
"My primary reason for taking the job was extra income for my family," Hebert wrote. "The more I coached, the more I liked coaching. A Pitt victory put me on top of the world, though I rarely had any idea why we'd won. A loss sent me to – is there a level lower than basket case?"
As the '70s drew to a close, Hebert began to check out other coaching positions. He settled at the University of New Mexico in 1980 and later hooked on to Chuck Erbe's United States' World University Games staff.
Erbe ultimately had a hand in Hebert getting his job at the University of Illinois, suggesting Hebert's name when he turned down Karol Kahrs' offer in 1983.
"I saw that Illinois, with its location and its academic reputation, offered a better opportunity for the great players I'd need to build an elite program," Hebert wrote in his book. "It was clear to me that Illinois represented a step into firmer ground in every aspect of my profession. I really had made a point of asking questions during my interview and Karol was tireless in answering them. Yet even with all my questions, I wasn't quite prepared for what I found when I arrived in Champaign in early August, just two days before the team showed up for practice."
When Hebert and his assistant coach, Don Hardin, went to check out UI's facility—Kenney Gym—he realized that he hadn't bothered to fully examine the building where his team would play.
"It was 1983," Hebert wrote, "but there had to be junk in Kenney that had been there since the place was built in 1900. When I asked about equipment, I was told that it was in 'the volleyball box', a padlocked plywood box on wheels. One problem: the box had been kicked in during the summer and the contents had been stolen. Welcome to your new job … your step up the professional ladder. We had no ball, no net, nor a place to store anything securely if we'd actually had a ball and net. It seems funny now, but at that point Don and I were seriously questioning whether we had done the right thing in coming to Illinois."
Hebert and Hardin held their first few practices at the Intramural and Physical Education Building, where at least they could check out a net and ball.
"We kept on pushing for the bare minimum," Hebert wrote. "We were making a point and our players loved it. 'God,' they said, 'we've never had anybody stand up for us.' That was a big deal for them. They knew their coaches respected them and believed in them and were willing to fight for them. Finally, one Sunday night, Don and I met at the gym and dragged every bit of junk out into a hallway. The next day, we went to practice and the pile was gone. It must have taken the maintenance staff several hours to load the stuff into a truck and haul it away. Don and I exchanged secret smiles."
From the time they first arrived at Illinois, Hebert and Hardin established where the program was going, laying down a set of principles that were going to govern the program. Wins and losses weren't even on their list at that point. They eagerly spoke to as many community groups as possible to get people talking about Illini volleyball. Just as enthusiastically, they began visiting with high school coaches in the state.
"When I agreed to take the Illinois job," Hebert wrote, "I explained to Karol Kahrs that for the first three years of the program, I would work on everything. I would coach the team, recruit the players, promote the team, sell tickets, and build public relations … whatever needed to be done to put a better product on the floor and to sell that product, I'd be responsible. But I also said that after three years, the team's going to be good enough that I can't carry that whole burden anymore. I'll have to devote all of my attention to the team and you'll have to develop a staff to take care of the publicity, marketing and promotion of Illinois volleyball. And that is exactly what evolved."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/6/1/general-mike-hebert-park-1-discovering-volleyball.aspx
NCAA changes stance
From Indifference to Acceptance: The Evolution of the NCAA’s Views Toward Title IX
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
During the course of its vigorous and sometimes contentious battle with the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) experienced a dramatic shift in its stance toward the historic 1972 Title IX legislation between its annual conventions of 1979 and 1981.
From its inclusion in 1974 as a member of the University of Illinois' Athletic Association until its adoption by the NCAA in January 1981, the Illini women's varsity program aligned its championship events with the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. The AIAW, however, barely survived on a shoestring budget and was a far cry from the highly commercialized model of the NCAA.
In July of 1978, federal courts forced universities to formally comply with the equal opportunity laws and that necessitated the AIAW and the NCAA to coexist. That's when the NCAA's position shifted from a stance of indifference to one of antagonism.
Said the NCAA News in its Feb. 9, 1979 issue that reviewed the previous month's assembly: "To most delegates at the NCAA's 73rd annual convention, the proposals that were voted upon seemed less significant that an item which did not have a place on the agenda for the business sessions. That one item—Title IX—was the subject of countless hours of discussion and question-and-answer periods."
The NCAA argued that, in recent years, "this Association's member institutions have made massive new allocations of resources to their women's intercollegiate programs, on the average more than doubling the number of sports and participants. This Association is seeking a judicial determination that as a matter of law, HEW does not have regulatory authority over intercollegiate sports programs which are not federally assisted."
Wrote the Associated Press in its review of the 1979 convention: "As expected, the representatives of more than 800 colleges and universities went on record as opposing efforts by HEW 'to dictate uniform federal program goals and standards for the diversified membership of this association.' The adopted resolution encourages institutions to voice their complaints to their congressional representatives. It termed the open-ended provisions in the proposed policy which potentially create excessive and unreasonable financial obligations unrelated to the achievement of equality and opportunity. The NCAA resolution said the HEW mandates would impose a per capita expenditure requirement that fails to include 'reasonable provisions considering the nature of particular sports.'"
Charged with discrimination, NCAA President William Flynn of Boston College flatly denied those allegations.
"In our view," Flynn said, "the proposed policy interpretation is based on faulty factual premises—the most important of which is the apparent assumption that the pattern of intercollegiate sports programs which now exists is the product of sex discrimination. In the strongest possible terms, we contest the truth of this undocumented and erroneous assumption."
In May of 1979, the chief administrators of three major institutions—including University of Illinois Chancellor William Gerberding—acknowledged that the NCAA's membership's views were not accepted by HEW. Their clarifying statement reflected a softening stance to the NCAA's previous position of three months earlier: "We wish to state our full support for the continued and overdue growth in intercollegiate athletics for women and we endorse the Title IX principle of nondiscrimination on the basis of sex in intercollegiate athletics."
Centered on compromise, myriad counterproposals bounced back and forth between the NCAA and HEW in its attempt to settle the dispute.
On Dec. 4, 1979, HEW issued its final policy interpretation to provide the framework for enforcement of the athletics requirements of Title IX. Part A addressed financial proportionality. Part B centered around compliance as it related to travel allowances, compensation of coaches and the availability of equipment.
Predictably, the January 1980 NCAA Convention attracted more than 1,000 delegates and visitors to discuss the effects of the previous month's interpretations. Legal analysts sided with the NCAA and concluded that HEW's actions and public statements were ambiguous and, at times, conflicting.
"Press accounts generally have treated the policy interpretation as the definitive statement of standards which universities must meet in order to comply with Title IX", the NCAA News wrote. "In fact, it is something much less. It is not binding on colleges and universities and can create no new requirements."
Confusion among the NCAA membership spiraled throughout the balance of the 1980 calendar year. Did HEW's interpretation of "equivalent" mean "identical"? Material distributed in February of 1980 by the AIAW caused additional chaos and a power struggle ensued.
In April of 1980, a Federal appeals court ruling reversed a district court decision in NCAA vs. Califano, the suit in which the NCAA challenged HEW's Title IX implementation regulation.
Said the court's ruling, "In our view, it is clear that the members of the NCAA would have standing to sue on their own under the Administrative Procedure Act. The members of the NCAA own established education businesses; they have made substantial investments in facilities for sports and have operated sports programs as they wished, all under protection of state law."
Throughout 1980, due to the effects of fierce inflation and the dictates of Title IX, intercollegiate athletic department from coast to coast faced an ongoing financial crisis, forcing them to eliminate non-revenue varsity sports and face mounting deficits.
Meanwhile, sex discrimination lawsuits continued to be filed and the federal government's Department of Education tackled seemingly endless investigations.
Prior to the January 1981 NCAA Convention in Miami, an overwhelming call to improve women's sports programs dominated the agenda. Would the association's membership vote for a major restructuring plan to accommodate women's interests?
More than 1,300 delegates—160 of whom were women—were on hand at Miami's Fontainebleau Hilton Hotel. Proposal No. 51, the first part of the NCAA Council-sponsored women's governance legislation that was designed to expand the number of females to join the NCAA Council and Executive Committee, needed two-thirds approval on the first vote. It passed comfortably with 69.6 percent and Michigan State University's Gwendolyn Norrell became the first woman from a Big Ten institution to join the Council.
That set the stage for the consideration of Division I women's championships to be administered by the NCAA. A majority vote was all that was needed for passage. After a lengthy period of debate, Division I delegates cast their votes, but it ended in a 124-124 deadlock. An ensuing recount was 127-128 against. That prompted delegates to request an historic third vote. This time it passed by a favorable 137-117 count, ensuring that NCAA women's championships would debut in the 1981-82 academic year.
Shortly afterwards, the AIAW sued the NCAA for "unlawfully using its monopoly power in men's college sports to facilitate its entry into women's college sports and to force the AIAW out of existence." Federal judges ultimately ruled in favor of the NCAA, and the AIAW folded in June 1982.
Seven months later, Illinois and eight other Big Ten schools voted to affiliate their women's athletic programs with the conference. The University of Minnesota, a school that had close ties with the AIAW, held out for two additional months, but eventually joined its counterparts.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/5/25/general-from-indifference-to-acceptance-the-evolution-of-the-ncaas-views-toward-title-ix.aspx
Ola Bundy
Ola Bundy:Illinois Girls' Sports' Greatest Advocate
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
In February of 2006, when Ola Bundy died at the age of 70, Chicago Tribune prep writer Barry Temkin paid the legendary Illinois High School Association (IHSA) administrator an ultimate compliment.
Temkin wrote, "Girls (of today) should know that if Ola Bundy wasn't the mother of girls scholastic sports in Illinois, she was certainly the midwife."
The small-town girl, who split her childhood between her birthplace of Allerton and her teenage home of Champaign, was known for her bulldog spirit. As a child, she tagged along with her brothers, Caleb and Eugene, to the local courts and ball fields. So tough and athletic was Bundy, the neighborhood boys frequently chose her for their touch football teams.
As a physical education major at the University of Illinois in the 1950s, Bundy specialized in tennis, volleyball and basketball. She taught herself to play golf and eventually excelled at that, too, representing her school at the Second Annual AIAW Women's Intercollegiate Golf Tournament.
Bundy became a teacher following her graduation from Illinois in 1958, serving at three high schools: Grant Park, Thornton Fractional South and Champaign Central. In August of 1967, her appointment to administer girls' sports for the IHSA proved to be a game-changer for young ladies in the state of Illinois.
At that juncture, the IHSA only allowed female interscholastic competition in golf, tennis, archery and badminton, all individual sports that avoided contact. It was said that much of the educational establishment believed that athletic competition would damage girls' fragile frames and psyches. Bundy vociferously disagreed and, in 1972, nine additional girls' sports—including several team sports—were added to the IHSA's sponsorship.
Because of Bundy's perseverance, drive, determination and dedication, girls' sports programs at the high school level in Illinois were transformed into one of America's best. At the time of her retirement, nearly 120,000 girls were participating in sports throughout the Land of Lincoln.
In a 1995 Bloomington Pantagraph story, former IHSA executive director Dave Fry told the reporter, "There is nobody in the nation who has poured her heart and soul more into the development of interscholastic programs that have the interest of the greatest number of girls than Ola Bundy. There have been a lot of battles fought and Ola had spearheaded that … not just to create opportunities, but to protect those opportunities."
Jan Wrigley, Bundy's assistant for 19 years, said that girls' "state tournaments were her crowning moments."
When hurdles and barriers were thrown in her path, Wrigley said that Bundy became doggedly determined to accomplish her goals.
"Ola became even more resolved and wouldn't let things get her down," Wrigley said. "She knew she had to work that much harder to get things done. Ola wasn't afraid to face a challenge. Yes, she would get frustrated, but she knew she had to keep fighting. But the thing that always stuck with me about Ola was she wanted the kids to receive all the recognition, not her."
Bundy was accorded myriad individual honors during her 29-year IHSA career, including service on the U.S. Olympic Women's Volleyball Committee for the 1972 and '76 Games and becoming the first person inducted into the Illinois Girls Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Her biggest honor, however, came on July 6, 1996 when, on her last day as an IHSA employee, she was inducted into the prestigious National High School Sports Hall of Fame. At that time, the only other Illinois female inductee was world track superstar Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
In typical fashion, Bundy insisted on involving others with her impressive accolade.
"It will be all the coaches and girls of Illinois who will share that honor with me," she said.
GIRLS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS SANCTIONED BY THE IHSA WHILE OLA BUNDY WAS THE ADMINISTRATOR
1972 – Tennis
1973 – Bowling
1973 – Track & Field
1975 – Field Hockey
1975 – Golf
1975 – Swimming & Diving
1975 – Volleyball
1976 – Archery
1976 – Softball
1977 – Badminton
1977 – Basketball
1977 - Gymnastics
1979 – Cross Country
1988 – Soccer
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/5/17/general-ola-bundy-illinois-girls-sports-greatest-advocate.aspx
Ellen Greaves & Ron Guenther
Ellen Greaves:Taking Advantage of a University of Illinois Education
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Dr. Ellen Greaves was born a bit too early to have had the opportunity to perform as a varsity athlete for the University of Illinois. However, that doesn't lessen the impact that she's been able to make in behalf of women's athletics and education in general during the 50-year period since her graduation from UIUC in 1972.
Though the youngster who grew up in Hinsdale didn't have many chances herself to compete in sports during that pre-Title IX period, she's been steadfastly determined in her role as an administrator to level the path for those who've followed in her footsteps.
"My mother, bless her heart, was not athletic at all, but she listened to every Cub game," Greaves remembered. "She and another mother from my friendship group didn't want us to not have an opportunity, so they volunteered to be our softball coaches. Well, they were horrible as coaches, but they found a better person to coach us the second year."
When Ellen got to Hinsdale Central High School, there was very little in terms of sports competition available to girls — a stark contrast to the ample opportunities offered to those of the opposite gender.
"We had a good intramural program for girls, but were limited to just a handful of tennis, badminton and archery matches," said Greaves. "It was pretty insignificant. We had these play days when five or six schools would get together … play our games and then eat a bunch of cookies. That was pretty unsatisfactory as far as we were concerned."
When a new physical education teacher came to Hinsdale in Greaves' senior year (1968) — a year when she presided over the school's Girls Athletic Association — the stakes rose significant
"We thought we were hot stuff and we thought that if the boys can have tournaments, why can't we?" Greaves said. "So we submitted paperwork to get approval from the IHSA (Illinois High School Association)."
A few days later, Greaves' advisor got a call from the IHSA that told them that their request had been denied.
"Why not?," Greaves asked her advisor. "She said 'It's because you're girls. And if you insist on doing it, they're going to punish the boys.' Of course, later I realized what was going on. They were threatening to punish the boys to control the lack of opportunities for girls. For me, that was a pivotal moment. I vowed that if there was anything I could do to ensure that girls had a chance for opportunities, I would do it."
Greaves matriculated to the University of Illinois during a time in history when students protested the war in Vietnam and fought for women's rights.
"It was an incredible time to be in college," she said. "I look it as a very positive, stimulating time. We went from having no student involvement in any university committees to having (representation) on the Board of Trustees."
Academically, Greaves was enrolled in UI's Department of Physical Education for Women. She participated in four club sports (golf, volleyball, basketball and field hockey). As a junior, with Dr. Nell Jackson serving as her academic advisor, she served as president of the Women's Extramural Sports Association and played a major role in transforming WESA into the Women's Intercollegiate Sports Association.
Mere weeks after Greaves received her bachelor's degree in June of 1972, Title IX legislation passed.
"It was sort of like a time bomb," she said. "Title IX was understated and not covered very much (by the media). I was anticipating some pushback because there was a two-year period when it went through an administrative process of defining what it meant. The NCAA proved me right when people realized what it could possibly mean for equal funding."
From 1974 to 1979, Greaves studied for her doctorate degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She was then hired as UNCG's Director of Campus Recreation and continued in that capacity until 1990. At that point, her career goals changed course, which allowed her to return to her roots in Champaign-Urbana.
"I felt that I'd done all that I could do in campus recreation," Greaves said. "I consider myself to be a builder rather than someone who coasts. I love the research aspect of higher education and I felt that it was important that people were treated fairly. Going on to law school (at the University of Illinois) just made sense."
After completing her degree in 1993, Greaves served as corporate counsel for the Illinois State Employees Association, then as the state leader for the Girl Scouts in Illinois, and then as executive director for the Professional Educators of North Carolina. Since 2007, she's headed her own company in Raleigh, N.C.: ECG Mediation & Consulting Services.
Greaves has been particularly uplifted about the future of women's athletics over the past several months.
"This past year has really been quite powerful," she said. "Last March, during the NCAA Tournament, when that basketball player (University of Oregon's Sedona Prince) videoed the weight rooms (displaying the inequities between the men's and women's work-out areas), I think it lit an incredible fire. Talk about a ticking time bomb. A lot of time, women have been taken advantage of because they didn't know what disadvantage their programs were under when they were hired. Or maybe they were hired because they wouldn't make waves. God bless (South Carolina women's basketball coach) Dawn Staley; she won't let that happen. We're at a point where there could be a revelation of differences in recruiting budgets and travel budgets, for example. Some of it is that women don't think expansively about how to spend money, and the men do think expansively."
A woman of action and purpose, Greaves recently created an endowment to support UI's efforts to attract and retain outstanding faculty. Additionally, through that significant gift in her estate, Greaves will provide opportunities for students that have financial need.
"Rather than identifying a specific unit, I want to benefit the university as a whole," she said.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/5/11/general-ellen-greaves-taking-advantage-of-a-university-of-illinois-education.aspx
Becky Beach
Becky Beach:Illini Women's Athletics First Two-Sport Star
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
In today's world of specialization, it's extremely rare to find a women's collegiate athlete who competes in more than one sport. Even back in the mid 1970s when Title IX kick-started the rise of intercollegiate varsity athletics among females, it was highly uncommon.
During the initial decade of women's athletics at the University of Illinois, excluding those who competed in similar sports like cross country and track and field, there were only three dual-sport athletes: Marijo Dluzak (volleyball and basketball), Cathy Tex (golf and gymnastics) and Becky Beach (golf and basketball).
However, neither Dluzak nor Tex earned as many varsity letters at Illinois as did Beach, the local standout from Champaign's Central High School.
Beach grew up at Ted and Shirlie Beach's family home just a 2.7-mile drive from the facility then known as the Assembly Hall. Young Becky was a shy girl but thanks to childhood friends like former Illini equipment manager Andy Dixon, she was always encouraged to play in the neighborhood's playground sporting events.
"Andy is my brother from another mother," Beach said. "And thanks to him and my brother, the other boys just started letting me play with them. We really had a good neighborhood."
When she went to high school at Champaign Central, Beach developed into an exceptional athlete, playing key roles on the Maroons' volleyball, softball, basketball and golf teams -- the boys' golf team, that is.
"Coach (Richard) Wooley, who was the golf coach at Central, told me that he really wanted me to play on the boys' team," Beach remembered. "But I was really shy and so I said 'no, no, no.' After a while, he finally persuaded me to play. It was tough. You can imagine high school boys. They didn't want to get beat by a girl."
Even though her dad had starred for Coach Harry Combes' Illini basketball team in the 1950s, the U of I wasn't Becky's first choice.
"I was all set to go to Illinois State because that was the place to go in those days," she said. "Their athletic program for women was great. Then mom and dad and I went to see Dr. (Karol) Kahrs at her office. She said, 'Becky, why don't you go to Parkland (College) for a year (1974-75) and then we'll get you into the U of I.' So that's what I did and the rest is history."
Beach vividly remembers going to basketball tryouts at Freer Gym in the Fall of 1975.
"(Coach) Steve (Douglas) had these orange cones set up for dribbling drills and stuff," she said. "I'm like 'what is this?' Then afterwards, he posted a handwritten list outside the gym to see if we made the team or not. I was like 'Oh, my gosh, I made it! Now what?' I had no idea what a triangle offense was but it was Tex Winters' influence on him (at Kansas State) why we ran that. Before coming to Illinois, I thought all you did was run around and shoot the ball."
Unlike basketball, Beach knew exactly what to expect when it came to her joining the Illini women's golf team. After all, she'd known the coach for years.
"(Coach) Betsy (Kimpel) and Sue Young and others at the Champaign Country Club had taken me under their wing when I was first playing," she said. "Among them, they'd won a million Twin Cities (Golf Championships). Betsy was driving (her daughter) Janice and me to tournaments, so that's probably when I got to know her best."
Beach's most significant moment as a sophomore Illini golfer came in the Spring of 1976 at the Big Ten Championships when she won medalist honors at the tournament in West Lafayette, Ind. Her opening-round five-over-par 80, included a four-putt first hole. Becky credits her father's incentivising proposition for her tournament-winning second-round score of 69.
"I recall my dad saying, 'You know, if you break 70, we'll get you a car,'" Beach said, "Well, I was in really good shape to do that after 16 holes. Then on 17, a par three, I almost blew it when I had a bogey. Eighteen was a par five and I hit my third shot within six inches … and I got my 69."
Beach wound up beating Minnesota's Julie Gumlia by three strokes.
Upon her graduation from Illinois, Becky was drafted by the Women's Basketball League's Milwaukee Does, but decided instead to try her hand with the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). Funded by her parents, she competed on that circuit from November of 1982 through '83. Twice she unsuccessfully attempted to qualify for the LPGA tour. Upon returning home to Champaign, Beach served as a student teacher for a short time, then was hired as the assistant pro at the Lincolnshire Fields Country Club. She continued in that role for 32 years before leaving in 2016 to become the head pro at Stone Creek, and following three years at the Urbana course, Beach retired.
Today, she remains involved with Illini athletics by attending a variety of events and through her service as a longtime board member for the women's basketball team's support group, the Courtsiders.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/4/27/general-becky-beach-illini-womens-athletics-first-two-sports-star.aspx
Daily Illini
The Daily Illini:An Advocate for Women's Athletics
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
For more than 150 years, The Daily Illini
has served as the journalistic voice for the students of the University of Illinois. But during the early days of the Title IX era, it was an especially vociferous advocate for the campus's women's athletes.
Known more commonly among its readers as the "D.I.", its 1970s staff writers all fought for the rights of UI's burgeoning female competitors.
On Dec. 21, 1972, just six months after the United States Congress passed the Title IX Amendment, the D.I. published a lengthy article by Debbie Retel. The piece—sub-headed "A woman stays a woman even when it comes to sports"—challenged the stereotype that competitive athletics diminished a woman's femininity.
Her story began somewhat derisively. "Sugar and spice and everything nice; that's what little girls are made of. Yet, how female does a woman remain who participates in sports. Does it matter?"
Retel quoted Vicky Brown, a coxswain on the rowing team at the University of Oregon.
"No, an individual never loses her femininity. She is an individual by herself and everyone displays it differently than someone else. She's a woman no matter what she is, be it a discus thrower or whatever."
Echoed Nell Jackson, then UI Professor of Physical Education for Women, "I feel that no femininity is lost when a girl participates in sports. In the case of a discus thrower, the sport doesn't make the girl. There's a certain movement that one goes through to do it that is neither masculine nor feminine. If it's done right, it looks good and one can enjoy the movement whether it be a male or female doing it."
Retel also interviewed Sue Pfeffer, Champaign's director of the National Organization for Women, for her story.
"To me, a woman belongs everywhere," Pfeffer said, "whether she want to throw a football, play golf, or whatever. A woman should have the privilege to participate in any sports she wants. It shouldn't be up to the AAU or the NCAA or anything else to decide. Today's woman wants to play and participate in athletics. She wants to be a tennis champ, a hockey goalie, or virtually everything else that the world of sports has to offer. And through it all, she'll be as female as ever."
Retel also wrote about the discriminatory hurdles she encountered as a female reporter.
"I had been given a press pass to help cover the Illini football game at Ohio State, but there seemed to be a question in the minds of the OSU men who run the press box as to whether I should be able to use the pass," Retel wrote. "I was standing by my seat when the Columbus chief of police came up to me and escorted me to the man in charge. This man, the Sports Information Director, felt I had no right to be there because I was a woman. The fact that I was also a reporter covering the event seemed to be an extraneous consideration. After several exchanges in conversation, the man decided that I could stay … however, I had to sit in a new seat rather than the one my ticket was for and was warned 'this had better not happen again'. Needless to say, he also threatened to write letters to my editor telling him that he should have known better. I really don't know what the man feared would happen but it seems this fear is prevalent not only throughout the Big Ten, but also in covering professional sports."
Susan Sternberg, the primary beat writer for Illini women's athletics during that first season in 1974-75, composed both positive stories about those initial teams and ones that were critical of the budget inequities between men and women.
She enthusiastically wrote in August of 1974 about the Athletic Association's decision to include women's athletes into its varsity intercollegiate program but wasn't as complimentary when it came to comparing the athletic budgets of the men ($2.4 million) to that of the women ($83,000).
"The $83,000 is nice for one year," Sternberg wrote, "but the women should work themselves up to relative equality with the men. Women athletes really are more concerned about equal opportunity than equal monetary expenditures. Probably $2.4 million for a women's sports program would be a waste of money—the women just don't need that much money. Yet, since the men have a fine athletic program at Illinois, the women shouldn't be deprived of one. They should have equal opportunity and access to the best facilities and competition. The move this year towards concurrent competition by the Illini male and female teams is a step in the right direction. You've come a long way, Illinois women athletes—and it's just the beginning."
The D.I.'s male staff writers also were supportive, especially Jeff Metcalfe.
"Many (in the UI student body) will be too set in their ways to look upon women's sports as anything but the Athletic Association's weak sister," Metcalfe wrote. "They'll continue their ritual of attending the Saturday football games. For these people, the prejudice towards women's sports is perhaps unconscious and unintentional but nonetheless devastating. The only way to break it is to consciously and intentionally point it out. For all new students, the challenge is to come to school with an open mind and not simply relegate all women to the pom-pon squad. So when the nearest propagandist hits you with the pitch about buying a football or basketball ticket say you'll be glad to just as soon as you get done watching the women's tennis meet. It'll blow their minds."
Daily Illini
editorials concerning women's athletics were commonplace in the 1970s, keeping the issue of equality front and center. Most commentaries called for increased funding; some criticized then UI Director of Athletics Cecil Coleman for not acting more decisively in handing out scholarships for females. That disparagement subsided a bit during the summer of 1975 when the Athletic Association announced that 76 tuition-waiver scholarships to more than 100 women athletes would be enacted for the 1975-76 academic calendar.
Thanks to the dedication of the Daily Illini
reporters, coverage of Fighting Illini women's events have continued to surge since the mid '70s. However, a November 2021 story by D.I. digital content editor Claire O'Brien suggested that there's still a wide gap between the genders.
"Though women's sports are more visible in society," O'Brien wrote, "they are still not treated as equally as men's sports. The NCAA needs to stop preaching equality and start working towards it. The world is watching."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/5/3/general-the-daily-illini-an-advocate-for-ui-womens-athletics.aspx
Mary Pat Travnik Connolly
Mary Pat Travnik Connolly:Illinois' First Female Scholarship Recipient
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Mary Pat Connolly readily admits that, as a teenager, she was a tad bit immature. She didn't have a clue about the history young Mary Pat Travnik was making in becoming the University of Illinois' first women's athlete to earn a full scholarship.
The lanky six-footer from Chicago's Marquette Park and West Lawn neighborhoods had made a fairly significant mark for herself as a player at Lourdes High School. Only four years earlier had she been formally introduced to the game by her eighth-grade science teacher, Bob Lenihan.
"He asked me if I'd ever played basketball before," Connolly remembered. "I said that I hadn't and then he told me that every Saturday he was going to take a group of us girls over to Gage Park to play. For an hour and a half, we'd do right-hand layups and left-hand layups, and then we'd play a game. There wasn't any other girls' team that we knew about, so we went for a whole season without playing because no boys team would play us. Then when we got to Lourdes, we didn't have a girls' team, so he asked our principal if he could begin a basketball program there."
The principal liked Lenihan's idea and four years later, during Mary Pat's senior year, Lourdes won the girls City Catholic League title.
"I recall scoring 32 points and pulling down I don't know how many rebounds in the championship game," she said. "Well, I didn't think that was anything unusual. I was always tall and a good rebounder. We had a great point guard who would always lob it to me, and no one could ever stop us. I remember the mother of one of my teammates telling us 'You girls are way ahead of your time.'"
With women's collegiate programs sprouting up around the state because of Title IX, Lenihan took it upon himself to promote his players to the college coaches. He received positive feedback from Steve Douglas, the assistant athletic director Karol Kahrs had appointed to head up UI's first-year program in 1974-75.
"I remember Bob telling me one day, 'Hey, Mary, this guy, Steve Douglas from the University of Illinois wants you to take a visit.' I said, 'Oh, okay, sounds good.' So I drove my parents' station wagon down to the University of Illinois by myself and Steve met me outside the football stadium. Then he took me to IMPE … and wow … I saw all of these racquetball courts and basketball courts and the swimming pool. I'd never seen anything like that before. After a while, he asked me if I thought I'd like to come to school here and I said 'Oh, my God, yes!' He started telling me about Title IX. He told me that I'd have to pay my own tuition that first year, but in my sophomore, junior and senior years, I'd get everything paid for … tuition, books, fees, housing. I couldn't believe it!
"My parents had six kids and we were just middle class and I thought they were going to be ecstatic. The tuition at Illinois at that time was $600. Well, that was the same as my high school tuition. So I told Steve, 'Oh, my God, I would love to come here!' So, when I got home, my parents asked me about my trip. I told them about Steve. 'He's really nice, just a gentle giant of a man. He's going to give me a full basketball scholarship.' And they're like, so what does that mean? When I told them that after that first year the University was going to pay for everything, they said 'Are you sure? I think he's pulling one on you.' I said, 'No, that's what he said!' My dad dropped me off at Illinois that Fall, and it all came true. So, I was the first women's scholarship athlete at Illinois."
Upon her arrival at Illinois in the Fall of 1975, Connolly initially practiced with UI's junior varsity squad, but her height and talent quickly prompted a promotion to varsity. She credits an upperclassman for making her transition more comfortable.
"I was pretty immature as a person that freshman year and I remember Sue Bonner taking me under her wing," Connolly said. "She was so honest and so tactful with me and I appreciated that. She was feisty and she put me in my place."
The conditions that surrounded the Illini women were pretty crude as compared to what today's athletes enjoy.
"Our locker room was at Huff Gym and we had to lift weights in the football weight room," Connolly said. "Huff was cozy, but it was better than what I'd had in high school. Then, when we moved over to the Assembly Hall, it was beautiful. By the time I was a senior, they started scheduling the girls' games ahead of the boys' games."
Travel to games wasn't anything fancy either.
"We traveled everywhere in vans and I remember us always fighting about getting to sit in the back seat," she said. "I never looked at our long road trips as a negative because that was time when we bonded with our teammates. Steve Douglas was noted for stopping at these roadside diners. Everyone would get seven or eight dollars. Then we started getting per diem and I was like 'Oh, my God, someone's handing me an envelope full of money.'"
Connolly's best Illini season came as a junior when she averaged 13.4 points and 11.2 rebounds and that drew interest from the fledgling professional organization, the Women's Basketball League.
"We were playing the state (college) tournament at Northern Illinois University and Doug Bruno (coach of the Chicago Hustle) was there watching," she said. "I was still six-to-eight credit hours short of graduating that summer when I got a call from Doug to tell me that I was going to be drafted into the pro league. He wanted me to play in the summer league that was taking place. Well, he didn't have to ask me twice. I just packed up and left."
As a pro, the rewards may have been minimal, but Connolly was grateful.
"I was making $8,000 a year and I felt rich," she said. "I was getting paid to play basketball!"
Connolly competed for three seasons, then had to find another job when the WBL folded.
She then worked as a foreman for six years for Chicago's Ryerson Steel in Chicago, but her real passion was to get into coaching. Married and raising three young sons, her first gig was as an assistant at Chicago's Maria High School. Jobs at Moraine Valley Community College and an assistant coaching position at UIC followed. When Marist High School went co-ed in 2002, the opportunity to build a girls' basketball program piqued Connolly's curiosity.
Twenty years later, Connolly—with more than 400 career victories in hand—remains as the head coach of the Marist Redhawks. Her teams have captured regional, sectional and super-sectional titles, as well as a fourth-place finish in the Illinois state tournament in 2008. She has produced numerous players who've gone on to collegiate success, including Sydney Affolter who is currently a freshman guard for the Iowa Hawkeyes. In 2021, Connolly was inducted into Marist High's Hall of Fame.
She's now in her 35th year of marriage with husband Mike and their family includes four sons, three daughters-in-law, four granddaughters and three more on the way.
"I've had a wonderful life," Connolly said. "I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to do what I got to do."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/4/20/general-mary-pat-travnik-connolly-illinois-first-female-scholarship-recipient.aspx
UI's 1974-75
Athletics Staff
Illini Women's Athletics' First Varsity Season
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
"We have gone from being unrecognized to being recognized; from being excluded to being included; from nobody to somebody." – Karol Kahrs, 1974
History reveals that Bevier Hall was the site for an Aug. 22, 1974 organizational meeting that invited all University of Illinois women interested in participating in the Fighting Illini's maiden season of varsity intercollegiate sports.
Approximately 125 curious young ladies listened attentively as Director of Athletics Cecil Coleman and newly appointed assistant director Karol Kahrs provided an overview of the adventures that lied ahead.
"This male chauvinist world we've lived in for so long has not yet made room for the fairer sex in the Tribe of Illini," Coleman said that night. "That time has now come."
In actuality, the University was one of collegiate athletics' pioneering programs, elevating women to a plane level with their male counterparts about seven months before Title IX became law in the United States on Jan. 1, 1975.
The majority of Kahrs' first coaching staff—Betsy Kimpel (golf), Kim Musgrave (gymnastics), Jeanne Hultzen (swimming), Doug Ward (diving), Peggy Pruitt (tennis), Jerry Mayhew and Judy Harrison (track and field), Kathie Haywood (volleyball) and Steve Douglas (basketball)—had been plucked from UI's physical education staff. None of the seven individuals had ever directed programs at the varsity level, so a Lewis-and-Clark-type adventure was certain to ensue.
UI's very first women's varsity competitions occurred on Sept. 14 when women's tennis and volleyball launched their seasons. By the end of that first day, Illini teams had a combined record of 3-0. Tennis's Sept. 14th match against Purdue, a 7-5 victory, not only marked UI women's athletics' very first competition, but also its first home event. The volleyball team had a pair of matches that day, first defeating host Southern Illinois, 2-0, then beating Murray State by an identical score.
By far, Pruitt's tennis team wound up with the best season record among UI's seven women's programs, notching victories in all six of its dual meets. It placed fifth in April's then unofficial Big Ten Championship meet behind champ Ohio State and runner-up Michigan State.
Haywood's volleyball squad had an excellent showing as well in the Fall of 1974, winning 19 of its 28 matches. It won its own Illini Invitational that November and placed fourth at the IAIAW State Championships. Haywood resigned her post at the end of the season and was replaced by the school's first-ever African American head coach, Terry Hite.
Illinois women's golf team saw its first varsity action on Sept. 20, placing fifth among 25 teams at the Illinois State Invitational. A week later, it finished second in the IAIAW state tournament. In April, at the 36-hole Big Ten tournament, Illinois placed fourth among seven conference schools while, individually, UI's Diane Miller tied for fifth place.
Coach Steve Douglas's Illini basketball team made an inauspicious debut on Dec. 6, 1974, losing to highly ranked Indiana at the Big Ten Tournament in Iowa City.
"That first game sort of said it all," Douglas remembered. "At halftime, the score was 34-2 and we ended up losing 72-16. Of course, our girls were very discouraged afterwards. I think my pep talk was something like 'Hang in there.'"
Emotions swung dramatically at the end of its second game of the day, bouncing back to beat Wisconsin, 57-56, on a last-second shot from midcourt by Susan Limestall. Illinois wound up its first season with 10 victories in 21 games and Douglas was invited back to coach a second season, this time with a salary raise up to $2,000.
"I enjoyed my coaching experience at Illinois," Douglas said. "My three daughters loved it. They came to the games and ran around Huff Gym handing out the little programs that were made. In those days, a crowd of 100 was a lot."
Jeanne Hultzen's swimming and diving program launched its inaugural season on Dec. 7, beating Indiana State and Eastern Illinois at its invitational meet at IMPE. Three dual meets later in the season against Illinois State, Central Michigan and Indiana State also resulted in Illini victories. Four Illini swimmers—Sue Dudley, Mary Paterson, Amy Young and Marsha Kerr—were all invited to participate at the national championships, but Paterson (in the 50-yard butterfly) was the only Illini who advanced to the finals.
Though results are incomplete for Illinois' initial gymnastics season, records do show that the Illini were undefeated in three dual meets. Illinois placed fourth at the Big Ten Championships behind Michigan State, Indiana and Ohio State. Coach Kim Musgrave resigned her post at the end of the year to return to her home in New Jersey.
Illinois' women's track and field team was coached by Jerry Mayhew, a graduate research assistant in UI's physical fitness lab. At UI's Armory on Apr. 5, 14 Illini freshmen saw their very first action at an eight-team meet. Paced by jumping and sprinting star Bev Washington, Illinois placed third, just behind Eastern Illinois and Southern Illinois. Individually, Washington's debut was a smashing success, winning the long jump and high jump competition and finishing just a half-second behind the winning time in the 220-yard dash. At the end of the season, Washington became a national qualifier.
In May of 1975, the Urbana Golf and Country Club served as the site of the first University of Illinois Women's Intercollegiate Sports Banquet. It was sponsored by the Champaign-Urbana Altrusa Club, a professional women's organization. Athletic Director Coleman, the evening's primary speaker, praised the first-year athletes.
"If you think it was easy in getting the women's program started, I can tell you that we had our share of difficulties," Coleman said. "But the first year is behind us and we're anticipating a great future. You're in the Athletic Association because we want you there and that's not going to change. We're looking forward to many, many more years of a successful relationship. Your potential is unlimited as you are only in the pioneering stages of development."
WOMEN'S ATHLETICS 1974-75 LETTER WINNERS
BASKETBALL: Jae Allen, Betty Anderson, Jan Carlson, Marijo Dluzak, Susan Limestall, Barb Nelson, Linda Roberts, Susan Shade, Meg Stevenson and Dana Umbach.
GOLF: Gail Hannam, Janice Kimpel, Rhonda Leech and Diane Miller.
GYMNASTICS: Teresa Greathouse, Randy Kalal, Debbie Robinson, Pam Rosenwinkel, Maria Salinas, Karen Smith, Cathy Tex, Lee Travis and Cindy Weber.
SWIMMING: Luanne Blenke, Susan Dudley, Maria Feldman, Debbie Guinn, Sue Holquist, Marshall Kerr, Mary Paterson and Amy Yount.
TENNIS: Barb Davis, Jean Harris, Kathy Kole, Colleen McNamara, Maggie Pratt, Tina Salmone, Nancy Wentink and Kathy Wujek.
TRACK & FIELD: Susan Allen, Jane Bodi, Nessa Calabrese, Mary Dimit, Donna Filips, Janet Smith, Bev Washington, Nancy Wentink, Nancy Wertman and Mary Ellen Wilson.
VOLLEYBALL: Sue Bochte, Dale Bukenas, Nessa Calabrese, Dorothy Carver, Marie Dluzak, Kim Helfrich, Carla Holtz, Nancy King, Linn Lourcey, Mark Livingston, Joan McArthur and Peggy Moeck.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/4/12/general-illini-womens-athletics-first-varsity-season.aspx
Steve Douglas
Constructing UI's First Women's Coaching Staff
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
In many ways, the origins of women's intercollegiate athletics metaphorically resembled the rapid stages of track and field's 440-yard relay.
The first leg of the sprint began with the United States Congress's approval of the Equal Opportunities Act of 1972, more popularly known as Title IX.
Stage two was the immediate urgency of America's higher institutions to understand and properly react to the legislation that prohibited sexual discrimination within their universities.
The baton was then handed off to the directors of the hundreds of intercollegiate athletic departments to identify how they'd establish funds and identify potential women's administrators to create these new departments.
Finally, at the University of Illinois, the last leg of the race was run by new assistant director of women's athletics Dr. Karol Kahrs, an individual who, when officially appointed on June 1, 1974, was forced to hit the ground running.
With an approved budget of just $82,535 with which to work (compared to the men's athletic budget of $2.5 million) and the fall season mere weeks away, Kahrs' appointment book was chock full of assignments that had to be executed in staccato fashion. At the very top of her "To-Do" list was the arduous construction of her seven-sport coaching staff, identifying at least semi-expert instructors for basketball, golf, gymnastics, swimming, track and field, tennis and volleyball.
"We will stop thinking of women's athletics as recreation and more as competition," Kahrs told a Daily Illini writer. "Varsity-level athletes will have to be more dedicated and be willing to accept more responsibility than in the past."
Accomplishing a national search was simply infeasible and making Kahrs' assignment doubly difficult was the fact that she was limited in offering an individual salary of no more than $3,000 to anyone. Furthermore, none of the candidates would be able to offer prospective athletes any scholarship aid that initial season.
In most cases, Kahrs predictably turned to individuals with whom she was already familiar at the University of Illinois. Prior to her appointment with the Athletic Association—forerunner of the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics—Kahrs had worked for eight years in UI's College of Physical Education.
BETSY KIMPEL: Kahrs' first target was Urbana's Betsy Kimpel, a longtime amateur star in the Illinois Women's Golf Association.
She had just announced her retirement as a competitor. In a 1974 article written by Urbana Courier reporter Lou Engel, Kimpel described how she received her job offer.
"It all came about when Dr. Kahrs called me up after reading that I was going to retire from state tourney competition," Kimpel said. "It came as a surprise when they offered me the position and I think it sort of came as a surprise when I decided to accept it. The truth is that I'm rather excited. I wouldn't in any way call myself an instructor, although I do know the fundamentals and what is needed to have a good golf swing."
Kimpel served as the Illini coach until 1978 when she was succeeded by Paula Smith.
Betsy Kimpel died in 2005 at the age of 75.
STEVE DOUGLAS: Next, Kahrs discovered Steve Douglas, a former college basketball star who'd played for Coach Tex Winter at Kansas State University. Fortunately, he was already tenured as a professor on UI's political science staff.
"While it wasn't going to do anything for my career, it sounded fun … something worth doing," Douglas said recently. "I had written a letter to Karol that explained my experience and she jumped at it. She thought that because I had coached women before (in Malaysia, where he had undertaken a study of the country's educational system in pursuit of his doctorate degree), I would be a good candidate. It was a delightful experience, but my original agreement with Karol was that I would only coach for a year or two, then be replaced by a female coach."
Steve Douglas, now 83, remained as a faculty member at the University of Illinois for 35 years until his retirement in 2000. He and his wife now reside in Los Angeles, Calif.
JERRY MAYHEW: Jerry Mayhew, a doctoral candidate in physical education at the U of I, was Kahrs' choice to guide the Illini women's track and field program.
An undergrad at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, Mayhew had assisted his wife, Barbara, with the girl's program at Urbana High School. He brought on UI undergrad Judy Harrison to assist him for that 1974-75 season, but they served only one year.
Following more than 40 years of faculty work at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., Dr. Jerry Mayhew now serves as a Professor Emeritus of Exercise Science at TSU.
KIM MUSGRAVE: Kahrs filled her women's gymnastics coaching vacancy with Kim Musgrave, who had just weeks before graduated from Temple University.
Musgrave had joined the U of I's physical education staff as an instructor in dance but had only limited experience in gymnastics. She learned the intricacies of the sport from Illini men's coach Yoshi Hayasaki. Musgrave's '74-75 team was divided into two parts—the beginners, who made up about 50 per cent of the squad, and the intermediate and advanced gymnasts. She coached the Illini for two seasons.
Said Musgrave in a 1974 Daily Illini story, "The most difficulty I've had is getting the girls to work really hard. There are a couple of girls who are really serious about gymnastics, but most of them are on the team for the fun of it."
Kim Musgrave's current whereabouts could not be identified.
JEANNE HULTZEN:
Twenty-nine-year-old Californian Jeanne Hultzen, was Kahrs' pick to fill the swimming coach opening.
Hultzen, who was assistated I nthat first seaso by volunteer diving coach Doug Ward, had just completed her master's degree in physical education at Cal State-Sacramento.
She had most recently been responsible for the swimming program at Watsonville High School in California. She was replaced after only one season by Ann Pollack.
Jeanne Hultzen's current whereabouts could not be identified.
PEGGY PRUITT: The head coaching position for Illini women's tennis went to Peggy Pruitt, who was studying for her PhD in physical education administration at the University of Illinois.
The University of Kentucky graduate had directed UI's Women's Intercollegiate Sports Association (WISA) team the three previous seasons. Pruitt served only one varsity season at Illinois.
As a result of her long and successful coaching and administrative career at Ohio University, Dr. Pruitt recently was a 2022 inductee into the Mid American Conference Hall of Fame. OU named its field hockey facility in her honor 23 years ago.
KATHIE HAYWOOD: Kahrs' seventh Illini coach was Kathie Haywood, hired to head up UI's volleyball program.
A standout volleyball and basketball player at Washington University in St. Louis, she was fortunate to inherit a UI club team that had placed runner-up to Chicago Circle in the state meet. Haywood was replaced after only one season by Terry Hite.
Dr. Kathleen Haywood is a retired Associate Dean and Professor in the College of Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/4/5/general-constructing-the-first-illini-womens-coaching-staff.aspx
Young Karol Kahrs
Karol Kahrs' Formative Years
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
When Karol Anne Kahrs joined Fred and Betty Kahrs' young family on Feb. 12, 1940, the world was a much different place for those of the female gender.
World War II dominated the headlines and men were leaving the work force to serve their country in battle. An equally large segment of women was reluctantly exiting their household duties to do their part in the factories. Karol Anne's mom was one of them and that event proved to be a turning point in her life.
"My daddy died when I was 10 and my mother had to go to work full time, so I was on my own and had a lot of free time," Kahrs told an interviewer in a 2014 video produced by the Big Ten Network entitled Title IX: Let 'Em Play. "Because of sport, she knew where I was and what I was doing."
Kahrs became infatuated with any activity that involved a ball, participating in basketball, volleyball, softball, golf, field hockey, tennis and other activities. Her 1950s heroes included female stars like Babe Zaharias, Patty Berg, Maureen Connolly and others.
"Everything about sport I just loved," she said.
From the first day she arrived at North Fulton High School in northern Atlanta, Kahrs emerged as the Lady Bulldogs' No. 1 athlete.
"The state of Georgia had a lot of high school athletics," she said. "I never knew until I got to Illinois that it wasn't the same everywhere. Illinois and the state of Utah were the last two states to have competitive high school sports for girls."
An honors student, Kahrs matriculated to the University of Georgia, earning a degree in education in 1958. She served as a physical education instructor for three years at Atlanta's O'Keefe High School, then decided to change paths and further her education. She made the trek to Columbus, Ohio, eventually leaving Ohio State University with a Master's degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree.
When Kahrs arrived in Champaign-Urbana in 1966, hired by Dr. Laura Huelster as Director of the University of Illinois' Women's Extramural Sports Association, she was unaware of Huelster's ultimate objective.
"Unbeknownst to me, she really was looking to get a flavor of intercollegiate sport at Illinois," Kahrs said. "She thought that women ought to have that opportunity."
"I remember one of the things I was asked when I was thinking about taking the job was did I make friends easily," she continued. "And I said, 'always have'. Laura said, 'well, that will change here. They may not like you very much because you're going to have opportunities they didn't have and you're also going to have the opportunity to build a program here that you could be really excited about.'"
As Kahrs conversed with groups, high school principals and various other administrators, she was taken aback by some of their attitudes.
"Some of them didn't want females doing sports," she said. "In those days, most women were secretaries, nurses, librarians and teachers … that was it. They thought that sports wasn't healthy, that women wouldn't be able to have children."
Shortly after Title IX legislation passed in 1972, the winds of change began to blow from a different direction and women's athletics was elevated to varsity status two years later.
"When Title IX passed, kids were excited and very appreciative to come and try to be part of that," Kahrs said. "They didn't ask for a lot; didn't want a lot. They just wanted an opportunity to play and compete."
Yet, in June of 1974, when she was named as athletic director Cecil Coleman's assistant, Kahrs wondered just how much of an impact the university really wanted women's athletics to make.
"It was kind of fuzzy for a while as to what level we were going to try to compete," she said. "Finally, one day at a Board (of Trustees) meeting, I asked what the university was expecting. They said 'we want to be reputable and win our fair share, but we really haven't thought about it.' There seemed to be a lot of concern about how much money it was going to take to be in compliance."
Kahrs directed much of her early efforts towards getting out into the Champaign-Urbana community.
"I made it my business to meet as many people as I could," she said. "I went to all the social events I could go to. I had to have a group of 120 volunteers to run a track meet and we wanted to put some people in the stands for our events. We made it a practice not to overemphasize winning. We didn't have any idea whether we were going to be good or not good. But I knew that we could be. I don't like people to tell me 'you can't do this' or 'nobody's going to support this'. But over time, as you would expect, change does occur."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/3/23/general-karol-kahrs-formative-years.aspx
Ella Morrison was UI's first Director of Physical Culture for Women
The Mothers of Illinois Athletics: Illini Women’s Sports Pioneers
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Just as George Huff is known as the "Father of Illini Athletics", so too should Ella Morrison, Jeanette Lincoln, Gertrude Moulton, Louise Freer and Laura Huelster be recognized as the "Mother" for their pioneering contributions on the women's side of sports at the University of Illinois.
Instruction in calisthenics was first offered to U of I women through the School of Domestic Science in 1874 and became mandatory for female students two years later. In 1895, when separate department of physical education were established for men and women, 25-year-old Ella Morrison of Bement was appointed as Director of Physical Culture for Women.
It wasn't until 1924 when the first female graduate earned a bachelor's degree in education under the major of physical education. A master's degree program appeared in 1942.
In 1917, Freer authored an article for the Daily Illini, writing that "there is no university where the girls derive more benefit and enjoyment from the physical education than at Illinois."
Ella Morrison (1896-1900)
Born in Bement in 1870, just 31 miles from the University of Illinois campus, Ella Morrison became Director of Physical Culture for Women. Under her guidance, the U of I allowed club competition in sports, including basketball. She died in 1934.
Jeanette Carpenter Lincoln (1900-1909)
Jeanette Lincoln succeeded Morrison in 1900, the same year women were first allowed to compete in the Olympic games. In 1903, the Women's Athletic Association was formed under her administration.
Gertrude Moulton (1909-1915)
A native of Rio Grange, Ohio, she transferred from Oberlin College and earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Illinois. Moulton was appointed head of UI's physical education department in 1909 and later served as a medical advisor for women at the university. She returned to Oberlin in 1923 and retired in 1945. Moulton won the National Physical Education Association's Honor Award and died in 1964.
Louise Freer (1915-49)
Freer replaced Gertrude Moulton as head of UI's Department of Physical Education in 1915, coming from Columbia University in New York. She directed it through an era that saw the construction of UI's new Women's Gymnasium (1930), a building that would eventually be renamed in her honor. A significant number of UI graduates would go on to make their marks in physical education throughout the nation. She retired in 1949.
Laura Huelster (1949-1966)
Born in Iowa in 1906, 37-year-old Laura Huelster was schooled in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. She entered the University of Illinois as a freshman in 1923 with plans of becoming an English major. Huelster changed her major to physical education as a junior, the year she captained UI's women's hockey and basketball teams. After graduating in 1927 and teaching for two years in Waukegan, she returned to her alma mater and eventually replaced her mentor, Louise Freer. During her 17 years as UI's women's department head, Huelster's staff grew from 16 to 50 individuals. One of her more significant contributions was chairing a committee that ushered women's athletics from the intramural level to varsity status at the U of I. She died in 1986.
University of Illinois Women's Physical Education Department Heads Years
Ella Morrison 1896-1900
Jeanette Lincoln 1900-09
Gertrude Moulton 1909-15
Louise Freer 1915-49
Laura Huelster 1949-66
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/3/16/general-the-mothers-of-illinois-athletics-illini-womens-sports-pioneers.aspx
19th Century Illini Women
The Origins of University of Illinois Women’s Athletics
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
It took more than a century after the University of Illinois first admitted female students in 1870 for there to be equality among the sexes in intercollegiate athletics.
As a writer for UI's yearbook expressed in the 1905 edition of The Illio, "Better results are obtained in women's athletics every year, and it is hoped that, at some near future time, the girls will equal the boys in athletics."
It's not that Illinois was different from any of the other universities across the country. In fact, the sports chronology for women was nearly identical to its collegiate counterparts.
By 1874, a calisthenics program for women was created and by 1896 "club" sports began appearing at the U of I. It was then when Illini women hosted Wesleyan College in basketball at Urbana and beat them by a score of 28-14.
Somewhat surprisingly, women were initially more active than men in the new-fangled sport of basketball, invented by James Naismith in 1891. Women's athletes, known then as the "Illinae", wore black bloomer suits as they tossed the ball into peach baskets.
Said The Illio, "Everyone was delighted with the agility, nerve and skill displayed by the young women, and their perfect management of the game."
The campus's "he-men", it was said, looked down on basketball as a "silly game", one fit only for coeds. Their attitude eventually changed and men made it a varsity sport in 1905-06.
An organization called the Women's Athletic Association (WAA) was formed in 1903. It began with a couple dozen members and expanded to more than 200 by 1920. The number of sports offered to women's athletes expanded markedly by 1927 when four-sport seasons were established. A woman was allowed to participate in one major sport (field hockey, soccer, basketball, volleyball, swimming, baseball and track) and one minor sport (tennis, golf, rifle shooting, bowling, hiking and something referred to as apparatus).
By 1915, Louise Freer was named the first head of physical education for women. She oversaw the WAA from 1915-1949 and oversaw the first major "I" letter awards to WAA members for athletic success in 1919.
A 1923 WAA handbook suggested that women athletes get eight hours of sleep, not consume coffee or tea or eat between meals, and take a hot shower followed by a cold one after every practice and game.
During the decade of the 1930s, the first stand-alone gymnasium for women was constructed, but there was a trend away from intercollegiate competition for women because of a fear of rivalry and professionalism. Typically, several colleges competed at one site. At the same time, participation in intramurals saw increased numbers.
A Daily Illini article said that the philosophy of female physical educators was that collegiate sport and the WAA "should be recreational and enjoyed by many women." They strongly disapproved of the selection of a single group of highly skilled players.
In the 1940s, '50s and '60s, the trend of women's athletics swung toward extramural competition, primarily due to the equalization of sports opportunities for women and men.
A person who was on hand for nearly 40 years as a member of the UI's women's physical education staff was Carita Robertson. In a 1975 interview, Robertson said participation was popular because "there weren't so many things to do around campus back then."
In 1952, the WAA became the WSA (Women's Sports Association) because, as a campus leader explained, "The philosophy of the program really was sports rather than athletics. Athletics weren't accepted for women. The students coached themselves and the coach was more of an advisor."
In 1964, the organization's title changed again, this time to the Women's Extramural Sports Association (WESA) in 1964, under new director Helga Deutsch.
Karol Kahrs, director of the WESA from 1966 to 1970, said the organization's objective was maximum participation or all women students.
"Developing leadership and social abilities were emphasized," Kahrs said. "Winning was de-emphasized."
WESA evolved into the Women's Intercollegiate Sports Association in 1973 and had to drop four of its nine sports due to a lack of funds. A year later, women's sports would get a much-needed injection of support.
The final title change occurred in 1974, two years after United States Congressmen passed the Title IX Amendment in the summer of '72, signaling legal equality of the sexes and prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. In June of 1974, women's varsity athletics was adopted by the Athletic Association, forerunner of the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Seven sports—volleyball, golf, swimming, basketball, tennis, gymnastics and track and field—officially launched in the 1974-75 season and life would never be the same for women's athletes at the University of Illinois.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/3/10/the-origins-of-university-of-illinois-womens-athletics.aspx
Title IX
The 50th Anniversary of Title IX and Fighting Illini Athletics
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance …"
On June 23, 1972, the United States Congress passed and President Richard Nixon signed the Title IX Amendment, but not once in the landmark legislation were the words "sports" or athletics" mentioned in the 37-word edict.
Fifty years later, current and former women's athletes are flourishing, not only on the fields and in the arenas, but in the business world and other worlds beyond.
In 2022—the golden anniversary of the Title IX Amendment—the University of Illinois will celebrate this historic moment, recognizing not only athletic achievements by Illini women, but also celebrating their wide-ranging career successes.
AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF LEGISLATION
Title IX regulations were in many ways derived from the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the ground-breaking law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of color, race and national origin in programs that are federally funded. Shortly afterwards, Congress recognized that it also needed to reform the issue of sex discrimination, so in 1970 a House Subcommittee on Education scheduled hearings. Congresswomen Edith Green of Oregon and Patsy Mink of Hawaii teamed to author the statute, calling upon Indiana Senator Birch Bayh to introduce it to his cohorts.
When Green and Mink added Title IX-like provisions onto another piece of legislation in 1972, their motivations primarily concentrated on reforming the educational system. It did not start as an action to enable women to participate in athletics.
It wasn't until 1974 that legislators focused on sex discrimination in athletics. Nearly 10,000 public comments were submitted, many of which opposed the new law. Pressure from University of Texas football coach Darrell Royal prompted Texas Senator John Tower to amend an exemption from the law to revenue-producing sports, but it did not pass. Congress, however, did later adopt an amendment to practical provisions regarding particular sports.
In 1975, the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare's Office for Civil Rights released its regulations for Title IX enforcement and its relation to athletics. It read: "No Person shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, be treated differently from another person or otherwise be discriminated against in any interscholastic, intercollegiate, club or intramural athletics offered by a recipient, and no recipient shall provide any such athletics separately on such basis."
By 1980, Title IX oversight concerns were permanently assigned to the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.
Four years later, in the Grove City v. Bell case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Title IX applied to education programs that directly received federal funds. That restored the law's coverage to all of an institution's activities and programs, including athletics.
THE HISTORY OF WOMEN'S ATHLETICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
In 1972, when the Title IX Amendment was established, no varsity intercollegiate programs for women existed at UIUC.
One hundred and two years earlier, in 1870, the first woman was admitted to the University of Illinois. A calisthenics program for women was introduced four years later by Miss Louise Allen, UI's first physical education instructor and the university's first female full professor. She also served as director of the School of Domestic Science. In 1895, the university established the Department of Physical Culture for both genders. Ella Morrison directed the women's program. Organized athletic activities for women started at the U of I during her tenure.
Historians point out that the sport of basketball was played by women in an organized fashion in 1896, nine years prior to the men beginning competition.
Gertrude Moulton and Jeannette Carpenter helped establish the Women's Athletic Association (WAA) in 1902 for the purpose of promoting mental and moral efficiency through physical development. They believed that it taught coordination of mental and muscular faculties. Their aim was to promote athletics and the betterment of health among the university's women.
In 1915, Louise Freer was appointed director of Physical Training for Women. Though sports weren't intercollegiate, campus competition existed in basketball, field hockey, softball, bowling, tennis and swimming. In 1923, the university conferred its first bachelor's degrees in physical education for women.
Laura Huelster assumed duties as the director of physical education for women in 1950. During her distinguished 16-year tenure, the number of faculty tripled from just 16 to about 50. In 1966, just prior to leaving her post to concentrate on teaching, Huelster hired Karol Anne Kahrs to coordinate the department's athletic program. That same year, the National Organization of Women (NOW) was created.
By 1970, Kahrs' budget grew to $5,000 and she was encouraged by Huelster to develop intercollegiate competition.
"Laura thought that women ought to have that opportunity," Kahrs told an interviewer in 2014. "I spoke to a lot of groups when I first came, principals of high schools and that kind of thing, and they didn't want females doing sports. They thought of women as secretaries, nurses, librarians and teachers … that was it. They thought it wasn't healthy, that women wouldn't be able to have children."
In the late '60s, there were 35,000 students at the University of Illinois, with approximately one third being women. They primarily majored in education and library science, with very few in engineering and business. On campuses across the United States, there was growing unrest among students about the war in Vietnam. In May of 1970, Illinois students organized a campus-wide strike and protests became increasingly violent. The National Guard was called in and, as a result, several hundred students were arrested. Out of the antiwar crusade grew the women's rights movement. Women weren't satisfied as to how they were seen in society and being treated under the law.
The passage of Title IX in 1972 significantly changed the course of women's athletics.
"When Title IX passed, kids were excited and very appreciative to come and try to be part of that," Kahrs said. "They didn't ask for a lot; didn't want a lot. They just wanted an opportunity to play and compete."
However, in 1970, campus coeds were forced to draw upon their own expenses to compete. Faculty and graduate students served as coaches and they often drove their teams to competitions in cramped university vehicles. There were no official school uniforms.
The landscape changed dramatically in 1972 when then UI Chancellor Jack Peltason created a task force to study the implementation of varsity athletics for women. In February of 1974, the committee—chaired by Huelster—recommended to the Chancellor that the school add seven women's teams to the long-existing men's program. A budget of just more than $83,000 was approved. At that time, the men's budget was $2.4 million. In early June of '74, Kahrs was appointed by director of athletics Cecil Coleman to oversee the women's program.
"One day at a Board (of Trustees) meeting, I asked them what the university was expecting," Kahrs said. "They said we want to be reputable and win our fair share, but we really haven't thought about it. There was a lot of concern about how much money it was going to take to be in compliance. That was a wake-up call."
A maximum of 76 tuition-waiver scholarships were granted to UI women athletes for the first time. Volleyball, swimming, gymnastics, basketball and track received 12 each, while golf and tennis received eight apiece.
Kahrs immediately began to search for her coaching staff, with a maximum salary of $3,000 per individual. Other than UI political science professor Steve Douglas—a former standout basketball player at Kansas State—nearly all of Kahrs' initial hires were graduate students.
In addition to helping establish competition schedules for the new teams, Kahrs made it her business to meet as many people as she could.
"I got to know all the people in the community and went to all the social events I could go to," she said. "For example, I had to have a group of 120 volunteers to run a track meet. We made it a practice not to overemphasize winning. We didn't have any idea whether we were going to be good or not good. But I knew that we could be."
The Fighting Illini women's program had only moderate success in 1974-75. In a banquet sponsored by the Champaign-Urbana Altrusa Club, a total of 52 women's athletes were presented Varsity I letters. They were the first group to receive monograms.
In 1977, basketball's Mary Pat Travnik was rewarded with women's sports' first full scholarship, triggering a paradigm shift that would eventually result in a more even playing ground with the men.
On June 13, 1981, history was made at the annual NCAA convention in Miami as delegates voted 137-117 to include women's athletic programs within the NCAA governing structure. The action sounded the death knell for the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). Seven months later, Illinois and eight other Big Ten schools voted to affiliate their women's athletic programs with the conference. The University of Minnesota, a school that had close ties with the AIAW, held out for two additional months, but eventually joined its counterparts. At that juncture, the UI women's athletics' budget had increased to more than $359,000.
When 39-year-old Mike Hebert joined the Illini staff in July of 1983 as Illinois' head volleyball coach, it sparked a run of success that no other UI women's program had yet experienced. A 5-25 record in the Fall of '83 improved to 18-15 the following year. In 1985, Herbert's team shook the foundation of Illini athletics, winning its first 30 matches behind freshman sensation Mark Eggers. During a span of eight years from 1985 through 1992, Illini volleyball won more than 82 percent of its games, four Big Ten titles, and earned a pair of NCAA Final Four appearances.
Kahrs struck hiring gold again in January of 1985 when she convinced Gary Winckler to take over duties as Illinois' women's track and field head coach. In 23 seasons, his teams won 11 Big Ten championships and was named as the conference's Coach of the Year 11 times. During's Winckler's tenure, Illini athletes won 266 individual Big Ten titles and 51 of them earned All-America recognition.
During the decade of the 1990s, several Illini athletes became tremendously successful. A conference-record four U of I women's stars earned Big Ten Athlete of the Year honors during the 1992-93 season, including volleyball's Kirsten Gleis, track and field's Tonja Buford, golfer Renee Heiken and tennis's Lindsey Nimmo.
On May 15, 1995, Kahrs was instrumental in hiring Theresa Grentz as Illinois' head women's basketball coach. Over a dozen seasons (1995-2007), Grentz became UI's winningest hoops coach, guiding the program to the school's only Big Ten title (1997) and advancing to post-season play 10 times.
Soccer and softball were added as varsity sports in 1997 and '99, respectively.
As the calendar rolled around to the 21st Century, success in many sports continued for the Illini. In 2003, Illinois athletes swept both the Big Ten's Jesse Owens Male and Suzy Favor Female Athletes of the Year awards. NCAA hurdles champ Perdita Felicien was the women's award winner. During that first decade, distance runners Cassie Hunt and Angela Bizzarri both won Big Ten cross country titles, while Bizzari also claimed NCAA title honors. Other superb athletes of the early 2000s included swimmer Barbie Viney and softball superstar Jenna Hall.
The 'teens decade of the 2000s was interspersed with numerous success stories, but perhaps the highlight came in 2017 when a number of women's stars were chosen for Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame's inaugural class. Kahrs, gymnast Nancy Thies Marshall, track and field's Tonja Buford Bailey and Perdita Felicien, golfer Renee Heiken Slone and volleyball's Mary Eggers Tendler were all honored. Twelve other women have since evolved into equally legendary status.
The 2020s have seen major upgrades to women's facilities. In addition to women's basketball's practice facility receiving a major enhancement, the soccer and women's track and field programs now claim Demirjian Park as their new home. Softball will soon move into its new $6 million Fred and Alice Martin Softball Training Center. Women's golf has had the privilege of preparing for its competitions at the Lauritsen/Wohler Outdoor Golf Practice Facility since 2015, while women's tennis has had the Atkins Tennis Facility for several years. Atkins hosted the 2013 NCAA Division I Women's and Men's Tennis Championships.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/3/1/general-the-50th-anniversary-of-title-ix-and-fighting-illini-athletics.aspx
James Warren
James Warren: Listening with Compassion
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
With about one-third of the approximately 500 athletes on the University of Illinois' varsity athletic teams being comprised by young men and women of color, it was a priority for that group of student-athletes to have a mental wellness staff that had similar representation.
For the Fighting Illini Mental Health and Sports Performance staff, James Warren, Jr. is the person who looks like the minority clientele he is serving.
Warren, whose credentials include both bachelor's (psychology, '03) and master's (social work, '05) degrees from the U of I, has been on Program Manager Jim Maurer's staff since 2020. A native of Aurora and a product of Aurora Christian High School, Warren's face is a familiar one around campus and the Champaign-Urbana community. Since his undergraduate days at Illinois, he's served as a counselor for at-risk youth at Champaign County's Juvenile Detention Center for more than two decades. Warren also has been employed as a licensed clinical social worker by the county's mental health center and other local treatment organizations.
When the Big Ten Conference announced its Mental Health and Wellness Cabinet in May of 2020, Warren quickly dispatched an email to the two U of I representatives on that board. Shortly afterwards, a Zoom meeting that included him, Mauer and Randy Ballard (Associate Director of Athletics for Sports Medicine) was arranged and, as Warren puts it, "the rest is history."
Partnering with the Carle Mental Health Providers, Warren is a valuable member of an Illini mental health team that includes a psychologist, two psychiatrists and three counselors/social workers. This team of professionals is available for free counseling to any Illini athlete, though Warren estimates that only about one-third of them actually take advantage of these services.
During a portion of his undergraduate days from 1999 through 2003, Warren lived in UI's Scott Hall with several student-athletes of color. He says he recognized "the unique struggles that they had making the adjustment to not only being a student but also being a student-athlete."
He was asked to characterize the relationship between the University and its students of color.
"From my own personal experience, the U of I has provided an opportunity for success to anyone who's willing to take advantage of the resources that are there," Warren said. "Whether it be counselors, deans, or academic advisors, there are enough people here in professional roles to serve any of our students, and specifically students of color."
"In regard to understanding diversity," he said, "I'm a firm believer that at the core of counseling is that any counselor can work with any client as long as the counselor is willing to listen and be compassionate. We have to look at things from the client's perspective in terms of race, gender, sex, socioeconomic status and life experience. All of those things matter to the client, so for that reason it's important to recognize some of those diverse issues and some of those cultural issues."
Warren said that Illinois' student-athletes often feel like they have to speak for their fellow students of color.
"I think that's part of being a student-athlete," he said. "Their media exposure is significant, especially the more popular sports like football, and men's and women's basketball. You literally drive around town and their faces are plastered on billboards. Whenever they go to class or to the grocery store or even just going out to socialize, most people know who they are."
"One of the things that I deal with concerning our students of color who may come from areas where there isn't as much diversity is that people may have pre-conceived notions about them," Warren said. "One of the other things that is unique for student-athletes of color is the history of how sports and entertainment has played with individuals of color. It's almost like society says you have to be an entertainer … an athlete or a musician or something like that. Part of what we dig into with our conversions is the issue of whether others care about them as a person or just because of their ability to perform. It's not that the student-athletes don't want to perform—they do—but they don't want the performance to be seen as their only value. They want to be cared about as people."
Other issues that Warren's student-athlete clientele encounter are much more commonplace.
"In reality," he said, "there are some student-athletes with whom I work that we never discuss anything about their sport. We have services for some of the unique issues that they're dealing with within their sport, but with about 95 percent of the student-athletes that I counsel we spend the vast majority of our time talking about life or talking about relationships. Some of our discussions are simply about family or social relationship or romantic relationship stuff."
"If you look at the age range," Warren continued, "some of these individuals are literally getting away from home for the first time. Some are young people who for the first 17 or 18 years of their life may have been involved in environments with trauma or abuse. Some actually ask me, 'Now, wait a minute … so it's not normal to be abused or neglected?'"
"For some of them it's the first time that they're connecting with people from all parts of the world and getting exposed to different cultures and different life experiences. Now, as students at the University of Illinois, they're fortunate to be in a space where they can get information to recognize what's going on and actually start working through some of that stuff."
"One of the other unique things that student-athletes deal with is that their sport has provided stability for them for 10-15-20 years of their life," he said. "So, we deal with student-athletes who are either having issues with injuries or that their competition in high school is different than when they get to the Big Ten. Or perhaps it's dealing with the issue that they've maxed out their athletic ability and there isn't a way for them to turn their sport into a career. 'When me being an athlete ends, how do I figure out what my identity is?'"
At the end of the day, Warren says, "We're human beings."
"I always look at Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech," he said. "I don't know that we as a society really take the time to think about what he was really saying. We've made progress, but I still don't think we're really to the point where we live in a world where people can actually be judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin. And so, until we get to that world, I think it's important for us to recognize the role that race and culture plays. It's our character that defines us as people."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/2/27/doors-open-james-warren-i-listen-with-compassion.aspx
Olivia Howell
Olivia Howell: A Natural Talent
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Coaches love to coach coachable athletes. Fourth-year Fighting Illini distance coach Sarah Haveman insists that she has one of the best in junior miler Olivia Howell.
"One of the ways that Olivia leads our program is that she's so coachable," Haveman said. "We have a high trust relationship. She trusts the training she's doing, how she's being coached, and when she's being coached certain ways. She follows instructions. Olivia has a beautiful personality, inside and out. She executes each day at a very high level. Anytime you have natural talent, a tireless work ethic, and the right environment, good things are going to happen."
Though the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on Howell's freshman season in 2020, she performed with flying colors in her second season. The Solon, Ohio native was the Big Ten's 2021 indoor champion in the mile as well as the conference's outdoor titlist at 1,500 meters. Howell earned a spot in the finals of the NCAA 1,500 and earned Second-Team All-America honors. Last year, she was named the University of Illinois' 2021 Dike Eddleman Female Athlete of the Year.
"The entire season was an amazing feeling," Howell said. "With the rough start of not having the cross (country) season, I feel like I had a lot of adrenaline going into it. With all of the struggles that we had, staying motivated during the pandemic paid off. Sometimes, it's hard to grasp because everything happened so fast, having cross and indoor at the same time, then going to outdoor. After one of the first 1500s I ran last season, I wasn't sure that I would make it to nationals. I started off the season with a 4:28, so making it into the 1,500 finals (with a time of 4:09.71 in the NCAA prelims) was definitely a huge accomplishment. I still count the little things that happened throughout the season to be just as important."
Howell says that one of her biggest highlights came last May when Illinois hosted the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Demirjian Park's new Gary Wieneke Track.
"Being able to win the Big Ten (1,500) title on our home track was definitely a thrill," she said. "While I hardly ever look at the clock, at the end of that race I realized how fast we were going. I had beaten my PR by about six seconds (with a time of 4:12.86). To have all of my teammates there was a huge moment in the season for me."
One of Howell's biggest regrets is that her mother, Antoinette, hasn't been able to see her perform as a collegian. Her mom died from a heart attack during Olivia's junior year at Solon High School.
"She was always supportive of me and my siblings and was really encouraging with everything that we were involved with," Howell said. "My siblings and I were involved with a lot … band, drama club, athletics. Mom made sure that we were working hard and putting a hundred percent in whatever we did."
"Ever since I was quite young, Mom always had this vision for me that I would have a lot of success in running," she continued. "And knowing that she had that dream motivates me. When it's hard in a race or just any aspect of life, I just remember how much support she gave me and I use that as encouragement every day."
A studio art major at Illinois, Howell is following in the footsteps of her father, Errick, who is a graphic design artist with his own T-shirt company and designs skateboards.
As for Olivia, her favorite medium is painting.
"Whenever I'm painting, I can get kind of lost," she said. "I'm able to express so much through my paintings. It's similar to when I'm running a race. I'm able to just get lost into the rhythm of things. Sometimes I feel a connection between the two."
Howell works on several sizes of canvases and has even painted a mural on the wall of her apartment.
"One of my roommates is from New York, one is from Chicago, and I'm from the Cleveland area … so I painted the skylines of all three cities."
The 20-year-old Howell is targeting specific track and field objectives in 2022.
"I definitely have a goal (in the mile) of 4:30 or even 4:25, because that's what a 4:09 in the 1500 converts to," she said. "Time isn't the most important to me. When we're all out there, anything can happen in a race. I do have goals of hopefully winning a national title."
According to Haveman, any of Howell's objectives are achievable.
"Olivia is such a pure competitor and she rises to her competition level constantly," Haveman said. "Last year was a great example of that, starting the season where she did and then finding herself in the national finals. She just rises to what's necessary. Olivia has a great natural race instinct and she has the talent and the work ethic to back it up."
Howell was asked if she thought a woman would ever break the four-minute barrier for the mile.
"Absolutely," she said. "Records are constantly being broken. Times just keep getting faster and nothing is too far out of reach. If you work hard at it and set that goal, I don't see it as impossible."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/2/23/womens-track-field-olivia-howell-a-natural-talent.aspx
Mike Martin Family
Illini, Football and Family Provides Legacy for the Mike Martin Family
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Last Sunday, as the Cincinnati Bengals faced off with the LA Rams in their first Super Bowl appearance in 33 years, Illini grads Mike and Michelle Martin couldn't help but think of their late son, Marcus. Mike, after an illustrious football career at Illinois, played for seven seasons with the Bengals. Years ago, Mike promised his son, Marcus, that they'd see the Super Bowl in person if their team ever made it to the big game.
So, at a Chicago tavern two weeks ago, after watching his former squad upset the Kansas City Chiefs in the American Football Conference Championship Game, Mike was determined to keep his word. Unfortunately, Marcus, who died from a pulmonary embolism at the age of 25, would only be at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium in spirit.
Sports and football, in particular, have played a big part of the Martin family. Michelle, a product of Chicago's Whitney Young High School, has been around sports most of her life. She served as a member of the Fighting Illini cheer squad during her undergraduate days at the University of Illinois.
"I was a cheerleader from elementary school through high school," she said. "When I got to Illinois (as a freshman in 1980), I really wanted to join the squad, but I had never done any partner stunts. I met up with Johnny Barnes, who I think was one of the first black Illini cheerleaders, and he worked with me. Thinking back on it now, it was crazy because we didn't have any spotters. Johnny helped me learn some of the basic lifts that I would have to do in order to be able to try out."
Michelle earned a spot on the Illini squad for the 1981-82 season but injured her knee by falling off the top of the pyramid before she could make it to the first football game.
"That's when I knew Mike Martin really loved me because he made it to our practice facility before the ambulance did," she said. "I tore my ACL and couldn't tumble or jump or do pyramids, but at least I could cheer."
Mike remembers seeing his future wife, "that gorgeous girl", at Illinois' Snyder Hall. He cultivated the relationship in a political science class that they both attended, proposed on Christmas Day 1985, and were married in June of 1986. Michelle then moved to Cincinnati where Mike was in his fourth season as a Bengals' receiver.
Martin got noticed by the Bengals after his sensational senior year in 1982 when he led the Illini with a record 77 catches for 1,068 yards. If not for an Illini coaching change in 1980, Mike may have never gotten the chance to display his pass-catching talents. The fun began on the very first play in the season opener against Northwestern, Coach Mike White's rookie season.
"Just before the offense took the field, Coach said 'Hey fellas, on this first play, let's just go deep'. It was an incomplete pass, but the (Memorial Stadium) crowd went crazy. And whenever there was a game when the opponent played bump and run, I would look at Tony Eason and just smile. Tony knew that it was time to get the ball to Mike. I relished the opportunity when a guy would try to play me man-to-man."
Mike fondly remembers Illinois' 1980 game at Ohio State when quarterback Dave Wilson threw for an NCAA-record 621 yards.
"I just watched that game the other day on YouTube," Martin said. "At halftime, when we hadn't been able to run the ball much in the first half, Mike said 'Hey fellas, how do you feel about throwing it every down?' Man, the whole locker room just erupted! So, we threw the ball almost every time in the second half—we had a couple of draws in there to keep the defense honest—but they couldn't stop us."
What happened after the clock ran out will always stick with Martin.
"Never, ever, have I left the field being the opposing team … lose the game … and get a standing ovation," he said. "I led the team in yards with seven or eight catches for a hundred and something yards (147 to be exact). That was a fabulous, fabulous day … not only for the spectators, but also for the team."
Martin operated several nightclubs in Cincinnati after his NFL career concluded in 1989 but was drawn back into football to resurrect the program at Taft High. A Bengals favorite, Martin became a popular guest on Cincinnati's 50,000-watt WLW Radio and on television as well.
In 2014, he and the family moved to Chicagoland to be closer to daughter Morgan, a 2009 University of Illinois broadcast journalism grad. Like her mother, Morgan was a member of the Illini cheer squad. Illinois recruited her as a track and field athlete from metro Cincinnati's Walnut Hills High School, but since she was engrossed in cheer and dance since a very young age, she instead chose to perform on the sidelines. Morgan's tryout with the Illini squad is often told when her family gathers.
"The weekend of cheerleading tryouts was also Mom's Weekend at the U of I," Morgan said, "so Mom and I literally had nowhere to stay. We wound up sleeping in our car. So it's a favorite story … my Mom taking me to tryouts, her legacy there, and then me making the team."
The fact that Morgan was a member of the Illini cheer team when Illinois' football squad went to the Rose Bowl in 2008 made her experience extra special.
"Being able to travel there with the team was such an exciting time," she said. "And then with my Dad being a former member of the Illini, my entire family got to be with me. Me being on the field at the Rose Bowl made it a full-circle family moment."
Morgan, who lived in L.A. for a few years, now owns a fitness and nutrition studio on 95th Street in Chicago called The LAB (Live and Believe). The business's mission is to "create a happy place for the community to live their best lives by getting results through nutrition, fitness and transformation".
"Even though it's a very different line of work from broadcast journalism, a lot of what I try to do is tell the stories of the people who are transformed through our space," she said. "I started on my own journey, and that led me to slowly but surely help other people. I'm pleased to say that, through our efforts, hundreds of people have lost thousands of inches and pounds."
Younger brother Marcus's tragic passing was a major impetus in developing Morgan's company and bringing the Martin family together in Chicago.
"Six years later, we've built this business together," she said.
In 2016, the Marcus Martin Foundation was established.
"We provide college scholarships for high school kids as well as teach fundamental football skills to the youth in the three cities where he lived—Cincinnati, DC and Chicago," Mike said. "Marcus wanted to make sure that other young people learned the fundamentals of the game, because that's how he got started."
And although Sunday's result wasn't what the Martin family has hoped for, they knew Marcus would have been proud.
"Marcus was a homer," Mike said. "He kept telling me, 'Dad, one of these days, they're going to get to the Super Bowl.' And when the Bengals won the AFC Championship the emotions just took me over. All I kept saying was, 'Marcus, your boys did it. We're going to the Super Bowl.'
So, Michelle and Mike took a part of him to the Super Bowl.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/2/17/illini-football-and-family-provides-legacy-for-martins.aspx
Terry Hite David
Illini Volleyball's Terry Hite David a Barrier Breaker
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Black History Month Spotlight: Terry Hite David was Illinois volleyball's second-ever head coach, when hired in 1975, and the first African American to coach an NCAA Team at the University of Illinois.
The decades of the 1960s and '70s proved to be tumultuous times in the United States, with discussion about race and war dominating the news. An equally turbulent movement in America at the time involved women's rights. For Terry Hite David, all of those headlines surrounded her young life as a student at the University of Illinois.
Born in Chicago, she moved with her mother to Los Angeles at the age of seven after her parents' divorce and remarriage.
After attending a city college for a year on the West Coast, she was initially attracted to attend the University of Illinois as part of the school's "Project 500" program in 1968. That plan was instituted by the university as a response to the assassination of the Reverend Martin Luther King. Prior to UI's effort to change its demographics, only 372 of the more than 30,000 students were black. David became one of the additional 565 African-American and Latino students who came to Champaign-Urbana in the Fall of '68.
"It was a good thing because it increased the number of black students who might not have had the opportunity to enter such a prestigious university,'' David told a Big Ten reporter in 2010. "The program did what it intended to do, but the university didn't do a very good job of preparing the community. The blacks mostly lived on the other side of the tracks on the north side of town while the whites were more affluent and had better jobs. I think the people in the area were a little scared to suddenly see so many more black people in town and the first couple of weeks were a little awkward.''
Major issues arose on campus as well when a black protest at the Illini Union saw nearly 250 individuals arrested by police.
"It was a very unfortunate situation," David said.
While pursuing her degree in physical education, David competed on the university's club volleyball team as a five-foot-six-and-a-half-inch center. Little did she know that when she graduated in 1972 that her dedication and similar perseverance from a multitude of fellow female student-athletes would eventually lead to varsity status for women's sports at the U of I.
"We had practice after classes and the coaches donated their time,'' she remembered. "It wasn't until my senior year when they held the first collegiate national tournament under the NAIAW. We advanced to the national tournament in Lawrence, Kan., but we didn't place.''
When Virgin Island representatives came to the U of I campus seeking teachers during David's senior year, she was eager to learn more.
"I went to the interview because I was adventurous and I had never been to the Caribbean area, which was a predominantly black population," she said. "They offered a two-year program and they paid your way down there and paid your way back when you wanted to return. I figured I couldn't lose.''
David continued to play volleyball in her new home country and eventually became a member of the Virgin Islands' national team.
"We established a league, the St. Thomas Volleyball Association, for recreation purposes, and got involved in the Olympic development," she said. "We also worked with some of the English-speaking Caribbean countries in establishing an English-speaking Caribbean Games."
Her notoriety eventually evolved into coaching opportunities with younger teams.
After two years in the Islands, David returned to Illinois in 1975 to pursue her master's degree in administration. That's when new Illini assistant athletic director Karol Kahrs—her former club sport coach—offered her a job as Illinois' second-ever volleyball coach, replacing Kathleen Haywood who had resigned after only one year as UI's varsity mentor.
"That was the first year we were affiliated with the Big Ten in women's sports and we finished second,'' says David, who was 15-14 in her rookie season. "Things were starting to change quite a bit. No longer did the team have to play in their gym suits. We were given uniforms, sneakers, transportation and I had an assistant coach. And now the women were coming from other areas of study to play volleyball.''
Her second season as the Illini coach in 1976 resulted in 25-14 record and a fifth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships.
When David completed her master's degree with UI's College of Applied Health Sciences in 1975, she returned to the Virgin Islands. There she met her future husband, resumed her coaching career and began a career in elementary school administration. In 2000, she retired as a principal.
David's daughter, Michon, continued the family's love for the sport of volleyball. Michon was a member of the Islands' Junior National Team and also was a varsity member at Hampton University in Virginia. Terry is also the godmother of Megan Hodge, a former national player of the year at Penn State.
The fact that she had been the first black varsity head coach in University of Illinois history had totally escaped David until years later when she was told about the fact by one of her cousins.
"She read it in a story about black head coaches in the Big Ten,'' David says. "That's when it hit me. At the time I was at Illinois, we weren't part of the Athletic Association, so we never had any meetings with the other head coaches. I knew there were black assistants in football and basketball, but I had never thought I was breaking a barrier.''
During one of David's last visits to her alma mater in 2012, the Varsity I Association recognized her with its Merit Award.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2022/2/11/illini-volleyballs-terry-hite-david-barrier-breaker.aspx
The Mark Family
Former Illini Athletes Jill and Kelly Mark Make Lasting Impact on Alma Mater
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Count Kelly and Jill Mark among the University of Illinois varsity alumni who've stepped forward and given back to their alma mater.
Because of their generous gift, a special section of the expanded Ubben Basketball Facility will soon be known as the Mark Family Women's Locker Room and Team Lounge.
When asked why they decided to give back, Kelly, a former walk-on runner and hurdler with Illinois' track & field team, and Jill, a record-setting point guard for UI's women's basketball program, wanted to give to the place where it all started for them and hopefully spur on others to pay it forward and give back to Illinois.
The former Jill Estey was recruited to the University of Illinois from Plymouth Salem High School in Michigan in the late 1980s by then coach Laura Golden, and finished her career in 1993 under the direction of coach Kathy Lindsey. She greatly appreciates what both women did for her during her career.
"I picked Illinois for the outstanding engineering program and the opportunity to play for Coach Golden at a top athletic institution. I was lucky during my basketball career to have great supportive coaches in Coach Golden and Coach Lindsey."
It was that world-class education as a mechanical engineering major that helped Jill land a job at the Ford Motor Company in her native state. Nowadays, Jill spends her time managing her web design business in Chicagoland—Jill Mark Design—specializing in small business and personal websites.
On the court, she performed spectacularly, handing out a record 550 assists so that teammates like Mandy Cunningham, Sarah Sharp and Kris Dupps could score baskets.
It was Jill's basketball skills that initially caught her future husband's eye. Kelly tells the story.
"After a (track) practice, some teammates and I went over to IMPE to play basketball," he said. "On the last court, the women's basketball team was playing a pick-up game against a bunch of guys. I saw Jill play for five minutes and told a friend next to me 'You see that woman…I want to marry her.' About a month later, we met at a sorority/fraternity mixer at Joe's Bar before the Ohio State football game in 1991…and the rest was history."
Kelly, a product of Batavia High School, understood the value of his education as a business marketing major, but he maintains that athletics was the core of who he was.
"I was a kid who came in and busted my ass, worked as hard as I could to try to be good, but never really got to the varsity level," he said. "Athletics is a tremendous teacher for life in regard to being knocked down and getting back up, being coached, learning from your mistakes and focusing on improvement. It's always been a core of who Jill and I are."
After earning his MBA from Harvard University, Kelly joined Motorola where he most recently oversaw the company's global services and software business. This past summer, he retired after 22 years, allowing him to spend more time with Jill and the family as their kids go to college, traveling and enjoying the outdoors.
When someone asks Kelly where he went to school, a tour of his office displays the pride he has for the University of Illinois. "Illinois is what matters. That's what started us. That was the cauldron that created our family and everything we've achieved together in life."
Jill says she's grateful that she and her husband can help a little in improving the experience of future Illini women's basketball players with their gift.
"We wanted to do something that was memorable to us," she said. "Being able to give back to the program that gave me so much means a lot. Back then, we didn't have anything close to the facilities that they have now. Hopefully, our gift will allow athletes the opportunity to be in an environment that is supportive and to experience something that most people won't be able to experience."
Kelly and Jill always tell their children, Sydney and Ryan, to "Dream Big…Never Follow. It is the way we have tried to live our life."
"You've got to go for the things that you really want and love in life. The University of Illinois gave us the opportunity to dream big and never follow. It set the stage for our life. We just encourage everyone to look back and understand what school did to set them up in their life. we recognize that and that's why we gave back. We just want other folks to have the same opportunity to do what we've been able to do in our life."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/12/1/i-fund-leaving-their-mark-former-illini-athletes-jill-and-kelly-mark-make-lasting-impact-on-alma-mater.aspx
Deon Thomas
How An Opportunity Steered Deon Thomas in the Right Direction
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
In 2017, the Council of Opportunity in Education (COE) and the Center for First-Generation Student Success launched the inaugural First-Generation College Celebration. On Monday, Nov. 8, the Center encourages universities, non-profits and K-12 schools to celebrate the success of first-generation college students, faculty, staff and alumni.
This past August, a record 8,300 freshmen began classes at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. According to national statistics, an estimated 50 percent of them are first-generation learners, i.e. students who are the first to attend a higher education institution.
Thirty two years ago, back in the Fall of 1989, former Fighting Illini basketball star Deon Thomas became a pioneer for his family. He knows first-hand the trials, tribulations and pressures that thousands upon thousands of first-year undergraduates endure, including some 60 Illini varsity freshmen in 2021-22.
Now at age 50, the path to Champaign-Urbana for that then teenager from Chicago’s Simeon Career Academy High School was anything but easy. Thomas and his younger brother Clifton had navigated numerous hurdles and consequences as youngsters growing up in the Windy City’s Englewood and Chatham neighborhoods. Family elders mandated that they be in their apartment when the street lights came on at dusk.
“We grew up in the projects, so it wasn’t a place where you wanted to be hanging out at all times of night,” Thomas recalled.
At one point, his father had left the family and his mother was suffering from drug dependency, so the boys were separately dispatched to stay with grandparents. Deon spent several of his teenage years with his father’s mother, Bernice McGary. Paying attention to his education was an absolute requirement.
“We didn’t dare mess up in school,” Thomas said. “If they got a phone call from anybody at the school saying something other than how great we were doing, we were going to be in a world of trouble.
“My Grandmother Bernice would always tell me, ‘Baby, you’re bigger than the village’ (the village was what his community was called). She was the one who was always looking ahead and looking for more and saying that there was more out there for me that what was in our 10-block radius.”
As a youth, Deon was an above-average student.
“I was on the honor roll all through elementary school and basically all through high school,” he said. “Fortunately, I had great teachers in elementary school as well as in high school. Mr. Bledsoe, Miss Plummer and Mr. Collins were three of my teachers in elementary school who did their best to keep me focused. When I got to Simeon, it was Miss Washington (a history teacher); she was like a mom to me when I wasn’t at home. She really cared about her students.”
Thomas respected her so much that he sacrificed a good portion of the time he spent on UI’s campus during his official visit as a basketball recruit.
“I’ll always remember sitting in the library at the University of Illinois and writing my history paper because Miss Washington wanted it on Monday,” he said. “She said she didn’t care that I was going on a visit; she wanted her paper done by Monday.”
Thomas said that his coach at Simeon, Bob Hambric, “also steered me in the right direction.”
“You couldn’t play basketball at Simeon and get in trouble or miss class or do any of those things,” he said. “I understood that I could change my life through playing basketball and that it would give me an opportunity to go to college. This will be hard for people to believe, but I didn’t go to the University of Illinois to play basketball or to make it to the NBA. It was never basketball centered for me. It was academics centered. I wanted to graduate from the University of Illinois and go on to become a lawyer. Even when I got drafted, I wanted to play long enough so that I could earn enough money to go to law school and eventually become a judge. That was my sole reason and focus for playing basketball.”
Deon knew that he was blessed to receive a college scholarship, so he went to great lengths to share his experience in Champaign-Urbana with his brother and other members of his family.
“My time at Illinois was huge for me,” he said. “I was able to bring my brother down to campus and several of my cousins were able to come to my games with my grandmother. That was their first exposure to a college campus.”
He is particularly proud of his younger brother’s accomplishments.
“After Clifton finished high school in South Haven, Mich., he went into the Marines, then he became a police officer for 10 years,” Thomas said. “Now he owns his own security company and he’s working on his second master’s degree in cyber security.”
It was a special day for Deon when Clifton and Grandma Bernice attended his U of I graduation ceremony.
“I knew my grandmother was proud that day,” Thomas said. “It wasn’t so much about what she said; it was the look on her face. She didn’t have to say anything.”
Today, the Illini Hall of Famer and basketball program’s all-time leading scorer serves as his alma mater’s associate director of development in Chicago. He says he sought the position so that he could pass on his life lessons to current and future Illini student-athletes.
“One of the things I love most (about my job) is that I can raise money to help kids who are like me,” Thomas said. “They’re exactly like me. If it wasn’t for the donors and the development officers to raise money and cover scholarships, I wouldn’t have had my scholarship. If I hadn’t had that scholarship, I couldn’t have brought my brother and cousins down to Champaign. They would have never seen the campus at the University of Illinois. If I hadn’t played basketball at Illinois, things would definitely be a lot different for me.”
As the Thomas clan’s first college graduate, Thomas says he’s gratified he could break the ice for his family.
“Well, as least I made a chip in it,” he said. “Several of my younger cousins have gone on to college and I’m sure their kids will go on to college when they grow up.”
“I don’t want people to think that I’m special,” Thomas continued. “I was given opportunities. What I hope all universities will do is to not form opinions about people in terms of where they’re from. If you give people an opportunity and you show them something that’s different than where they live, people can do better. It doesn’t have anything to do with whether you’re black or white. There are white people who live in rural areas that go through some of the same things that I went through. If this is supposed to be the land of opportunity, then we need to do a better job of providing those opportunities.”
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/11/8/mens-basketball-how-an-opportunity-steered-deon-thomas-in-the-right-direction.aspx
Track and Field's Brian Keyes
Illinois' Very Special Two-Uniformed Student-Athletes
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
More than 500 young men and women proudly wear the varsity uniforms of the Fighting Illini each year, but in 2021-22 four of them also dress in a totally different type of attire.
Gymnastics’ Ethan Boder, wrestling’s Joey Braunagel, and track and field’s Will Merrick and Brian Keyes all bear significant responsibilities beyond their athletic and academic pursuits at the University of Illinois. This special quartet of Illini athletes also wears United States military uniforms as members of UI’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC).
While all of them are following in the footsteps of family members who’ve served, each has used his own personal circumstances in becoming ROTC participants at the U of I.
For Boder, a graduate of Knoxville, Tennessee’s Catholic High School, he originally narrowed his choices for collegiate gymnastics competition to the Naval Academy and Illinois.
“A big part of my decision was that I thought if I chose Illinois I wasn’t going to have the opportunity to pursue a Naval career,” said the current sophomore Midshipman. “I really didn’t like that idea. Then my coach (Justin Spring) sent me a link to the Naval ROTC website, letting me know that I could still do the same thing if I signed up with ROTC. Since I bonded with the team much more when I visited Illinois, I chose the Illini.”
Braunagel’s first choice was always Illinois, primarily because brothers Zac and Danny were already members of the Illini wrestling team. However, because the Althoff Catholic High School product would only be receiving a partial scholarship and didn’t want to burden his parents with having to pay for the balance of his education, Braunagel investigated additional options.
“About two or three days after I committed (to Illinois), I got a text from an Army recruiter suggesting that I talk to him if I wanted free college,” he said. “So I thought to myself, I get to wrestle and get free college … let’s look into this! After talking to the recruiter over a couple of weeks and learning about all of the benefits I could get, I swore in (as an Illinois Army National Guard Simultaneous Membership Program cadet).”
Merrick, a native of Castle Rock, Colo., followed his older sister Katrina’s lead. She is a sophomore member of the Army ROTC at the University of Arizona. Will is one of about ten current freshman Midshipmen with the UI’s Naval ROTC program. For him, choosing a college to attend came down to determining what the Illini track coaches’ rapport was with ROTC.
“I knew that the University of Illinois had great academics (Merrick plans to major in chemical engineering), but it was one of only a few schools that had a solid relationship with ROTC,” he said. “And, then, the fact that my dad (Bill) had also attended Illinois made my decision even easier.”
As for Cadet Keyes, a redshirt sophomore from McHenry and second-year captain of the Army push-up crew at Illini football games, he found out about the Army ROTC’s scholarship opportunity when he took his official visit to Champaign-Urbana.
“Coach (Mike) Turk told me about the scholarship information that ROTC offered,” he said. “At the time, my throwing numbers were a little bit lower than I would have hoped for (to receive) a decent athletic scholarship. I come from a lower income family, so we didn’t have the money to pay for school and I didn’t want to take out loans. I was told (by ROTC) that there was no immediate commitment and that I could try the program out. So I gave it a shot and here we are today almost four years later.”
ROTC requires that its members take at least one military class per semester and attend Physical Readiness Training (PRT) multiple times a week. How they all cope with this extra responsibility is quite extraordinary. For example, consider Boder’s typical midweek schedule.
“So, on Wednesdays I’ll wake up at 4:50 a.m. so that I can leave for ROTC drills at 5:40,” said Boder, an ROTC Midshipmen Third Class. “Drills are normally two-and-a-half hours, but I need to leave a bit early to go train (with gymnastics). Then I’ll go to breakfast at the Varsity Room (the athletes’ training table that’s located in the southeast corner of Memorial Stadium). My classes go 10-11, 11-12, and 12-1. Afterwards, I’ll get lunch, then leave for training until about 5. Then I’ll go home and bust out all of my homework, then get ready for bed.”
“So, I’m a student, an athlete and a soldier,” echoes Braunagel. “Yeah, it’s a time commitment, for sure.”
Keyes, a thrower for the Illini track and field squad, emphasizes that there are benefits to being both a student-athlete and a soldier.
“I feel that being both a high-level athlete and a member of ROTC stresses the characteristics of commitment and striving to be better,” he said. “Athletes are constantly in the mindset of wanting to grow. I think that helps me because a lot of the stuff that you learn as a cadet isn’t natural, so having that drive and wanting to constantly better yourself is really important to being a good soldier.”
Merrick, a middle-distance runner at Illinois, concurs with Keyes, saying, “I interact with so many other people—from the track team to classes to ROTC—so it’s helped teach me how to deal with people and respect our team leaders. I realize that I can do a lot more to benefit the entire group and that’s definitely transferred over to track. I’m a freshman, so I’ve just got to learn as much as I can.”
Braunagel, a 197-pounder who’s redshirting in ’21-22, says that his brothers are proud that he’s in the military.
“They think that the deal I have is amazing,” he said. “I get to serve my country, get military benefits, and have all of my tuition paid for.”
All four ROTC student-athletes greatly admire their fellow service men and women and the individuals who have served before them.
“Absolutely,” Boder said. “There’s definitely a higher level of respect now that I know more about what it takes to wear the uniform. I understand the kinds of things they’re willing to support with everything that they have.”
“I have a deep respect for anyone who’s ever served in the military,” Braunagel said. “That includes police officers, fire fighters and first responders. If you’re trying to help your community, I have ultimate respect for you.”
Said Merrick, “I’ve always had a strong opinion and a high respect for individuals in military service. Honestly, to know that I’m part of that, I know that we’re all fighting the same battle.”
Keyes’ respect for veterans grows each time he strides through the colonnade at Memorial Stadium.
“I’ve walked the columns several times and I’ve read all of the names on them,” he said. “And each time I walk past the script that’s etched on the east side of Memorial Stadium (adjacent to the Smith Football Center), I always take time to read those words and salute it. Basically, it says that Illinois students chose to sacrifice their youth for the sake of the country. Not enough people stop and take in what the stadium really means to veterans. These men and women were proud to serve their country. I’m nowhere close to being the heroes that they were.”
***
HISTORY OF ROTC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
UI’s Army ROTC website informs that the program’s roots date back to the early 1800s when civilian colleges began to offer military instruction to students.
“During the early stages of the Civil War, it became apparent that the United States Military Academy was not capable of producing the quantity of loyal officers required to lead the massive forces fighting in this War. To fill the need for a ready pool of military leaders, Congress included a special provision of the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862. The Act offered each state tracts of federally controlled land, or money in lieu of land. States were to sell the land, invest the income, and create and maintain colleges with the proceeds. The colleges were to offer training in agriculture, mechanical arts, and military tactics.
“On the first day of classes, Spring Semester 1868, students at the Illinois Industrial University (now the University of Illinois), were formed into ranks before an instructor. These 75 young men, each of whom had to be at least 15 years of age, reported for roll call to the Military Department. The first campus dress code required all pupils to wear a gray uniform with blue cap. From this beginning, training in “Military Tactics” was to be an integral part of education at the U of I.
“In 1916, with World War I raging in Europe, congress passed the National Defense Act, which created the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). This Act provided support for college military training and training camps. In 1919, ROTC initiated full operations on UI’s campus. All able-bodied males were required to take at least basic military training in ROTC.
“Originally, ROTC enrollment and training was branch specific. For example, the 1923 enrollment was 830 in Cavalry, 738 in Infantry, 236 in Air Service, 208 in Engineers, and 194 in Signal Corps. Cadets trained on campus with cannons, tanks, horses, pontoon bridges, and airplanes. Branch training in ROTC was discontinued in the mid-1960s. ROTC enrollment reached a peak of 4,772 Cadets in 1942.
“The University of Illinois established Naval ROTC in 1945 and Air Force ROTC in 1949. This made it one of the few Universities in the Nation with tri-service ROTC, which still holds true today.”
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/10/28/general-illinois-very-special-two-uniformed-student-athletes.aspx
2001 Big Ten champs!
Illini Alums of 2001 Anxious to Relive Their Championship Season
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
In terms of historical respect, the University of Illinois' championship team of 2001 perhaps unfairly gets overlooked when examining the school's greatest football teams.
While it didn't rank among the Top Ten teams in the final polls nor boast of a single first-team All-American among the starting 22, a deeper dive into the statistics reveals that Coach Ron Turner's '01 Fighting Illini is very likely the school's most talented squad of at least the last 30 years.
Heading the list of accomplishment is that it's one of only five Illini teams in the modern era that's won an outright Big Ten championship. It shares that honor with Illinois squads of 1946, 1951, 1963 and 1983.
Said Head Coach Ron Turner about his iconic team, "They had a lot of confidence and belief in one another."
The '01 Illini began the season with consecutive victories against California, Northern Illinois and Louisville, but got derailed in game four at Michigan.
"That game in Ann Arbor was a big disappointment, especially after a pretty historic win in '99," said former defensive lineman Brandon Moore. "We expected so much more. But that loss didn't diminish our confidence because we had great leadership. We seniors knew that we had to get it together. It was just that the maturity of our team was of a level that was able to bounce back, especially after going through the trying year before (a 5-6 record in 2000)."
From Oct. 6 through Nov. 3 came a battle against Minnesota at Memorial Stadium, a trip to Indiana, another home game versus Wisconsin, and a confrontation at highly regarded Purdue.
"We'd always had a tough time with those middle-tier Big Ten teams," Moore said, "so we went into those games knowing that this stretch was going to define our season. If we want to be who we say we are, we've got to be able to beat these guys."
The Illini swept through unscathed, improving their record to 7-1 and setting up a tough match-up in Champaign against Penn State. The Orange and Blue trailed the Nittany Lions at halftime, 21-7, but rallied for two touchdowns and two field goals to take a 27-21 lead. When PSU's Larry Johnson returned a kickoff 97 yards for a go-ahead touchdown with 3:29 remaining, the Illini didn't panic … especially Schumacher.
"I knew that with the ball in (quarterback Kurt) Kittner's hands, we were going to score," he said. "With the talent we had on offense—that line and those receivers and running backs—I was confident that somebody was going to make a winning play."
After Illinois got the ball back at its own 20, Kittner zipped a 30-yard bullet to Brandon Lloyd, then a 13-yarder to Aaron Moorehead. When Rocky Harvey scored a 13-yard touchdown with just 1:19 to go, it marked the third straight game that Illinois had rallied late to win.
The victory against Penn State set the stage for a battle at The Horseshoe between No. 12 Illinois and No. 25 Ohio State.
"I just remember being confident and not overly concerned," Kittner said. "Ohio State always has some good players, right? But we had a lot of good players, too."
Kittner completed 18-of-28 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns against the Buckeyes, allowing the Illini to leave Columbus with a 34-22 victory.
"We just came out and played hard and played better," he said.
Now, only a Thanksgiving Day game at Memorial Stadium against Northwestern stood in the way between Illinois and at least a share of the Big Ten title.
Moore says the embarrassing memory of Illinois' season-ending 61-23 defeat at Evanston in 2000 provided the Illini with extra incentive that week.
"I had had to deal the entire off-season about that loss with my dad," Moore said. "We got our butts handed to us up there the year before. It was tough to manage the short week—the Thanksgiving Day holiday, playing for the championship—there were a lot of distractions. As a young man in college, I just remember trying to focus and not let our big opportunity slip away."
Illinois did ultimately prevail, 34-28, thanks to a 387-yard, four-touchdown performance by Kittner, including a pair of TD passes to Brandon Lloyd.
"We were used to seeing some other team grab the championship trophy, so to actually be able to be a part of it was special," Moore said. "Every year, we'd gone into the season talking about winning a championship, so on that day there was a sense of relief that we'd finally achieved success. It was a great piece of satisfaction to be able to come from 0 and 11 to win the title. It's definitely one of the more memorable images that I have."
The victory clinched a tie of the Big Ten title for the Illini but hopes in Champaign-Urbana were that 13-point underdog Ohio State could upset host Michigan the following Saturday and provide Illinois with an outright championship. At Jerry Schumacher's home in Chicago, there was an especially intense TV-viewing party … hosted by his dad—Jerry Sr.—a former Michigan football standout.
"We had WGN (TV) at the house because it was the first time that my dad was rooting for Ohio State to beat Michigan," Schumacher said. "I remember him telling the reporter 'I'll do anything for my son, but this is the bottom of the line that I'll go for him.'"
With the Buckeyes' 26-20 victory, Illinois stood alone on top of the Big Ten standings.
For Kittner, winning the 2001 Big Ten title will forever be one of his life's major achievements.
"I go back to that 0 and 11 season and the goals that we had as freshmen," he said. "That first year for me (1998) was so hard. But all the work that we had put into it is captured into winning the title in my last game at home as a senior. It was a pretty cool experience and not many people can say that. I was really proud of the work that we all put in to get to the place where we all wanted to be. A lot of people say they want to be Big Ten champions, but we actually went out and did it."
Because the Bowl Championship Series had pre-designated the Rose Bowl as the site of the national championship game, instead of traveling to Pasadena, Illinois was sent to New Orleans to play LSU. Twenty years later, it's still a sore point for Schumacher.
"My dad has a Rose Bowl ring from playing in it for Bo Schembechler," he said, "so I would have loved to have that. As a kid growing up in a Big Ten family, we would have Rose Bowl parties every New Year's Day. I grew up hoping to play in one, too, then the year I get the chance to play in one is the year that the Rose Bowl turns out to be the national championship game. Personally, for me, I felt cheated.
Schumacher says he'll remember his teammates not for their wins and losses but for their character.
"We were a close-knit group of guys from every different walk of life who just got along," he said. "I'd love for my son (Jerry III) to play football, just based on the lifelong friends that I made throughout my career."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/8/25/football-illini-alums-of-2001-anxious-to-relive-their-championship-season.aspx
Coach Ron Turner
2001 Was A Special Year For Ron Turner
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Illinois will host the 20-year reunion for the Fighting Illini's 2001 Big Ten championship team during the opening weekend of college football on Aug. 28. The title team will be honored at the season opener against Nebraska, including former head coach Ron Turner, and members of the team will sign autographs in Grange Grove pregame.Turner will also serve at the honorary captain for the game.
As the 2001 season approached, Coach Ron Turner issued a terse challenge to his Fighting Illini football team: no more excuses.
Following a disappointing performance the year before that saw them limp home with 5-6 overall record (2-6 Big Ten), he candidly urged them to "search their souls" and ask themselves the question "What do you want?".
The 2000 squad had blown opportunities to beat Michigan (a 35-31 loss), Penn State (39-25), Michigan State (14-10) and Ohio State (24-21), and Turner was doggedly determined to turn the tables on those "close-but-no-cigar" efforts.
"We hadn't accomplished what we wanted to in 2000," Turner said. "We were just a few plays away from being a really good team. Spring ball had gone well for us and we knew that we had a chance to be good. The confidence level of the coaching staff and the players was very, very high."
Forty-seven Illini letter winners returned in 2001, including 13 starters: seven on offense and six on defense. Heading the group was senior Kurt Kittner, a talented and well-seasoned quarterback. The 2001 Illini media guide quoted Turner as saying, "I think Kurt is one of the best, if not the best, quarterback in the country."
Many other key pieces of the puzzle also were present. Turner's offensive and defensive lines were tough and nasty. His offensive weapons included a balanced running attack and a potential superstar receiver in Brandon Lloyd. Defensively, the secondary featured an especially deft playmaker in Eugene Wilson.
Illinois began 2001 by sweeping past its first two non-conference foes: 44-17 at California on Sept. 1, then 17-12 against Northern Illinois on Sept. 8.
However, on Tuesday morning, Sept. 11, as Turner and his staff prepared for No. 25 Louisville, football suddenly became an afterthought. America had been attacked by terrorists.
"I remember (secretary) Mary Gallagher knocking on our door during a staff meeting," Turner said. "I said 'Mary, hold on' and she said, 'No, you need to come now.' After we saw what had happened, we immediately got the team together and talked to them about it and let them voice their thoughts. It was a very emotional time, a very tough time. We just told them that football was taking a back seat right now."
Week three's home game against nationally ranked Louisville was ultimately cancelled and delayed until Sept. 22. A sterling defensive effort by the Illini helped Illinois outgain the Cardinals, 504-338, and post a convincing 34-10 victory.
Now ranked No. 22 in the nation, Illinois traveled to Ann Arbor the following week to face No. 10 Michigan. Still today, Turner blames himself for UI's 45-20 loss.
"It was 14-10 in the second quarter and we had a fourth-and-one in our own territory," he remembered. "We went for it and didn't make it, then Michigan scored a touchdown a play or two later, and we never recovered from that. I told the team afterwards, 'Guys, this one's on me.' I got away from being who we were."
Illinois rebounded from the loss with back-to-back victories against Minnesota at home (25-14) and at Indiana (35-14), setting up a huge Homecoming game in Champaign against Wisconsin.
The Badgers were brimming with confidence after having upset No. 21 Ohio State the week before, but fell behind Illinois at halftime, 22-7. Coach Barry Alvarez's team battled back, tallying three consecutive touchdowns to begin the fourth quarter and taking the lead, 35-28. After Illinois tied the game at 35-all with 12 minutes remaining, Kittner led the Illini on a game-winning drive, hitting Brandon Lloyd with a 22-yard touchdown pass.
According to Turner, Illinois' 42-35 victory epitomized its 2001 season.
"That game kind up summed up the kind of team we were," he said. "The last drive showed the determination that the 2001 team had. No matter what happened, it almost always seemed like we could find a way to make big plays."
Illinois then ran its Big Ten record to 5-1 with consecutive come-from-behind victories against No. 15 Purdue (38-13) and Penn State (33-28).
Next up was a game 10 challenge versus No. 25 Ohio State at The Horseshoe. The Buckeyes led 22-21 after three quarters, but the fourth period belonged entirely to Illinois. In an 80-yard drive that ended with Carey Davis's one-yard touchdown, Kittner completed four-of-six passes for 51 yards. Illini linebacker Ty Myers tallied UI's final TD on a five-yard interception of a Craig Krenzel pass.
"It was one of the worst beatings that Ohio State had at home in a while," Turner recalled. "Our guys played really good football and did what we had to do in all phases. That was one of the better games we played all year."
Just five days later, on Thanksgiving Day, Illinois hosted its regular-season finale against Northwestern, a team that it had lost to by 38 points a year before.
"Not only was there revenge, but we knew we could at least clinch a tie for the Big Ten championship," Turner said. "Those were big motivating factors for us. We had a pretty good lead on them (34-13), then they came back in the fourth quarter. But our guys were very determined."
When the clock ran down to zeroes, No. 10 Illinois had beaten the Wildcats, 34-28. Turner vividly remembers the celebration afterwards.
"To see the guys up on the stage and holding that trophy and knowing how hard they had worked, it was just a special, special moment in my coaching career," he said.
When Ohio State defeated Michigan two days later, Illinois was able to claim an undisputed Big Ten championship. Unfortunately, because the Rose Bowl had been designated to host a Bowl Championship Series game, instead of heading to Pasadena the No. 7 Illini were chosen to play No. 12 LSU at the New Year's Day Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Unfortunately, it was a match-up Illinois just couldn't handle, losing 47-24 to the hometown Tigers.
"At the start of the game, we were in awe of LSU's speed," Turner said. "It took a while for us to relax and get our confidence back and start playing. We fought back to where we had a chance, but then we gave up a big touchdown pass and that put it away for them."
Now, 20 years later, the eight-year Illini coach is anxious to reunite with his troops the weekend of August 28.
"Within the first minute of seeing each other, I think it will feel like we've never left," Turner said. "They're in their forties now and I'm just proud of them all. They were champions on the field and now they're champions in life with their careers and their families."
As for Turner, he now resides with wife Wendy in North Carolina on Lake Norman, about 50 miles north of Charlotte.
"I do a lot of walking or I'm out on my boat," he said.
The Turners' four children are scattered around the country. Oldest son Morgan is the tight ends coach at Stanford (going into his 12th year); Cameron is the quarterbacks coach for the Arizona Cardinals; daughter Cally will soon be moving to Texas with her family; and daughter Madi lives in Charlotte.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/8/4/football-2001-a-special-year-for-former-illini-coach-ron-turner.aspx
Josh Whitman and Mike Poeta
Mike Poeta: Taking Illini Wrestling to a Bigger Stage
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
If new University of Illinois coach Mike Poeta's grand plans come to fruition, Fighting Illini fans will be the benefactors of an exciting new wrestling experience in 2021-22.
Picture, if you will, a raised stage smack dab in the middle of the State Farm Center, surrounded by thousands of fanatics wearing orange and blue. Okay, maybe the mat won't be enclosed by spring-loaded ropes, nor should fans expect characters like The Rock or Bobby Lashley or Roman Reigns to be introduced by blaring theme music. But Poeta isn't opposed to adding a touch of glitz to one of the world's oldest sports.
Says Poeta, "I'm not a big WWE guy, but I would love for us to be able to wrestle up on a stage. That sound that's made on a stage when a guy is slammed down on a mat does make quite an impact. It's more exciting, more fun. I think that will really add to the experience of the fans who are in attendance."
"My goal is to make SFC rockin' like (Iowa's) Carver Hawkeye Arena is and to make Champaign and Central Illinois as big of a wrestling area as there is in the country."
Hundreds of state champions from the state of Illinois associate State Farm Center with their moments of high school glory.
"I think moving to State Farm will be a great move," said former Champaign Centennial star and current Illini redshirt sophomore Justin Cardani. "We're planning to get a lot more fans in the stands than we've had at Huff. With the IHSAs being at the State Farm Center, it will definitely bring back memories of our high school days. Winning state titles there my junior and senior years will always be fun to look back on."
Poeta says that for high school kids in the state of Illinois, their biggest dream come true is to walk in the Parade of Champions at the State Farm Center.
"When I was in junior high, those guys who were wrestling in the state finals were superheroes to me," he said. "That building meant so much to me. Driving by it on a daily basis, I still get an emotional feeling. It was that important to me. The possibility of a young man continuing his career there will help us with our recruiting. It will rival the arenas of the better kids across the country."
Poeta, who was named to replace Jim Heffernan last April, says there are still days he can't actually believe he's the head coach.
"Jim Heffernan and Mark Johnson were huge figures to me when I first came here, so it's pretty special that I can be that guy," he said.
And while Poeta isn't afraid to inject some new wrinkles, he basically remains a traditionalist. He says he'll borrow some of Heffernan and Johnson's most admirable characteristics.
"Their integrity, their relationships, their humor, and their selflessness made them so special," Poeta said. "I'm trying to think of every adjective possible that describes a great person. They just did it right. We enjoyed coming to practice. We enjoyed all of our interactions with them. When you have someone in your corner that really believes in you and that you have a lot of trust in, it makes you wrestle way harder. They provided that for me and all of my teammates, so I really just want to keep that rolling."
Poeta, a three-time All-American, two-time conference titlist and two-time NCAA finalist, was a key member of the 2005 Illini, the school's last Big Ten team champ. He recalled what made that unit so special.
"We had a lot of individuals who were similar-minded and had the same goals, Poeta said. "I was never in a situation where I was surrounded by a dozen people who all dedicated their entire lives toward becoming national champions and really successful wrestlers. A lot of puzzle pieces just came together. It was a lot of hungry, motivated and disciplined wrestlers and coaches and everyone associated with our program. Everyone just tried to be the best."
As for the '21-22 Illini edition, Poeta is excited about their potential. Of last year's 10 starters, because of the NCAA granting an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19, seven or eight are slated to return to the lineup.
"Like most teams, we're going to copy and paste," he said. "Having Mikey Carr (149 pounds) and Dylan Duncan (141) back is a huge bonus. Most wrestlers are chomping at the bit to compete for an extra year."
Other Illini returning starters include 2021 All-American Lucas Byrd (133), Danny (165) and Zac Braunagel (184), Luke Luffman (heavyweight), and Cardani (125).
Poeta says that at the Big Ten level, wrestling is more mental than anything.
"Our off-season message to our guys is that they need to sharpen their minds more than anything," he said. "Every day, we need to practice and function under high stress, feeling really uncomfortable, feeling pressure. We know that if we want to be the best team in the country, that has to be incorporated into our training just as much as the physical part. Visualization, relaxation, and positive talk will all make an impact on their mental skills. If we make gains throughout the off season in that category, that will allow us to become more successful next season. In wrestling, the mental game is what guys struggle the most with."
Recently, Poeta announced the addition of Ed Ruth to his Illini coaching staff. The former Penn State star was a three-time national champion and a four-time Big Ten titlist at 184 pounds.
"Not only does he bring world class wrestling skills to get our guys to another level, but I know how much of a role model and mentor he will be. Ed will be great at growing our young men and assisting them in reaching their wrestling goals. We have the perfect guy to help get us to the top."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/7/13/mike-poeta-taking-illini-wrestling-to-a-bigger-stage.aspx
Megan and Kelly Ryono
KELLY RYONO: Proud of Her Family Legacy
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Upon learning about her family's unfortunate experiences as Japanese Americans, one can fully understand Illini sophomore outfielder Kelly Ryono's passionate interest in 1940s American history.
The Ryono clan's harrowing story was set in motion at 7:48 a.m. Hawaiian Time on Sunday morning, Dec. 7, 1941, when more than 300 Imperial Japanese aircraft launched a military strike on the United States' naval base in Pearl Harbor. A day later, Congress passed a formal declaration of war against Japan and officially brought the U.S. into World War II.
Almost immediately, unfounded suspicions grew about the 127,000 Japanese Americans who were living in the continental United States at the time of the attack. Nearly 90 percent of them resided on the West Coast and a few were members of Kelly Ryono's family.
Though President Franklin D. Roosevelt dismissed rumors of Japanese American espionage on behalf of the Japanese war effort, public opinion mounted in an opposite direction. In February of 1942, the Pacific Coast Congressional subcommittee on aliens and sabotage recommended to the President immediate evacuation of "all persons of Japanese lineage, aliens and citizens alike."
Less than a week later, Japanese-born Yukizo and Tatsuno Ryono (Kelly's great grandparents) and their four children—including Kelly's paternal grandfather Jimmy, then a ten-year-old—were given 48 hours to get their personal affairs in order and evacuate their home near Los Angeles. As the head of the family, 46-year-old Yukizo was initially sent to the Fort Lincoln Internment Camp south of Bismarck, N.D., while Tatsuno and the children boarded a train bound for a camp at the Gila River Indian Reservation, south of Phoenix. After seven months, Yukizo was finally able to join his family in Arizona. His future wife, Toshie (Kelly's grandmother), and her mother were dispatched to the Rohwer War Relocation Center in rural southeastern Arkansas.
Though it was designed for a maximum of 10,000 residents, the Gila River War Relocation Center's population peaked at more than 13,000 inhabitants. It was said to be one of the country's least oppressive camps. Gila River had only a single watchtower and its fences were among the few that didn't feature barbed wire. Inside the barriers were some 1,200 buildings, featuring 24 schools and approximately 850 residential barracks. Each barrack was constructed to house four families in separate apartments. Frequent water shortages in the desert and sometimes deadly encounters with poisonous rattlesnakes and scorpions kept the communal medical facility busy.
The area of the Gila River camp that Kelly's grandfather Jimmy loved most was the athletic fields. It was where he first learned about the game of baseball.
"Dad thought it was fun," said Don Ryono, Kelly's father. "He didn't know any better. For him, it was like going to camp. His parents did a good job at making the best of the situation."
Two months after World War II ended in September of 1945, the Gila River War Relocation Center closed, and the Ryono family was allowed to return to their home in Sangar, Calif. However, all of their personal property had been vandalized and they were forced to start their lives over with barely more than the clothes on their back.
Though her great grandparents and their family were subjected to live through an unfortunate chapter in American history, Kelly Ryono prefers instead to see a silver lining.
"It does make me sad knowing that my family had to go through something like that," she said. "But, at the same time, I feel very proud that my family was able to get through it. There's a Japanese term called 'Gaman' and it means 'to endure the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity'. Basically, it means perseverance. My dad has always told me that my great grandparents made that whole experience for their children as normal as they possibly could. So as bad as the situation was, they were still able to have some sense of normalcy. They were able to persevere and make a bad situation good."
While Yukizo supported his family as a fisherman, Jimmy became a baseball star at Sangar High School, pitching and playing in the outfield. His team won the North Sequoia League championship in 1949. Jimmy's baseball career continued with the Long Beach Merchants in the Nisei Athletic Union League. He briefly attended UCLA and ultimately graduated from Long Beach State. From 1951-53, he served in the U.S. Army.
When he wasn't working at San Pedro, Calif.'s post office, Grandpa Jimmy passed along his love of baseball to Kelly's dad, Don.
"He'd play catch with me all the time and I remember hitting his pitches with a plastic bat," said Don, who eventually became a standout infielder at Nathaniel Narbonne High School in Harbor City, Calif.
Shortly after Kelly and her twin sister, Megan, were born in January of 2001, just 17 days before their Grandpa Jimmy's death, Don transitioned into becoming his daughters' youth coach.
"He was always better than all of the other dads," said Kelly. "I love it that we've always been a baseball family. Grandpa played … my dad played … now my sister and I are playing, so it's been passed down like that. My dad has often said that if my grandparents were still alive, they would come to every single game they possibly could."
In 2021, Kelly started all 44 games in left field for Coach Tyra Perry's Illini. She hit her first career home run several Saturday's ago against Ohio State. Kelly's twin sister, Megan, is an infielder for Columbia University's softball team in New York City.
An interdisciplinary health sciences major at the University of Illinois, Kelly admits that her career aspirations may be a bit surprising.
"Since middle school, my dream job has been to be a firefighter/paramedic," she said. "As I've gotten older, I realized that it's a culmination of everything I value and what I want to do with my life. All throughout high school, that hasn't changed. Since coming to Illinois, it's still stuck with me. Growing up with softball, I played with a wide variety of girls and a few of their days have been firefighters. I want to help other people who can't help themselves."
Says Kelly's dad, who works in finance for the Long Beach School District, "It makes us a bit nervous, but my wife (Donna, a school principal in Long Beach) and I know that Kelly can handle herself."
Nearly 80 years have passed since that unfortunate period of American history, but Kelly remains appreciative about her extended family's legacy.
"I'm just so proud of my family and where I come from," she said. "They went through so much that most people will never experience in their life. But they endured and they didn't complain, and they were able to make a wonderful life for themselves."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/5/21/softball-kelly-ryono-proud-of-her-family-legacy.aspx
Siphos Montsi
SIPHOS MONTSI: Lucky and Good
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
"It's better to be lucky than good."
A Fighting Illini men's tennis player is proving that you don't have to pick sides when it comes to the ages-old axiom. Siphosothando Montsi, you see, is both lucky and good.
"Siphos" (pronounced SEE-fose), as he's called by his coaches and teammates, was a terrific all-around athlete as a youngster in East London, South Africa, excelling in soccer, cricket, rugby and track.
Then, fate stepped into Monti's life when one day a friend's mom called his parents suggesting that their young son try out for another sport.
"The only reason I ever picked up a tennis racquet in the first place was because of that call," he told a journalist. "They said that Border (a South African junior tennis club) was going to a national tournament and they need a black development tennis player for their team. Mom said I was good at multiple sports and felt that I would pick up tennis quickly."
Phumla Montsi's intuition proved to be correct, forever altering the life path of her oldest son.
Illini coach Brad Dancer admits that luck and various South African connections also played a huge role in Siphos eventually ending up at the University of Illinois.
"What's interesting is that we did not really get a chance to evaluate Siphos," Dancer said. "He had committed to Pepperdine. Then they had a coaching change and he reached out to us about opportunities at Illinois. You never know how some of these things work out."
Former Illini star and fellow South African Kevin Anderson also swayed Montsi's decision.
"Kevin told me a lot about college tennis at Illinois and a lot of good things about the University of Illinois," Siphos said, "so he definitely played a role, too."
Once Montsi made a visit to the Champaign-Urbana campus, it was love at first sight.
"I was mind-blown," he said. "We have really amazing facilities here, but I was also mind-blown by the campus, seeing all these big buildings and all of these young kids all in one place. It was great for me to see it first-hand. Immediately, I wanted to be a part of it all."
Success, however, didn't come as quickly for Montsi. As a freshman in 2018-19, he compiled a respectable 10-10 singles record and improved that mark to 17-9 as a sophomore.
He credits his extra work in the weight room for achieving first-team All-Big Ten status in 2021.
"I've been putting a lot more time in at the gym," he said, "so I've gotten a lot stronger, physically. I've been focusing on longer workouts to improve my endurance."
Dancer says that Siphos' mind is stronger, too.
"He's become a lot more aggressive," Dancer said. "Siphos is able to dictate more now than he could before. He's always been an incredible counter puncher and a tremendous defensive player. His serve has improved so dramatically. He's got more energy on his forehand … more RPMs. He can locate the ball better and his transition game has improved incredibly. He's much more adept at finishing points at the net than he was before. Mentally and emotionally, he's just matured so much, not being upset by things and not letting things get to him."
But there's much more to Siphosothando Montsi than his 15-3 singles record. It was he and partner Noe Khlif's success on the doubles court last weekend that helped Illinois win its first Big Ten Tournament championship since 2015. How Siphos and Noe got partnered is a story in itself.
"We put them together one day in practice to test some other doubles teams we were looking at," Dancer explained. "One of my assistant coaches immediately said, 'These guys have an interesting chemistry and they're playing off each other tactically.' I said, 'Come on, we just threw them out there as a practice team.' We did it again the next day, then again the next day. Three days into it, I'm like 'There might be something here.' And then they rattled off victories in their first six or seven matches and became more confident. They've got good tactical cohesiveness and pretty good emotional cohesiveness. Then you add some confidence to it and they're going out and playing some fantastic doubles at the moment. Part of their chemistry is that they have a lot of trust in one another … trust that they're going to be in the right place at the right time, cleaning up set-up shots. They're both good clean-up guys for each other and they're both great defensive players for each other, so that confidence and that trust has really helped grow that team."
Music is a big part of Montsi's life, too. He fancies himself a singer and rapper.
"As any of my teammates will tell you, I'm always listening to music on the bus, before matches, after matches," he said. "Roddy Ricch, Nba YoungBoy, Rod Wave … I've always got my pre-match playlist on and jamming out."
Montsi, an economics major at Illinois, makes it clear that others in his life have significantly contributed to his success.
"I've got two great coaches that push me every day, both on the court and in the classroom," he said. "They encourage me to be a great young man. Coach Brad and Coach Marcos (Asse) just want to see me get better and reach my goals and dreams. I am blessed to have coaches that will do anything to help me work hard and improve every day."
And though they're thousands of miles away in South Africa, Monti says he always feels the support of his family.
"Oh, yes," he says, "not a hundred percent, but a thousand percent. I am a very independent person because of the experiences I've had, but their support has just been phenomenal for both me and my little brother (Kholo). They have shaped me to be the person that I am. They've always told me that if I put my mind to it, I could achieve a lot of great things. I may not come from the best financial background, but I've always felt that the support of my parents was greater than the other kids. Their love and support are what motivates me."
Among Montsi's loftiest objectives is to win at Wimbledon.
"Yes, that's right at the top of the mountain," he said, "and I'm working every day to one day reach that goal.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/5/7/mens-tennis-siphosothando-montsi-lucky-and-good.aspx
A "Kuhl" Experience
A Really ‘Kuhl’ Experience
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Thousands of heart-warming stories have counteractively emerged over the past 13 months to help clear away the dark clouds that comprise COVID-19. The Fighting Illini men's golf program has one, too, and its story's silver lining just might evolve into a sixth consecutive Big Ten title.
This tale draws a circle around a trio of Illinois golfers who transformed their relationship from mere teammates into one of an Illini brotherhood.
It all began on the afternoon of March 12, 2020, when Illini coaches and administrators were charged to deliver the news to their student-athletes that, by edict of the Big Ten Conference, their respective sports seasons were being immediately concluded. Athletes were advised to leave campus, without delay, and return to their homes across America.
However, for Illini golfers Adrien Dumont de Chassart of Villers la Ville, Belgium, and Jerry Ji of Hoofddorp, Netherlands, it was a significantly more complicated situation. Climbing into a car and returning to their families' homes simply wasn't an option. Their parents were literally thousands of miles away in Europe. Furthermore, American government officials hadn't yet clarified what restrictions were going to be assigned to international travel.
"Since Jerry and I were the only international players on the team, we didn't really know what to do," Adrien remembered. "Since we were new and we didn't have any news about the travel regulations, we were kind of scared that we wouldn't be able to come back (to Champaign) by September for the beginning of the (2020-21) school year."
Because all campus facilities were being closed, Coach Mike Small and athletic department personnel arranged for Ji to be re-assigned from his campus dorm to the apartment that Dumont de Chassart and then sophomore Tommy Kuhl (pronounced COOL) shared in Champaign. There, the threesome was told to quarantine.
Kuhl, whose family lived in Morton, Ill., agonized and sympathized about his teammates' dilemma.
"With Adrien and Jerry being from overseas, I knew it was going to be very difficult for them," he said. "Everyone was going home to their families, but they were stuck here. They couldn't leave. They couldn't practice. They couldn't work out. I eventually went home to Morton. It was a week or two into the quarantine when I came to Champaign to bring Adrien something.
"I told them, 'My parents would love to host you guys. I only live an hour and 15 minutes away. We'd have access to workout facilities and my parents would cook great meals for you guys … just being together would be a lot of fun.'"
Ji and Dumont de Chassart conferred with their parents, accepted Kuhl's invitation, and moved their belongings to Morton.
Kuhl's parents, Mike and Michele, welcomed their son's friends with open arms.
"I had told my husband that I hoped that if Tommy was in that situation overseas that someone would step in and help him," Michele said. "As parents, you worry about your kids. That's a lot for a teenager to navigate. I worried about what kind of meals they were eating, so the 'mom' in me kicked in. I wanted to take care of them."
Adrien, Jerry and Tommy then implemented a strict schedule for themselves.
"They were still going to school," Michele said, "so the three of them became very regimented. They woke up early to work out. After breakfast, they did their schoolwork until about 1 o'clock, then they'd go to our garage where we have a (hitting) net and a putting green. They would practice for several hours."
In the evening, the family gathered together to watch TV and movies or to play board games.
"We would often play trivia, even though I'm not good at that," Adrien said. "I think I got one correct answer during the entire time I was there."
What was expected to be a week-long visit extended to a month, and then two.
"From my perspective, we had four kids in the house (including the Kuhl's older son, Pete, then a senior member of Wisconsin's golf team)," Michele said. "We went through a lot of food. I fed them very, very well. They were part of our family. I made them do chores. I just treated them like I do my own kids. They had to vacuum and dust and change sheets and do some of the laundry. Having Adrien and Jerry here was really good for Tommy because it gave him a little bit of normalcy. They definitely motivated each other. It was good for my older son, too, and now he considers Adrien and Jerry to be good friends. It all worked out."
"Staying with Tommy's family was a cool way to experience American culture," said Ji, "especially for me coming from an Asian family. The Kuhl family hosted Adrien and me like their own children, so I'm really appreciative for that. For them to take us in for that long was really awesome. We created a great bond together with the whole Kuhl family. It was just a really cool experience."
By the end of May, Adrien and Jerry were allowed to fly home to their parents' respective homes in Europe.
Mike Small has bestowed a special title upon Tommy Kuhl's parents.
"Mike and Michele were MVPs in allowing those two young men to live with their family," Small said. "Adrien and Jerry got more of an appreciation for the American way of life. The Kuhls are just normal Midwestern people and they got to experience the family's friendliness. It really solidified Adrien and Jerry's love for the university and made it more personal. The three families all grew closer together. Tommy's parents have been really instrumental and we're very grateful for that."
Adrien, Jerry and Tommy are now focused on this weekend's Big Ten Championships at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., where the Illini are seeking their 11th team title in the last 12 conference meets.
"We all love the challenge of winning for the sixth time in a row," Dumont de Chassart said. "Our one goal is to win. We'll show up and do our best."
Ji concurred, saying, "Because of the trust that we on the team have for each other, we know that if we all hit our standards we'll be able to win any tournament that we play. We're going treat the Big Tens like any other tournament."
Kuhl echoed his friends' sentiments.
"We've put in the work all year and we're gaining momentum," he said. "The biggest thing about playing well at Big Tens is to stay in the present, to not think too far ahead, and to just take it one shot at a time. If we hit our standards, we will come out on top."
Small considers the conference tournament as the season's most important weekend.
"The Big Ten Championship is the one that's remembered," he said. "It's the one they give rings for and it's the one that goes in the record books. For all they've gone through, it's important to leave a legacy for these kids."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/4/28/mens-golf-a-really-kuhl-experience.aspx
Tim McCarthy
Tim McCarthy: From Walk-On to Starter to Hero
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
In sports, "hero" is a term that's often used for the individual who tallies the game-winning touchdown or makes an exceptional play. In life, however, "hero" is reserved for people of distinguished courage and who are appreciated for their daring and virtuous characteristics.
Former Fighting Illini football letterman Tim McCarthy has earned his place in this elite category. It wasn't until nearly a decade after his playing days at Illinois that the truly heroic portion of his life would come to light.
That day was forty years ago – on March 30, 1981 – when McCarthy took a bullet in defense of President Ronald Reagan.
McCarthy's path to football was a bit of an unorthodox one. Young Tim played football in grammar school, but only weighed in at around 100 pounds as a freshman at all-male Leo Catholic High School in the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood of southside Chicago. He lettered in wrestling and track and field but decided not to participate in his favorite sport—football—due to his slight frame. A mid-teens growth spurt, topping him off at 145 pounds, allowed McCarthy to change his mind going into his senior year.
As an academically gifted University of Illinois freshman in the Fall of 1967, he "seemed to have some extra time on my hands."
"I went to the football office, asked if I could sign up, and they agreed," McCarthy said. "J.C. Caroline was the freshman coach at the time and we were the scout team for the varsity."
As a sophomore in 1968, the Illini coaches moved McCarthy from split end to strong safety in mid-season and he wound up playing 44 minutes, primarily in the final four games. In the second semester, Coach Jim Valek's staff surprisingly rewarded him with a scholarship.
McCarthy played extensively as a junior, logging 198 minutes and recording 64 tackles. The most notable individual play of his career came that season against Purdue, a 46-yard interception return from a pass thrown by Boilermaker quarterback and 1969 Heisman Trophy runner-up Mike Phipps.
When is college career came to an end, the finance major interviewed with a number of home state companies, but says he "didn't get the warm fuzzies to be in a finance department somewhere."
That's when he checked out careers with the Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a line of work similar to his father (Norman) who was a sergeant with the Chicago Police Department.
"At that time, the Secret Service and FBI were looking for business majors to do white-collar, criminal investigations," McCarthy said. "The Secret Service does criminal investigations from field offices, but it also does protection, so the combination of the two seemed pretty interesting."
In late January of 1972, McCarthy was on a skiing vacation in Colorado with Illini teammates Doug Dieken and Bob Burns when he got news of his acceptance.
"The letter said that I had been hired and that I was to report to the Chicago field office," McCarthy said. "We cut the skiing trip short and I got on a plane and reported for duty."
For the initial six months, McCarthy attended treasury and law enforcement school in Washington, D.C. He then was assigned in Chicago for the next seven years, working cases that involved counterfeit currency, recovering stolen government checks and bonds, and investigating threat cases against the President.
The track then called for a transfer to protection of the President, Vice President, or a former President and, based upon glowing performance evaluations and recommendations, McCarthy was transferred to Washington to join a team that protected President Jimmy Carter.
Ronald Reagan defeated Carter in the 1980 election, but McCarthy remained in his position.
On March 30, 1981, McCarthy was assigned to a protection unit for President Reagan's noon address to a group of building trades union members at the Washington Hilton Hotel.
"After the speech was over, we left. The Hilton Ballroom is actually below level," McCarthy recalled. "As we left, we walked in a specific formation around the President. The door of the armored car was open as it was supposed to be as we got close to it. Just as we got there, John Hinckley pushed himself forward and fired six rounds with a revolver in about 1.4 seconds."
The shots hit four people. Presidential Press Secretary Jim Brady, a 1962 University of Illinois graduate, was the first to be hit. The other victims were D.C. policeman Tom Delahanty, the President and McCarthy in 1.4 seconds. The President was pushed into the armored car and was ultimately taken to George Washington Hospital. McCarthy, who had taken a bullet in his chest, was sent to the same hospital.
"In the Secret Service, your training is to cover and evacuate the President," McCarthy explained. "You constantly go through training to that effect. You simulate attacks on the President, practicing with flash-bangs (a grenade that produces a bright flash and a loud noise so as to stun or disorient people without causing serious injury), with pistols with blanks, so the techniques are drilled into you. So when it actually happens, you cover the President—as I did—and others evacuate the President, as Jerry Parr and Ray Shattuck did. It's training, just like you train for football. We train our military to charge up the hill in the face of gunfire, we train our firemen to go into burning buildings, and we train our policemen to go down dark alleys. This was really a result of training."
After 10 days recovering in the hospital, McCarthy received a message shortly before he was released.
"My wife and children were picking me up at the hospital, and we got a message to come up to see the President in his room before we left," he said. "That sounded a bit like an order, so we went up there. He was still hooked up to several of the same kinds of machines that I'd been hooked up to. My kids, being kids, were fascinated by all of the flashing lights on the equipment that was largely connected to the President.
"Just as we were about to walk out of the room, the President said 'Hold on, Tim … wait a minute. What was it with this guy? McCarthy, Brady, Delahanty, Reagan … what the hell did this guy have against the Irish?' That's the way the man was.
"There's a theory that, in incidents such as this, a third of the people never effectively go back to what they were doing before they were traumatized. We now know it as PTSD. Another third of the people go back, but they have residual effects, and another third it doesn't bother them in the slightest. For the President, this wasn't going to affect the rest of his presidency or the rest of his life. He was a great example for me."
McCarthy completed two more years of service with the President, then was transferred back to Chicago. After two-and-a-half years, he was transferred back to Washington to become the assistant special agent in charge … the number two person.
His supervisory responsibilities included the President, but he also oversaw the transportation section (agents that drive the armored limos) and protection of the First Lady.
"I often traveled with Mrs. Reagan and her liaison, so I got to know her extremely well during that time," McCarthy said. "She was doing quite a bit of foreign travel by herself into some places where the threat level was pretty high."
After three more years with President Reagan and a year with President George H.W. Bush, McCarthy was transferred back to Chicago and was promoted to Special Agent in charge of the Chicago Division of the Secret Service (approximately 100 agents in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana). After three years in that position, McCarthy was offered a position with a security company "that I couldn't pass up." He stepped away from that brief stint in the private sector in May of 1994 to became Chief of Police for the City of Orland Park, Ill.
Twenty-six years later—on Aug. 1, 2020—McCarthy retired.
For the last several years, McCarthy has been an active Illini football fan, attending both Illinois's 2019 victories in Champaign over Wisconsin and in East Lansing over Michigan State.
Tim McCarthy is Doug Dieken's definition of a hero.
"To begin as a walk-on, then earn a scholarship, then became a starter, then to save the life of a president … that's a pretty special person," Dieken said. "Tim is just a special, special human being."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/3/30/football-tim-mccarthy-from-walk-on-to-starter-to-hero.aspx
Tristyn Nowlin
Tristyn Nowlin: “I feel and look like a totally different person”
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
The past 12 months of pandemic life have been a stressful, soul-searching time for many, but Illini golfer Tristyn Nowlin has taken it upon herself to turn a potentially adverse period into a life-altering positive.
The Spring of 2020 was supposed to have been a particularly exhilarating four months for the senior from Richmond, Ky. Then came Thursday, March 12, the day the world changed for Nowlin and more than 500 of her fellow Illini athletes.
Her words a year ago have since proven to be prophetic: "We're receiving new information each and every day, so I think it's important that I keep my options open and don't go down the rabbit hole of saying 'Oh, everything's over. This is all over. I have no chance to get that closure.' Because I think everybody—myself and everyone on the team—has faith that this will all work out for the better."
Nowlin returned home to the Bluegrass State and completed her classes online. She completed her undergraduate coursework, but instead of attending the traditional commencement ceremony in person only "virtually" received her degree in kinesiology. She's currently enrolled in UI's recreation, sport and tourism master's program, and expects to complete that degree in August.
"The decision to come back was something I thought about as soon as I heard the announcement," Nowlin said recently. "Obviously, I had the immediate feelings of sadness and the loss of the closing of my collegiate career that I had envisioned for myself. There was tons of speculation about being able to be granted an additional year of eligibility. Being part of that lucky group that was given the chance to come back, it was really a no-brainer for me. I love this team. I love this community. I love this university, all of our support staff, just everyone surrounding this Illini family. I was not ready to leave and, honestly, I'll probably never be ready to leave. I think now that the good that came out of a tough situation was just a greater appreciation for every opportunity we're given every day. I'm very grateful to be in the position that I'm in. I'm grateful to be surrounded by some pretty special people here. I'm just not taking anything for granted. I'm grateful for just being able to pick up and swing a club with the people that I love."
Though not necessarily because of the potential COVID-19 implications, Nowlin also began to focus on her personal health. She suffers from a common disorder called hypothyroidism, a disease that causes the body to not make enough thyroid hormone. The thyroid controls how the body's cells use energy from food, a process called metabolism. One's metabolism causes body processes to slow down and to make less energy.
"It actually stemmed around the cancelling of my senior season," Nowlin explained. "I was experiencing quite a bit of anxiety heading into my senior season. I had difficulty eating, so my initial weight loss didn't come from a good place. In that process, I kind of felt like I was losing myself and my love for the game of golf because I was experiencing so much anxiety."
Nowlin decided to seek help from the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics' sports medicine and nutrition staffs.
"I learned from them that just as you have to fuel your car properly, you have to fuel your body properly," she said. "Knowing what foods make me feel good and what foods help me to perform my best is a perspective that I've been able to achieve. Throughout this whole process, I've learned how to fuel my body and how to take care of it. Thanks to this amazing university and all of our resources, I reached out and I got help, and I found myself again. I feel the best I've ever felt. I feel and look like a totally different person. I've dedicated a lot of time to going to the gym, to fueling my body, and just feeling amazing. And that's translated to golf as well."
This week, Nowlin is scheduled to play apart from her Illini teammates in Georgia, at the Augusta National Women's Amateur (ANWA), Mar. 31-Apr. 3. Qualifying rounds are at the Champions Retreat Golf Club in Evans, Ga. If Nowlin makes the cut, she would play the championship round at the famed Augusta National Golf Club.
Nowlin is among a highly prestigious field of 85 of the world's best amateur women's golfers. She played at the inaugural ANWA in 2019 and is looking forward to improving upon that initial appearance.
"Having previously played there is definitely advantageous," she said. "Obviously, it's a big stage and more hype surrounds it. But in the end, I'm just playing golf. That's all I'm doing. I'm going to enjoy myself and really just take the entire experience in because it's a once in a lifetime opportunity."
Nowlin admits that her first experience of playing at Augusta National was a bit surreal.
"The feeling that you get when you step up on the first tee is knowing all of the greats that have been there," she said. "It kind of feels like 'I made it.' I grew up watching the Masters Tournament. Going through every single hole, I would get flashbacks of sitting with my dad, watching the TV. And then, lo and behold, there I was standing on No. 1 tee at Augusta National Golf Club. It's such an honor."
Nowlin says that taking various psychology courses at the University of Illinois has helped her as a golfer.
"The biggest strength of my game is definitely the mental aspect," she said. "The majority of it is just having that ability to be mentally present and not focused on the future or the past … just literally focusing on the shot that's in front of you and nothing else. One of my favorite classes at the U of I was abnormal psych. Figuring out how the mind works in humans is very interesting and I've taken a lot of that into my golf career. It's very useful, very helpful."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/3/29/womens-golf-tristyn-nowlin-i-feel-and-look-like-a-totally-different-person.aspx
25 Years of an Illini-Nike Partnership
NIKE: A Magic Name
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
During the 2020-21 season, the partnership between the UI's Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and NIKE, Inc. marks its silver anniversary. Part three of this series includes insights from Fighting Illini coaches about Nike's products and the company's massively influential marketing campaign.
When asked about the impact and influence that Nike, Inc. has had upon Fighting Illini athletics during their 25-year affiliation, soccer coach Janet Rayfield paused for a second, then snickered.
"I'm laughing right now because I look down and everything I'm wearing has a swoosh on it," she said.
Undoubtedy, Rayfield isn't the only one who's been "swooshed". A September report by Statista Research indicated that a large proportion of Americans own Nike brand apparel, accounting for nearly $16 billion in sales in 2019. That's an increase of more than 230 percent since 2010.
Young folks, including about 500 Illini student-athletes, are increasingly leaning toward "casual fashion", an area in which Nike specializes. According to former UI equipment manager Andy Dixon, Nike's popularity began years ago.
"Back in the day," Dixon said, "if you polled a hundred of our student-athletes, 99 would have chosen Nike. It was definitely a trend for the young athletes to wear Nike."
Current Illini head baseball coach Dan Hartleb calls Nike "a magic name".
"When you study what Nike does from a branding and advertising standpoint, it seems as though there's something new on the market every day," Hartleb said. "When you look at their website, there's apparel and footwear for every category … from skateboarding to baseball and basketball and football and running. There are some very simple designs, but it varies to what some would consider to be really wild designs. They've done a great job of marketing to the youth and the older consumer as well."
According to Rayfield, it's that ever-evolving variety that makes Nike the first brand to explore, especially for females.
"When I played," she said, "there was only one type of cleat … and you probably had to get a kids' size in order to make it fit my foot. I had a teammate in college that had to buy a nylon kids shoe because her foot was a size four. We couldn't find a quality shoe because not many male players had feet that small. Now, you've got all sorts of different materials, so the athlete really has some options in terms of what not just fits their foot but what they think gives them the feel and support that they want to be able to perform. When it comes to striking a ball and having a touch on a ball, everyone has a little bit different preference. Nike has really expanded their line to accommodate not just the different foot size but what players feel like they need to compete well."
That wide assortment for the female athlete also pertains to non-shoe apparel.
"Nike has been a company that's been at the forefront of product and innovation, both in the world of soccer and in the world of women's athletics,' Rayfield said. "Nike had some of the first women-specific uniforms, but I think they've also been a leader in terms of really making sure that their apparel and gear fits not only the casual female person, but is really geared toward the college athlete that has the same aspirations of playing professionally. That's been an important part of it for me and for our program."
Hartleb and Rayfield agree that the University of Illinois's association with Nike has provided Illini coaches with a distinct recruiting advantage.
"When recruits know that they're going to be outfitted from head to toe and have up-to-date technology in terms of the footwear and Nike's Dri-FIT materials, it's definitely something that we use in recruiting," Hartleb said. "It's given us great exposure."
"Absolutely, our association with Nike give us a recruiting advantage," Rayfield said. "We walk out into the recruiting field decked out in Nike and it makes a statement. We ask, 'Hey, are you a Nike person?' and they say 'Absolutely!' Then, you know you're in the door from that standpoint."
Young athletes are also very cognizant of Nike's loyalty to superstar clients and their causes. For many of them, Nike is not only a commodity, but also a statement. Today's consumers demand that.
"Brand image is such a huge part of corporate America right now and that's certainly true throughout the athletics side," Rayfield said. "Nike has been conscious of its brand from the beginning and it's conscious of the athletes they bring into their brand and the message that they present. Soccer's closest association with that is Mia Hamm. I know what she stands for has always been important to her and important to Nike."
Hartleb agrees.
"Nike is not just a U.S. market, it's a worldwide market," he said. "They have a great awareness of what's happening around the world and view things from many different angles. Nike has done a very good job of supporting their athletes and they've used their platform as an awareness for many issues."
UI Director of Athletics Josh Whitman looks forward to extending Illinois's relationship with Nike far into the future.
"We're one of only a handful of schools that was involved with Nike's initial partnership group," Whitman said. "That's pretty special. Over the years, we've challenged each other to be creative, to think about new ideas in innovative ways, and to try and advance the interest of both our program and the Nike brand. It's been a fun partnership and certainly one that's been incredibly beneficial for the University and for Illini athletics."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/3/24/baseball-nike-25-part-3-amagic-name.aspx
Lucas Byrd
LUCAS BYRD: “What I had I gave … what I saved I lost”
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Twenty-year-old Lucas Byrd has been wrestling "unofficially" since the age of three, but he's never had matches as challenging as he'll encounter this week at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis.
He's one of five Fighting Illini athletes who'll be competing at the Gateway City's Enterprise Center. The 133-pounder will be joined by teammates Dylan Duncan (141), Danny Braunagel (165), Zac Braunagel (184) and Luke Luffman (heavyweight).
Seeded No. 7, Byrd brings an overall record of 11-2 to St. Louis, following his third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships. In part, his competition at the nationals is familiar. Among the 33 wrestlers at 133 pounds are eight Big Ten wrestlers, Byrd wrestled and defeated four of them in 2021.
His only so-called "Achilles heel" has been fourth-seeded Austin DeSanto of Iowa, a competitor who's dealt Byrd his only two losses this season. The first time they met was Jan. 31st in Iowa City, with DeSanto handing Byrd a 15-4 decision.
On Mar. 6, they met again at the Big Ten meet. It was a much more competitive match, but Byrd lost again, this time by a 5-4 score.
"That was a tough one," Byrd said, "because deep down I know I should have won that match. It was extremely winnable. At the end of the match, DeSanto says to me 'I respect you. You've made a lot of improvement.' I looked at him and said, 'Hey, I'm comin'!' I'm very happy with how the second match went. Losing sucks, but I'm closing the gap and I'm going to keep closing in on the top guys, and then I'm going to be the top guy."
According to Illini head coach Jim Heffernan, confidence is definitely not a shortcoming for Lucas Byrd.
"Lucas thinks he's going to win every match," Heffernan said. "It doesn't matter who he's wrestling. That's what you want. You want a kid who's confident and thinks he can win every time out. That goes a long way. The biggest thing with Lucas is, because he's young, we have to keep him out of his own way. He still needs to respect these guys and still needs to approach it like there's going to be hard matches. None of that bothers him. He would rather it be hard than easy."
That might explain the tattoos on each of Byrd's arms. On his right arm are the words "What I had I gave". On his left arm is an equally prophetic phrase: "What I saved I lost." Byrd explained his reasoning.
"For my first tattoo, I didn't exactly know what I wanted, but I did know that I wanted a quote that kind of stuck with me," Byrd said. "I was really close with my academic advisor at LaSalle (High School in Cincinnati). So she wrote those words on a piece of paper. And I said, 'Sounds good, that's what I'll get'. So I got the tattoo."
A few weeks later, he was visiting the wrestling room of nearby Elder High School.
"There was a big panther (Elder High's mascot) on the wall," Byrd said. "On one side of the Panther were the words 'What I had I gave' and on the other side it said 'What I saved I lost'. And I was like 'Well, I'll be damned. She gave me a quote from a rival high school.'
"But I haven't regretted it at all," Byrd said. "It's something I live by. The 'What I had I gave" means that you gave everything. You don't save anything. There's no point. You only get one shot at life, at wrestling, at academics. You only have one chance, so why not give everything. The second part—'What I saved I lost'—to me it means whatever you saved, you wasted it. That's not what I want to do. I want to use everything that was given to be the best me."
The University of Illinois wasn't Byrd's original choice, having committed to attend Maryland as a high school sophomore. Then, in his senior season at LaSalle, the Terrapins made a coaching change and Byrd re-opened his recruitment. His prep coach was Illini wrestling alum Ryan Root.
"Because of Coach Root, we attended summer team camps at Illinois," Byrd said, "so I had a feel for how Illini coaches ran practice and how they interacted with people. When I began considering other schools, I decided that it was going to be hard for me to turn down a full ride to a school that's three hours from home."
Combined with a redshirt freshman record of 11-4, Byrd now owns an impressive 22-6 record over two Illini seasons.
He majors in Recreation, Sports and Tourism at the University of Illinois, but Byrd's current plans to eventually turn to a career in coaching will have to wait. Once he gets his degree, he wants to contend in the popular Ultimate Fighting Championship competition.
"During quarantine, I was working out at a gym in Harrison, Ohio called Drive Mixed Martial Arts," he said. "It really kind of stapled in that I really want to try fighting in the UFC."
Speaking of his summer quarantine, Byrd had an interesting off-season, actually being infected with the COVID-19 strain. Fortunately, he didn't have any lingering symptoms.
And, oh, yes, we should explain how Byrd is a 17-year veteran of the wrestling mat. You see, his dad would often take young Lucas to his older brother Max's practices.
"I remember watching Max at practice, walking around and trying to do moves," Byrd said. "I just looked like I was rolling around. So, at about age three, my dad stuffed some pillow cases, sewed them together, and made what was like a little wrestling dummy. That's when I started and I would wrestle with the dummy every day. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was on a wrestling mat and I was playing with a doll that my dad had made for me."
There'll be no inanimate wrestling objects for Lucas this weekend, just a bunch of tough, 133-pound dudes.
Reminds Heffernan, "Having a conference-only schedule, we've only seen the best guys in the country. So, I expect Lucas will have a good weekend in St. Louis."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/3/17/wrestling-lucas-byrd-what-i-had-a-gave-what-i-saved-i-lost.aspx
Ayah Aldadah
Ayah Aldadah “Modestly” Leads Illini at Cross Country Championships
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Though Fighting Illini distance runner Ayah Aldadah prefers to dress modestly, the strength and character with which she carries herself exudes a special sense of pride.
On Monday at 11:50 a.m., the confident junior from Peoria will be poised alongside her University of Illinois teammates at the starting line for the NCAA Championships meet in Stillwater, Okla.
With the temperature projected to be in the mid 60s, Illinois' uniform will include a gray top with an orange Block I, orange shorts and blue Nike shoes. However, Aldadah's attire will have a few additional "modest" twists. She'll also be garbed with a long-sleeved white shirt, bright orange leggings and a tan-colored head covering called a hijab.
In Arabic, the word hijab means "barrier" or "to cover." In Islam, it has an even broader definition. It is the principle of modesty and behavior for both males and females. The most visible form of hijab is the head covering that Muslim women wear.
Aldadah is a proud, soon-to-be 21-year-old Muslim woman who follows Islam, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion. Born in Peoria on April 13, 2000, her parents Dr. Monzer Aldadah and May Abouhouli emigrated to the United States from Palestine in the early 1990s.
Aldadah attended Peoria's Dunlap High School where she helped the Eagles win the state's 2017 Class 2A cross country championship and two more state titles in track and field. She initially chose to attend Bradley University in her hometown.
"I wasn't ready to leave home yet," Aldadah explained. "I was very much a home body, so It was a good transition for me to go to Bradley."
Yet, Aldadah wanted more.
"My two years at Bradley were good for me, but then I realized that I wanted a different experience at a bigger school with a bigger program."
So, Aldadah transferred to the University of Illinois where Illini coach Sarah Haveman had originally recruited her. It's also where her older brother, Waleed, had graduated in 2017 and where her older sister, Lina, had graduated three years later.
Furthermore, Aldadah's grandfather, Dr. Awad Abouhouli, had been a physician at the U of I's McKinley Health Center, so her family's many visits to Champaign-Urbana made the Twin Cities seem like a second home.
"I just knew I belonged at Illinois," Aldadah said. "The University of Illinois always has felt so natural. I wanted to be a part of Illinois' close-knit team, one that everyone ran for each other. It's just a place that I knew I could grow. Our coaches know how to develop athletes well and help them achieve their goals. And now, here we are at the national meet."
The Illini were able to advance to the nationals following their third-place team finish at the Big Ten Championships. Individually, Aldadah placed 15th with a time of 21:01.7 and was the third Illini to finish.
Last Wednesday, just a couple of days before she and her Illini teammates arrived in Oklahoma for the NCAA meet, Aldadah was standing in a committee room at the state capitol in Springfield. Because she is a Muslim and a prominent Division I athlete, she was asked by State Representative Will Guzzardi to testify in support of his "Inclusive Athletic Attire Act," Illinois House Bill 120.
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ILLINOIS HOUSE BILL 120
Provides that the governing board must also allow a modification for the purpose of modesty in clothing or attire that is in accordance with his or her cultural values or modesty preferences. Removes language that provides that the request from a student to modify his or her athletic or team uniform must be approved by the governing board and the board shall reasonably accommodate the student's request. Provides instead that the student shall not be required to receive prior approval from the governing board for the modification. Provides that recognized nonpublic schools and charter schools must also allow a student athlete to modify his or her athletic or team uniform for the purpose of modesty in clothing or attire that is in accordance with the requirements of his or her religion or his or her cultural values or modesty preferences.
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After presentations were made, including nearly four minutes of comments from Aldadah, the House committee voted unanimously to pass the bill and send it through to the Senate where another committee will confer on Tuesday for the purpose of making it an Illinois state law. Aldadah's twin sister, Huda, currently a fencer at Duke University, will testify Tuesday before senators.
"It was difficult for girls in high school to dress modestly and compete in sports," Aldadah said. "That's where we're missing our potential for additional (Muslim) athletes."
"People ask if that's why most Muslim girls tend not to go into sports," she continued. "Personally, I think of it as a source of empowerment, that I can do this and not many people can. I'm doing this for my religion and I get my strength from that. I'm representing Muslim girls and showing them that they can do it, too."
Aldadah admits that her extra garb has drawn a few comments.
"Definitely, I'm used to the looks," she said, "but it hasn't been to the extent of where I've had to address it. In fact, I've gotten more support than I've gotten negative comments."
When the pandemically challenged collegiate cross country season ends for the Illini, Aldadah will turn her attention to track and field, where she'll likely compete in the 5K, 10K or steeplechase.
As a University of Illinois student-athlete, Aldadah majors in advertising and expects to graduate in 2023. She wants to work on the advertising side of a non-profit organization like UNICEF or the World Health Organization, helping people through those types of non-profits.
But, first things first … she and her Illini teammates have a race to run today.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/3/14/womens-cross-country-ayah-aldadah-modestly-leads-illini-at-cross-country-championships.aspx
Black History Month
Mondie-Milner, Buford-Bailey and Williams Blaze Trails for Illini Track
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
They were a trio whose cumulative accomplishments in the 1980s and '90s were truly monumental.
They combined for more than 60 Big Ten individual and relay championships, 42 All-America honors, three individual NCAA titles, one Olympic medal, nine first-place conference team trophies, and nine more conference runner-up finishes.
Absolutely no one can argue that these Hall of Famers -- Celena Mondie-Milner, Tonja Buford Bailey and Tonya Williams -- changed the face of Illinois women's track and field.
For a span of 10 seasons—from 1987 through 1996—these ladies helped Coach Gary Winckler's track and field teams achieve more success than any other Fighting Illini program.
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It was Mondie-Milner who initially set the bar for all who followed her. The Milledgeville, Ga. native, one of the Big Ten's most dominating sprinters ever, was inspired at the age of eight to run track when she watched a movie about the legendary Wilma Rudolph. Overcoming polio as a child, Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics.
"I was just amazed at her sheer will to overcome so much difficulty to cope with in life and become the world's best female athlete," Mondie-Milner told writer Larry Watts in 2011. "That movie was just a defining moment for me."
Having already taken recruiting trips to Michigan State, Georgia and Georgia Tech, she had no idea that she'd eventually wear Fighting Illini Orange and Blue.
"I came up to visit Illinois on the coldest day of the year and there was snow everywhere," she told the 2011 writer.
That's when Winckler took Mondie-Milner on a tour of UI's famed Armory. Upon learning more about the University of Illinois' renowned academic offerings and the resources afforded to student-athletes, she cancelled her fifth recruiting visit (to UCLA) and signed on the dotted line with Winckler.
As a freshman in 1987, Mondie-Milner ran a leg on Illinois' championship indoor and outdoor 4x100-meter relay teams, then collected four more Big Ten titles as a sophomore. As a junior, she added six Big Ten trophies as a sprinter, then in 1990 as a senior, she won four individual and three relay championships.
"A lot of the ideas Gary generated were cutting edge for sprinters and hurdlers," she told Watts. "He was always trying to think of ways to get the athletes to be more efficient and train them to their fullest potential. No matter how painful the workouts were for me, I knew there was a method to his madness."
Mondie-Milner attempted to make the United States Olympic teams three different times—1992, '96 and 2000—but fell short each time. She also competed in the 1995 and '97 World Championships and won gold with the 4x100 team in '95 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
As an Illini freshman in 1990, Buford Bailey viewed Mondie-Milner, her senior teammate, as "a true role model."
"Celena was the one that I managed my life after in my first season," Buford Bailey said. "She worked really hard in practice, she had a great relationship with Gary, and she was successful. So she was the one that I latched on to."
Today, Mondie-Milner serves the University of Texas in Austin as its Executive Director of New Student Services.
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Buford Bailey came to the U of I from Dayton, Ohio, the home of childhood hero Edwin Moses, the world's greatest hurdler.
"When I lived in Dayton, we drove down Edwin C. Moses Boulevard every day," she said "He was the reason why I ran the 400 hurdles."
Like Mondie-Milner, Buford Bailey was a devoted disciple of her Illini head coach.
"Gary wasn't just a coach for me," she said, "he was like a dad. I thought the world of him and I still do. Pretty much every piece of advice I got from him. I would have never had the kind of belief and confidence in myself as an athlete if it wasn't for Gary. I remember him telling me very early on that 'Those legs are going to make you some money one day' and I couldn't imagine that something like that could be possible. I always felt like if he believed in me, then I could do anything."
In Buford Bailey's four seasons at Illinois (1990-93), she captured an incredible 25 individual and relay team titles, had 10 All-America efforts, and was a four-time Big Ten track and field Athlete of the Year.
She says her best race was her 1992 NCAA championship in the 400-meter hurdles, the first-ever national title won by an Illini women's athlete.
"It wasn't even a race that I went into as the favorite," Buford Bailey said. "That's when I realized that I could really do well in that event. And it was the race that gave me the confidence going into the (Olympic) Trials that year."
She wasn't at all confident that she would earn a spot on the 1992 Olympic squad.
"Honestly, I was just thinking that it would be a good experience and that I would get to meet all these fantastic track stars," she said. "It was one of the first times that my entire family watched me race, so that was really fantastic. After the race, the officials gave the flag to Kim Batten, so I wasn't really sure that I had made the team. Then the results came up and saw that I got second, so I went running back out to the track and did a little victory lap by myself. It was so unbelievable."
Then, as a second-time Olympic participant at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, Buford Bailey took success one step further in the 400 hurdles.
"I actually went into that race thinking that I could win, so when I got the bronze (medal), I was very disappointed," she said. "I walked off the track really disappointed that I didn't win. Then, when we were underneath the stadium and they were getting us prepared for the awards ceremony, I looked around and said to myself, 'Hey, there are only three of us in the entire world (who were getting medals). It could have been worse … I could have been fourth.' That's when it sinked in not to take this for granted. From then on, I was never sad about my finish. Since then, I've always been proud to have won the bronze."
In 2004, at the age of 33, Buford Bailey returned to Champaign-Urbana to serve as Gary Winckler's assistant. Then, four years later, she became head coach of the Illini women's team.
"Gary groomed me to do that," she said. "I knew that one day I would have my own program. That was exciting. It was cool to be able to call my own shots and run the team the way I wanted to, to have my own philosophy and vision, and then to win some conference titles."
Buford Bailey moved on to the University of Texas where in 2016 she was named USA Track & Field's Nike Coach of the Year, becoming the first female to be honored since the inception of the award.
Today, she directs the Buford Bailey Track Club in Austin, Tex. and has been married to former NFL player Victor Bailey for 25 years. Her son, Victor Bailey Jr.—nicknamed "VJ"—is a redshirt junior with the University of Tennessee's basketball program. Her daughter, Victoria, is a standout volleyball player.
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Tonya Williams was involved in a wide variety of sports as a child in Norfolk, Va.
"I wanted to play football, too, but they wouldn't let the girls play with the boys, so I lost that battle," she said.
Williams' youth coaches finally got her involved in track as a high school junior. A year later, she was taking recruiting trips in search of a college scholarship, first to Penn State, then to Illinois.
"Once I got to Illinois and visited with Gary and Ron (Garner) and Tonja, it just felt like home," Williams said. "Tonja, she was just so normal. To know that she had just made it to the Olympics and she was a big time track girl. She was just very, very humble … very sweet and welcoming. She's just always been that big sister that I never had. I felt so comfortable with her. I trusted her. Once I got there with Tonja, that's all I needed. She was the confirmation. She was a God send."
And like Mondie-Milner and Buford Bailey, Williams' respect for her head coach grew exponentially.
"I just loved Gary's approach with coaching … his specifics, the strategy, and how he broke everything down and made it so simple," she said. "It was a lot, but it was very simple. I loved how he explained our meals and our sleep and how that all factored in. He was a strategist and that was amazing to me. I didn't know a lot when it came to the dynamics of track and hurdling. To be honest, before I got to Illinois, I was just running for dear life and jumping over the hurdles. Gary specified the step pattern. His workouts were just amazing. It was truly an honor to run for him and the University of Illinois."
Williams says her most meaningful race was one that she lost in the 400 hurdles at the 1994 NCAA Championship.
"This may sound crazy, but my best race wasn't when I won the NCAAs," she said. "It was two years prior to that when I fell at nationals and I still got eighth place. That, to me, was the best race of my life. Not only did it teach me how much heart I had or how talented I was, it made me want it more. Gary showed me that race of me falling and getting up and finishing in eighth place, and he asked me 'When you fell, what were you thinking?' And in my mind, I was like 'Oh, I'm gonna catch somebody. I'm not going to be last.' And he said, 'Well, that's what you need to get back.' Because of that race, it helped me win the event the next two years."
Illinois' first two-time NCAA individual champ says she'll fondly remember her days as a young African American woman at the University of Illinois.
"With the world so crazy now and seeing so many things happening, I sometimes say I wish we could go backwards a little bit," Williams said. "I absolutely loved being at the University of Illinois. The black population wasn't many, but we all stuck together. Everyone was really nice and welcoming to us. I never experienced any type of racism or negativity at Illinois. It was a beautiful experience. Always. The coaches, our advisors and everyone in regards to our education were amazing."
Williams now resides in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. with her 12-year-old daughter and works in customer service for AT&T, supporting the state of Tennessee and some larger clients. A speech communication major at Illinois, she's confident that she'll eventually become a speech pathologist one day.
Williams says her life's proudest moment came three years when she was inducted into the Illini Hall of Fame.
"That was one year I'll never forget," she said. "It's a feeling that's unexplainable. The way they treated us and the way they rolled out the orange carpet for us, I have never been more proud. That's when I realized that I must have been really something."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/2/23/general-mondie-milner-buford-bailey-and-williams-blaze-trails-for-illini-track.aspx
Black History Month
BUDDY YOUNG: Pioneer of NFL Advocacy for African American Athletes
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
To many younger Fighting Illini fans, the name Claude "Buddy" Young may be familiar, but likely no more than someone recognized for his athletic achievement.
The University of Illinois' first nationally famous African American athlete stood only five-feet-four-inches tall, but the legacy he would go on to establish beyond the athletic fields was immeasurable.
Coaches Ray Eliot and Leo Johnson recruited the kid from Chicago Phillips High School to Champaign-Urbana to play football and run track. Dressed in football jersey No. 66, Young was magnificent as a freshman halfback in 1944, averaging nearly nine yards every time he carried the ball and tying Red Grange's single-season school record for touchdowns.
Following his service in the Navy during World War II, Young returned to Illinois, and became the first Black man to earn Most Valuable Player honors in the Rose Bowl (1947).
On the oval cinders of Memorial Stadium, Young was a sprinter extraordinaire, capturing a pair of titles at the 1944 NCAA Outdoor championships. At the prestigious Millrose Games in New York, the "Bronze Bullet" tied the world indoor record of 6.1 seconds in the 60-yard dash.
Young left Illinois in 1947 and, following the All-American Football Conference Draft, signed a contract with the New York Yankees. He eventually played 10 seasons with the Yanks, the Dallas Texans and the Baltimore Colts. He was the first Colts player to have his uniform number (22) retired.
Yet, it was Young's skills off the field that gained him his greatest acclaim. So highly respected was Young that, in 1964, he became the first African American executive hired by a major sports league. National Football League Commissioner Pete Rozelle specifically targeted the affable Young and snatched him away from the Colts to be his confidant and insider as it related to the rapidly growing number of Black NFL players.
In one of his first major projects, a memorandum dated August 3, 1966, Young meticulously produced a revealing five-page synopsis that was entitled "Some Observations on the NFL and Negro Players."
It's a document that renowned sociologist Harry Edwards says, "should be in Canton, enshrined in a case like the Declaration of Independence."
Richard Lapchick, director of the Institute for Diversity of Ethics in Sport, concurred.
"The proposals Buddy Young spelled out here were just so forward-thinking for that period of time," Lapchick said. "He basically proposed what player programs eventually became 20 years later. This document is something activists and scholars will refer to far into the future."
To understand the period of time when Young wrote his document, the 1960s were fraught with racial injustice in the United States. In February of 1960, numerous African American students staged sit-ins at lunch counters throughout the South. Two-and-a-half years later, in September of 1962, James Meredith became the first Black man admitted to the University of Mississippi. In August of 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King presented his "I have a dream" speech before more than 200,000 peaceful demonstrators on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Those actions culminated 11 months later when President Lyndon Johnson signed the historic Civil Rights Act, outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.
The first three sentences of Young's memo to Rozelle came right to the point.
"Of the 560 professional athletes under contract to 14 National Football League teams at the end of the 1965 season, a total of 137 were Negroes. Approximately that same ratio prevailed among the members of the so-called taxi squads attached to these teams. Quite plainly, this is a disproportionate number of Negroes in a nation whose total population breaks down to 11.9% non-white and 89.1% white."
Ten years earlier, Young pointed out in his memo, only 58 of 406 NFL players were Black.
"Under the circumstances," Young wrote, "it is important to carefully explore the role of the Negro in the NFL today. Quite apart from mere statistics, a number of the truly celebrated stars and box-office attractions—Jimmy Brown, Gale Sayers, Bob Hayes, Dick Bass, etc.—are Negroes. Since the performance of these men can specifically relate to box-office receipts, it is no exaggeration to suggest that their performances, and the performances of the other Negro players has or may in the future be related to how they are treated by teams as well as the team cities and communities, as whole men."
"It is not the point here," Young continued, "to look into the political and civil rights sentiments of the Negro players, which vary considerably. On the basis of his autobiography two years ago, for example, Jimmy Brown takes a hard, militant view of American society, while a number of others are far more moderate. But the all too familiar atmosphere of the nation already does and certainly will continue to relate to the disposition of the attitude of Negro athletes, not to mention both Negro and non-Negro spectators and the television audience. The emergence of the more militant Negro civil rights groups, and the severe splinterization of the entire civil rights movement, individual NFL teams may expect not less but more involvement in the communities in which they operate. For these communities are, by and large, the major metropolitan areas with large Negro populations, oppressive slum areas, high unemployment, crime and truancy."
Young stressed to Commissioner Rozelle that the NFL had the opportunity to be a trend-setter.
"With such a heavy proportion of Negro players," Young wrote, "the NFL happens to be in a position to make great contributions—not only to the Negro cause, which admittedly not every owner might agree to—but to its own competitive and financial situation, which is important to every owner, as well as to the League itself. Little or nothing has ever been done in this realm by professional baseball, basketball or boxing; football has the opportunity for a real contribution."
Young then outlined to Rozelle the steps he deemed necessary to impart the beginnings of equality. First, he urged that every team should have at least one full-time front-office man "who is a Negro", for the expressed purpose of communicating with representatives of the African American community.
Secondly, "Negroes should also be employed in every department of a member club", stressing that "they should be represented as much on the sidelines, in the front-office, and in the background as on the field. Deliberate pains should be taken to assure their presence."
Furthermore, Young emphasized that new African American athletes "from Negro colleges" should be prepared, psychologically, "for the possibilities which lie ahead."
Young continued, "In short, these draftees would benefit greatly from as much as may be possible of the kind of treatment accorded the high-ranking draftees from the larger colleges. Not to do so, it is feared, may jeopardize the investment already entered upon, or may render unnecessarily more difficult the assimilation of the draftee into the club's program."
He went on to suggest that Negro players should be made available for public appearances.
"They should appear before all kinds of civic groups—Negro and white," Young said. "This type of exposure will serve three ends simultaneously: it would be a morale builder for the player, would be good for the community at large, and it would produce tremendous goodwill for the clubs."
Young urged that non college graduates should undertake full-time college studies during the off-season toward completing requirements for their degrees.
"A well-adjusted football player," Young said, "active or retired, reflects the very greatest credit upon the club and the League."
Young completed his report by stating, "In this day and age, with the civil rights involvement more acrimonious than ever—but with the goals never more desirable and with the dignity of the individual not all it should be for anyone, Negro or white—the NFL has a tremendous opportunity. Let's hope this project isn't fumbled."
Upon reading Young's memo, Rozelle immediately distributed it to NFL teams. His cover sheet urged them to "Please give it your careful consideration."
It wasn't until 23 years later—1989—that Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis made Art Shell the first Black head coach in the NFL's modern era, but the memo's emphasis on minority hiring far predates the eventual enactment of the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senior administrative positions.
This past August, Jason Wright, a fast-rising African American who attended Northwestern University, was named president of the Washington Football Team.
Buddy Young tragically died in an automobile accident in September of 1983 on a highway in Texas. Legendary New York Post sportswriter Jerry Izenberg praised him in a stirring tribute.
"Buddy was just 57 years old," Izenberg wrote. "Few men are loved in so short a span of time the way he was. It is generally said of such a man that he walked among giants. In this case, it's not quite so. Buddy was larger by far than most men. He was 5-4 and the world looked up to him."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/2/16/football-buddy-young-pioneer-of-nfl-advocacy-for-african-american-athletes.aspx
Black History Month
Foursome of Black Women’s Gymnasts Use Confidence and Unity to Propel Illini
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
With the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games slated to begin in July, the exposure of sports such as women's gymnastics will be dramatically amplified over the next five months. At the University of Illinois, members of Coach Nadalie Walsh's team are already enjoying that enhanced level of enthusiasm.
And like Team USA's greatest recent performers—a core group that's included Black superstars like Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas and Dominique Dawes—the 2021 Fighting Illini's talented assemblage of athletes has a similarly impressive African American presence.
Junior Shaylah Scott and the sophomore trio of Lexi Powe, Arayah Simons and Mia Townes are four young Black athletes who've helped raise this year's Illini prospects to championship expectations.
Scott says that Biles, Douglas and Dawes all are her heroes.
"For sure," she said. "Not just in gymnastics, but in everyday life as well. You don't have to be a gymnast to be inspired by them because they've broken boundaries and opened doors for other Black women who are young and talented."
Scott, a product of Plano High School in Texas, achieved second team All-Big Ten honors a year ago and is greatly admired by Walsh and her fellow teammates for her leadership qualities.
"Shaylah was discovered and snatched up by the Illinois staff before I got here, so I'm fortunate to have inherited her," Walsh said. "She is a wonderful gymnast with long lines and a beautiful smile, and she does gymnastics in an extremely effortless way. But, just as important, she's a vibrant leader for our team. Shaylah is a student-athlete who's not afraid to speak up and not afraid to say what the truth is. She helps her teammates become the best versions of themselves."
One of Scott's biggest fans is Simons.
"Shaylah's presence, when she walks into the gym, is amazing," Simons said. "She's not scared to speak her mind. For me, when I ask her a question, she'll give me an honest opinion."
"I've always felt that honesty is the best policy," said Scott, a political science major. "Sometimes it comes off as a little rough around the edges, but it's out of love and I do it to inspire people and push them to their potential. I just don't see any harm in telling the truth, especially if it's to help someone. I always want someone to tell me the truth, so I try to put out what I want to receive."
Simons, who hails from Bogart, Ga., was discovered by Walsh prior to her senior season at North Oconee High School.
"When I first saw Arayah, I told myself that this kid doesn't even know how good she is," Walsh said. "I wanted to teach her to have confidence in herself because the talent was definitely there. She has been absolutely outstanding for us. She's just a naturally talented, powerful, sweet, young woman."
Simons, honored as a second team All-Big Ten selection in 2020, conceded that "financial incentives" provided an impetus to her budding gymnastics career.
"By the time I was five, I'd figured out that I wanted to be in gym every single day, all day," she said. "I really got enjoyment from tumbling and flipping around, and just gaining new skills. I remember every time we gained a new skill, we'd get a penny and we'd put in in our little penny jar. When I was five, to me, that was just the coolest thing."
Simons' idol is fellow Virginian Gabby Douglas.
"Knowing that she looked like me and her body shape was like mine, it made me realize that I could go for things that she was doing and dream big," Simons said. "That's why she's my favorite. "
Simons, a physical therapy major at the U of I, says that Walsh pushes her every day in practice.
"She looks at me and asks "What are your confidence words?' And I always say 'I'm consistent. I'm solid. I'm confident.' And after I say those words and I hit my routine, it's a great thing. I'm definitely still a work in progress, but Nadalie has molded me to be the most confident athlete that I can possibly be."
Walsh says that Lexi Powe from Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora, Colo. is aptly named.
"Her name suits her—POW!—exclamation point," Walsh said. "Lexi has a ton of personality and is very, very kind-hearted. We discovered her because she's really outstanding on vault. She's another one of those student-athletes who have grown and flourished from the inside out since she's been in our program."
Powe's role model is Simone Biles.
"Seeing such a small person be so powerful basically shows me that the sky's the limit," Powe said. "No matter how big or how small, she showed me that I can do whatever I want. The possibilities are endless. Simone has done things that I didn't even know were possible and she makes it seem so easy."
Powe, an accounting major, says that she's confident that 2021 is the year the Fighting Illini can pool their talents and take the team all the way to the top.
"We all have the same goals and the same drive, and we all move as a unit," she said. "I've never been on a team that's this unified. We all want to be Big Ten champs and we all want to be national champs. Sadly, Covid got in the way of our team goals last year. I feel like we're in a better spot now than we were before Covid. There are other great teams, too, but we have a different type of desire. Michigan thinks they're going to win every year just because they're Michigan, but we are the underdogs and we want it more than them."
Walsh says that the longest relationship she's had with anyone else on her team is with Mia Townes.
"Before the rules changed that said you could not recruit athletes that were younger than juniors, I was the head coach at Utah State and discovered Mia as a (high school) freshman," Walsh said. "She blew me away. I just knew she was going to have so much potential. I offered her a full scholarship to go to Utah State and she accepted as a freshman in high school. When I got the job and transferred over to Illinois, she followed, and I am so thankful that she wanted to up her game and go to a bigger school and partner with me."
The Illini sophomore from Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville, Tex. says that she and Walsh are kindred spirits.
"Nadalie and I are very similar in the way that we think," Townes said. "We're super passionate in what we do and we're always looking for new things to accomplish."
Townes' role model is Dominique Dawes.
"I have a big celebrity crush on her," Townes said. "She's the person who's given me the inspiration to be where I am today. She was the first African American gymnast to win a gold medal. Her form, her execution, and the way that she presents herself is exceptionally dominant. It's just an inspiration to me and young Black gymnasts like myself."
Townes, who majors in kinesiology, says that she's convinced that she and her teammates have what it takes to win the Big Ten crown.
"We have grown in our confidence so much more than the past couple of years," she said. "Now, when we approach a meet, we're like 'This is our meet … we're here … we're taking over … we're Illinois … and we're going to fight to the top.'"
Walsh maintains that team unity will be the key to success for the 2021 Illini.
"I'm confident in saying that we're the true testimony of what unity looks like," Walsh said. "We're all committed to one another and support one another. Just as everyone else, I think that my young Black women feel extremely valued. I have a wide variety of nationalities on my team and I love that. I think that it makes us more united and an inspiration to many sports around the country."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/2/9/general-foursome-of-black-womens-gymnasts-use-confidence-and-unity-to-propel-illini.aspx
"Zoom" Recruiting
Putting Some "ZOOM" in Illini Recruiting
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
When securing scholarships, high school student-athletes across the country have worried that the coronavirus pandemic has left their prospective college futures in a state of uncertainty. But for young athletes from the state of Illinois and beyond state borders, fear not!
Armed with the finest and most advanced tools of technology and a slate full of creativity, the coaches at the University of Illinois feverishly worked to figure out who they are and where they live.
"Technology has been the answer to a lot of the pandemic challenges," said Illinois soccer coach Janet Rayfield. "For the tournaments that are going on, the teams and clubs that have live-streamed and recorded have provided me with more games to watch than I ever have had before."
And, in some ways, through the magic of online platforms like Zoom, Rayfield says that in many cases she's probably nurtured even better relationships with prospective athletes than she had in the past.
"I can sit down with a family from anywhere in the world without hours of travel," she says. "Getting to know someone over an extended period of time, I think we've had more interaction than we have had in the past. Prior to the pandemic, you may have talked on the phone a couple of times and then they come to visit (campus) for 48 hours. For the athletes that we're going to recruit in the years ahead, we've been able to have more conversations with them. My job is to give them an idea of what their experience would be like or what their role would be like and how they would impact our program."
Of course, the biggest drawback is that Rayfield and her staff have had significantly fewer opportunities to evaluate them as athletes.
"The more you see an athlete compete in different environments, the better you can answer that question," she said. "On the other hand, we would go watch someone in a tournament but not necessarily interact with them."
New Illini football coach Bret Bielema has dedicated a special space for his own personal "Zoom room."
"I knew we were going to be doing a lot of Zooms," he said. "From a little office space (within the Henry Dale and Betty Smith football Performance Center), I Zoom parents, I Zoom coaches, I Zoom prospects … 2021 (recruits), '22s, '23s, you name it, we've been doing it. We'll do a Zoom attack where we'll introduce our coaches and then we'll go on a virtual tour through the building. Even though we're in this time of Covid, they can still visit our facility. It's a very impressive building and I love showing it off."
"Often times," Bielema continued, "there will be a kid at home that's doing remote learning, a mom who's maybe at work, a dad who lives in another city, an uncle who lives in another state, a cousin who's playing in another part of the country, or a brother who he loves and respects who playing at a school that's a thousand miles away, so all of us can be on the same Zoom call.
"We'll start by introducing our people on the front end, then we'll visit (football strength and conditioning director) Tank (Wright) in the weight room, then we'll walk in the training room where (head football athletic trainer) Jeremy (Busch) can show them our facility that's second to none. We'll walk through the lobby, then we'll walk them through the locker room where they'll see a bowling alley, a pool table and a bunch of really cool stuff on a daily basis. You can just see the way people react; it has an effect. Maybe it's not ideal, but that's the world we're living in right now. And until we can start going to see them and they can start seeing us, it's the best option we've got."
The Illini coaches are especially diligent when it comes to recruiting high school athletes from the state of Illinois.
"I think there still exists great pride in playing for your home institution," Underwood said. "Now, things have changed a great deal from the TV aspect. Back in the day, it was just regional TV, so all kids in Illinois saw was Big Ten basketball. Growing up in Kansas, I watched Big Eight basketball. Your tendency was to go to the schools you're more familiar with. Nationally televised games, now, have opened all that up. One of the things that's changed in the state of Illinois is that we've seen a different influx of prep schools and other kinds of schools opening up all over the place. Kids are leaving their states—not just Illinois, but Ohio or wherever—to go play in some of these basketball schools, so to speak.
"I still tremendously value high school basketball in our state," he said "The coaches in this state know how good the talent is in this state. And when it fits our puzzle, I want those pieces. It is special to play here. If you ask Ayo Dosunmu about his experience here, he will tell you how great it is. You talk about Brandon Lieb, who we haven't seen on the court yet, but he is a young man who just loves this university and being a part of it and his dream to play here. That value is there and I appreciate that a great deal. (Recruiting in-state kids) is always going to be at the heart and soul of our recruiting."
"I've said this many times—Illinois has the best high school basketball in the country and we'd be foolish to not want to take advantage of it. We take great pride in our young athletes. I'm just glad they're back playing again."
"The pride to play for your state school still exists," Rayfield added. "Sometimes, we're the worse at bragging about ourselves. I find that sometimes people from other parts of the country almost have a better understanding of just how good the education is here at the University of Illinois … sometimes more than their in-state peers."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/2/2/general-putting-some-zoom-in-illinois-recruiting.aspx?fbclid=IwAR1RyvcFnNuc2PJxSf8qwQCx9NZInsMyRRCHYx-sBSkfGi3D_KRUpQ2o_70
UI's African American Pioneers
Illinois's African American Pioneers
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
It's important that Fighting Illini fans know the names of Hiram Hannibal Wheeler and Roy Mercer Young. They are two men who were instrumental in changing the course of intercollegiate athletics at the University of Illinois.
In 1904, more than a century ago, Wheeler and Young broke the color barrier at the Urbana-Champaign campus, integrating varsity rosters that had previously only included white men. They came on the scene at Illinois about 14 years after the first known African American collegiate football players—W.T.S. Jackson and W.H. Lewis—arrived at Amherst College in Massachusetts.
Wheeler and Young are but two of the pioneering black athletes who altered the face of the program's African American make-up.
Wheeler, born Nov. 30, 1881 in Chicago, participated in both football and track and field as a student-athlete at Illinois. He lettered in as a sprinter for rookie coach Harry Gill in 1904. In a dual meet with Purdue on May 13, 1904, Wheeler became the first African American to win a track event by winning the 100-yard dash (:10.6). A resident of Urbana after attending university as an agriculture major, Wheeler was employed by his alma mater as a clerk in the UI's agriculture department. During World War I, he was training in New York as an Army soldier. In early October of 1918, Wheeler was home in Urbana with his wife and four children on a three-week furlough and was scheduled to depart for France in the capacity as an Army secretary. Unfortunately, he was a victim of the Spanish influenza pandemic and died at his home on West Clark Street just shy of his 37th birthday. He is buried at Champaign's Woodlawn Cemetery.
Young, who was born on April 27, 1887 in Springfield, lettered twice as a tackle for the Illini football team. His 1904 squad compiled an impressive 9-2-1 record and registered a 5-4 mark the following season. Described as extremely intelligent and articulate, Young attended Northwestern University's Dental School and served as a dental surgeon during World War I in the U.S. Army. Dr. Young also became a minister in Evanston. Like Wheeler, Young died tragically. His 1946 obituary indicated that he was struck as a pedestrian by an automobile in Gary, Ind. and died from multiple injuries at the age of 59.
A third African American Illini, George Kyle, competed as a non-letter-winning sprinter in track and field on the 1924 and '25 teams. Kyle was the first black athlete to acquire his bachelor's degree (Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1926), then a master's degree (psychology in 1930).
In tennis, during the late 1920s, a man named Douglas Turner became the first African American to play the sport at Illinois. Turner took second place in 1930 Western Conference (Big Ten) singles competition, then a few weeks later won the national championship among black men at the American Tennis Association tournament. Turner earned both bachelor's (1931) and master's degrees (1934) at Illinois. He served three years in the Navy during World War II. Turner died in Chicago at age 85. It wasn't until two decades later that another African American athlete lettered in tennis. Albert Grange, a transfer student from George Williams College, won a varsity monogram in 1951.
Wheeler, Young, Kyle and Turner were the only four African American athletes who competed at Illinois between 1900 and 1929.
A gentleman named Ralph Hines swam but did not letter for Coach Ed Manley in 1947. Hines also competed briefly on the track team as a junior in 1948, the same year he served as President of UI's junior class. After acquiring his BS in physical education (1949) and master's in sociology (1952) from the U of I, Hines secured a PhD in anthropology and sociology from the University of Coppenhagen in Denmark (1955). After teaching at Langston University, Alabama State, Tennessee State, Austin Peay and Meharry Medical College, he was named executive vice president at Meharry in 1968. Hines died in 1999 at the age of 72.
While Mannie Jackson and Govoner Vaughn are most widely recognized as Illini men's basketball's African American pioneers in the late 1950s, it was Walt Moore who initially integrated Illinois hoops in 1951. Moore had teamed with fellow Illini Max Hooper at Mt. Vernon High school and was recruited to Champaign-Urbana by UI coach Harry Combes. Moore's Illini career, interrupted by three years of service in the United State Army, lasted only one year, as a freshman in 1951-52. He eventually became the head coach at Western Illinois University, the school where he earned small college All-America honors in 1956. Moore died in 2004 at age 71.
Though he didn't letter, the color barrier in fencing at the University of Illinois was initially broken by Richard Younge in 1948. The World War II veteran received his BS in 1949. John Cameron competed in sabre for Coach Maxwell Garret and lettered for Illinois's undefeated teams and Big Ten champions in 1952 and '53. Cameron captured the conference title in sabre in 1953 and became UI varsity athletics' first African American captain. A 1960s black fencer, Craig Bell, won Big Ten and NCAA fencing championships in 1965.
The first black man in Illinois's wrestling room was in the mid 1960s when Al McCullum joined Coach Buell "Pat" Patterson's squad. Wrestling at 130 pounds, McCullum, who hailed from Joliet, lettered from 1964 through '66. He received his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1967.
It wasn't until 1965 that a black man played baseball at Illinois. Trenton Jackson, from Rochester, N.Y., had already made an impact with the Illini football team—lettering in 1962 and '65—and UI's track and field squad (1963, '64 and '65). He was park of UI's NCAA-winning 440-yard relay team and also won Big Ten titles in the 100 and 220. Jackson finished eighth in the 100 maters at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Jackson hit .235 in the only season he played for Coach Lee Eilbracht's baseball squad. He received his BS in physical education in 1966.
In the sport of gymnastics, former Illini star Charles Lakes accomplished firsts more than once. Not only was he Coach Yoshi Hayasaki's first African American athlete, lettering from 1983-85, Lakes departed the U of I in 1986 to become one of the first black American gymnasts to compete in the Olympics. He won six Big Ten titles at Illinois and won the 1984 NCAA high bar championship.
Will Clopton, who played in the mid-late 1980s, is believed to be the first African American to be a member of Illinois's golf team.
When women's varsity athletics debuted at the University of Illinois in 1974-75, black female athletes were present, though sparse in numbers. Some of the most prominent in the early days of Illini women's athletics were track and field's Bev Washington and basketball's Kendra Gantt. Terry Hite, who directed UI's volleyball program from 1975-77, was the university's first black head coach. In 2021, about 30 per cent of the athletes comprising UI women's 10 varsity programs are of African American decent.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/2/1/general-illinoiss-african-american-pioneers.aspx
Wrestling's Braunagel Twins
ILLINI WRESTLING'S BRAUNAGEL BROTHERS: Born to Be Captains
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Over the years, the Fighting Illini wrestling program has featured some incredibly successful brother acts. From the Sapora brothers in the 1920s and '30s to the Tirapelle trio in the 1990s and 2000s, sibling DNA has led to exemplary leadership and exceptional results.
The current era of Illini wrestling features a pair of feisty identical twins from southern Illinois: Danny and Zac Braunagel. Early in the Fall of 2019, little more than a month after their 19th birthday, UI head coach Jim Heffernan confidently bestowed the title of co-captains to his then redshirt freshman phenoms.
"So much of wrestling and being successful in wrestling is about living a certain lifestyle," Heffernan said. "There's a lot of things that go into it. Tons of discipline … diet … obviously, work habits … dedication. Danny and Zac came in and impressed me so much. Their work ethic and the example they set made it a pretty easy choice.
"And I did it for a couple of other reasons, too. This is what we're looking for. To be a high caliber team, you need everybody moving in the same direction. So, No. 1, Danny and Zac earned it. That's what we need. If we're going to be challenging at the highest level, nationally, we need this attitude in our room. We need this desire and work ethic and will to win in our room."
"I've been around a lot of very good wrestlers," Heffernan continued. "Adam Tirapelle was maybe the best leader we've ever had as an athlete coming in. Alex Tirapelle was a great leader. Emory Parker was a good leader as he grew into the role. Isaiah Martinez was another one and naming him a captain is probably something we could have as a freshman. For Danny and Zac, I think it was a good chance for them to kind of exhibit their leadership and work habits."
Needless to say, the Braunagel boys were surprised at their coach's decision to name them co-captains.
"When it happened, I was like 'Oh, wow, that's awesome,'" Zac said. "It hasn't really changed my thought process at all because I already thought of myself as a leader on the team. In little league sports or in high school, I've always thought of myself as a leader. I've always tried to inspire others on the team. Being named a captain was a big confidence boost for me, for sure."
Danny indicated that he'd gotten a hint of Heffernan's plans while the twins were competing at the 2019 Pan-Am Junior Championships in Guatemala.
"Heff went on that trip with us," Danny said. "He mentioned it to us a little bit on that trip. When we got back to training again with the team, Heff just sat everybody down after practice and mentioned to the team that he wanted Zac and me to be captains. I was expecting we would be as seniors, so I was kind of surprised. Once he did that, it almost felt like a responsibility to be more of a leader than I already was trying to be. I'm big on leading by example. My training and focus and mentality have really stepped up, even outside of the wrestling room. I decided that I had to live like a captain. I started reaching out to guys more, voicing my opinion more, and stepping it up in the practice room."
Zac and Danny, products of Belleville's Althoff High School, are now redshirt sophomores for Heffernan, helping lead the Illini to a perfect 3-0 start in 2021. Thus far, Illinois has recorded victories over Indiana (39-3), eighth-ranked Ohio State (18-15) and No. 22 Wisconsin (21-9).
While successful in terms of individual records (23-9 for Danny and 21-10 for Zac), the Braunagels regarded their freshman season in 2019-20 as largely unfulfilling, especially when the season came to a screeching halt in mid-March as the COVID-19 pandemic invaded the United States.
"We were all crushed when that happened," Danny said. "As a team, we didn't have a good performance at the Big Tens, so we were excited to have the nationals to regroup. That day we were doing individual practices, so there were guys literally warming up for the practices when they were told to go home. Nobody knew how to react."
When they were sent home, the Braunagels took a week off to heal their tired and bruised bodies. Then Danny and his brother went right back to work.
"After about a month of running and lifting in our garage, we didn't have anywhere to go, so me and Zac and our younger brother Joe Joe just started wrestling in our backyard."
The Braunagels credit their dad, Joe Sr., for instilling their phenomenal work ethic.
"When we were little, our dad was learning about wrestling at the same time we were," Zac said. "He knew that you get out of it what you put into it. He always was looking up workouts for us, but he wasn't like a crazy dad at all. Around sixth or seventh grade, we told Dad that wrestling was huge for us. We'd had some success, so we wanted to continue to get better. From that point on, he's been like a trainer for us. He taken us to camps and tournaments so that we could get experience.
"We noticed how hard that he was working for us, so it drove us to work hard for him, too. He once asked a coach what we could do training-wise to get better, and the coach said that pull-ups were good. So, Dad installed a pull-up bar for us. Danny got one-and-a-half and I got maybe a half a pull-up. We worked on those every other day, then 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups on top of everything else we did the following day. By the time we had finished our seventh-grade season, Danny could do 52 pull-ups and I did 48."
The twins originally imagined themselves to be budding football stars, but then they were bitten by the wrestling bug.
"Wrestling was really a way for us to stay in shape for football," Danny said. "Zac and I were five and our older brother (Jarrid) was seven. Me and Zac didn't really take to (wrestling) as quickly as Jarrid. We were these short, little, tubby kids, so wrestling was a little bit harder for us to learn. We were super immature about it. We didn't want to go through the drills. Then, during my eighth-grade season, I made it to the state finals but lost. I was super bummed out, but I quickly realized how much I loved the sport of wrestling because I had never gotten that upset when I lost in football. Shortly after that, we quit football and focused on wrestling."
Heffernan greatly admires Zac and Danny's loyalty to each other.
"They live together and train together and eat together and do everything else together," Heffernan said. "My assumption is that someday those two will buy houses across the street from each other."
Next Fall, there will be a third Braunagel in the Illini wrestling room: Joe Jr.
"Joe Joe really, really wanted to come to Illinois, but, throughout his recruitment, we kept telling him to enjoy the recruiting process," Danny said. "At the end of the day, we told him that he had to make the best decision for him. We told him maybe Illinois isn't that, maybe somewhere else is. Wisconsin, Indiana, Navy were really recruiting him hard, but we were really excited when he decided to choose Illinois."
Heffernan said that Joe Jr. will likely compete at 197 pounds.
"Being the youngest brother, Joe probably got beat up quite a bit," Heffernan said. "I told the twins that if Joe keeps getting bigger, at some point there's going to be some payback."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/1/26/wrestlings-braunagel-brothers-born-to-be-captains.aspx
The Bielema Family
Bret Bielema: Illinois Home Grown
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
It's not necessarily ironic that the third grader who once wrote a school paper about one day playing middle linebacker for the Fighting Illini now occupies an office on the same campus block as a statue of the University of Illinois's greatest defender.
And though Bret Bielema's hopes of playing for his home-state university's team were never realized, it was his inimitable work ethic, dedication and desire that gave him the opportunity to return "home" to become the head football coach for his state's flagship institution.
Bielema, himself, described it as coming "full circle."
"I can't wait to walk down the street and see someone representing Illinois and give them an ILL- and get an -INI back," he said in his introductory press conference.
Bret, the son of Arnie and Marilyn Bielema—weighing 11 pounds at birth—was introduced by doctors on Jan. 13, 1970 at then-named Illini Hospital in Silvis, Ill. Bret's mother remembers that day well.
"At Thanksgiving (of 1969), our older kids caught the chicken pox," Mrs. Bielema recalled. "They brought it home and by Christmas I had the chicken pox, too. When Bret was born, he had chicken pox. Of course, he couldn't be in the nursery with the other children, so I had him in the crib in my room. The doctors and nurses would knock on my door and ask 'Can we come in and see the 11-pound baby with chicken pox?'"
In 1974, when Bret was four, Arnie quit his job as a State Farm Insurance agent in East Moline and moved his family to a farm six miles outside of Prophetstown in Illinois' Whiteside County. There, the Bielemas owned 200 sows and, with the assistance of sons Bret, Bart and Barry and sisters Betsy and Brandy, eventually marketed between 3,000 and 4,000 pigs annually. It was a never-ending, 365-days-a-year job.
Said Bret's childhood friend, Jeff Detra, a banking executive who now resides in Colorado Springs, Colo. "On the Saturday mornings after our high school football games, I was sleeping in 'til noon, but Bret was getting up at 5 AM to do whatever he had to do with the hogs."
When they weren't working in the hog barns, the Bielema boys participated in football and wrestling and ran track. During the summer months, they'd play Pony League baseball. They inherited their love of sports from their dad, who in his younger days was a basketball and baseball player and track man.
In fact, Arnie was talented enough on the diamond to try out for Coach Lee Eilbracht's Illini baseball team in the Fall of 1957 when he enrolled as an engineering student. Deane Frary, a Prophetstown native and 1930s Illini track letterman, opened the door for Arnie's audition. Unfortunately, the ultra-challenging U of I engineering curriculum proved to be a bit more than Arnie could handle and he dropped out of classes just prior to December finals.
As for Bret, sports captivated his interest from a very young age. Jeff Tuisl, Bielema's childhood friend and playmate from kindergarten through their freshman year at Prophetstown High School, admired his buddy's grit and determination.
"No one was going to outwork Bret," said Tuisl, a 1992 U of I graduate and current insurance broker in Saint Charles. "When people ask me what it is that Bret's got, I can tell you. He's got this work ethic of growing up on a farm."
Detra concurred that Bret Bielema has always displayed qualities of determination and leadership.
"Working on a hog farm, Bret learned from a very early age that hard work is what it took to get things done," Detra said. "Bret is a one-day-at-a-time kind of guy and that quality came from Arnie. Bret is honest and he treats people right. He never takes any shortcuts. It does not surprise me one bit that he's been as successful in life as he has. Absolutely, I could have predicted that."
While Bielema didn't receive any "love" from the home-state Illini football staff as a small-town athlete, it was Arnie's side job as a sports equipment salesman in eastern Iowa that ultimately opened the door for Bret getting a walk-on offer from the Hawkeyes.
"With me traveling throughout Iowa, I got very acquainted with the whole eastern side of Iowa," he said. "The University of Iowa was one of my accounts. Bret went to camps at Iowa for football and wrestling with my encouragement because I knew the coaches at Iowa. Then, in January, Bret got a call one night from (Iowa assistant coach) Donnie Patterson and he was invited to walk on. Later on, we drove over and talked to Coach Fry, and, as they say, the rest is history."
Bret's mother says her son exhibited his compassion for people as a very young child.
"I started working fulltime when Bret was in kindergarten," she explained, "so I had to leave him with my parents. My mother (Bret's grandmother) had a relative at the local nursing home who wasn't capable of feeding herself, so my mother would drive over and help her during the lunch hour. Bret tagged along every day with her to the nursing home and he made friends of a lot of the older gentlemen there. While Mom was feeding her relative, Bret would go down and push some of the men in wheelchairs down to the dining hall so that they could have their lunch. I think that really made an impression on him. He's always been so caring to older adults. He's so aware that people want attention and that everyone has something to give. And he does it."
"I remember Bret's first year coaching at Iowa," she continued. "The team had its Spring game and then hosted a cookout for the players and their parents. I remember Bret stopping to talk with every single person that was there. We were the last ones to leave the facility and as we were walking down the hallway, he stopped at the kitchen door and called in to thank the cooks for the wonderful meal. I thought to myself, 'You're going to do okay, kid.'
When the married couple of 60 years got confirmation from their son that he had landed the Illini job, Arnie knew that it would be a popular announcement in Prophetstown and the surrounding communities.
"I told Bret that the sporting goods store up in Sterling had better get plenty of Illini clothing and stuff because they're going to have a run on it."
Echoed Detra, "It wouldn't surprise me at all if there are already some Illinois flags flying in Prophetstown."
Tuisl said that, as Bielema did in his introductory Illini press conference, "Bret will wear his emotions on his sleeve."
"That's one thing that has attracted players to him in the past and it will attract players to him at Illinois. You know exactly what you're getting from him. Bret takes things personally and he takes everything to heart. It's because he wants to help his guys grow and win."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/12/30/football-bret-bielema-illinois-home-grown.aspx
Kevin Hardy
Kevin Hardy Reminisces of Butkus Award in Silver Anniversary
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
The ninth day of December marks an especially noteworthy date in University of Illinois football history, particularly for linebackers.
Not only is it the birth date of one of its greatest players—Dick Butkus—it's the date the legendary University of Illinois linebacker got the opportunity to give his namesake prize—the Butkus Award—to two other Fighting Illini stars.
Like his former teammate Dana Howard, newly selected Illini Hall of Famer Kevin Hardy fondly recalls the details that surrounded that memorable night 25 years ago—Dec. 9, 1995. Hardy's competition for the award was a pair of future College Football Hall of Famers—Ray Lewis of the Miami Hurricanes and Zach Thomas of Texas Tech—so the then Illini senior was understandably pessimistic about his chances.
"That day, I had contemplated whether I was going to write a speech," Hardy said. "Finally, I decided that I should scribble something down. I rehearsed it a few times, but I had convinced myself that I probably wasn't going to win. Just in case, I had my notes with me.
"That night, I started playing the game of looking where I was seated and where the other two guys were seated. I'm wondering whether maybe they put the winner closer to the stage. There were so many things that were going through my mind. I was convinced that 'There's no way you're going to win this thing.' So, when Dick Butkus called my name, I was really shocked. I was just as stunned as anyone. All season long, I just never saw myself like that. I was just happy to be there as a finalist."
At the awards banquet that night, the crowd was shown some video that Hardy, Lewis and Thomas had pre-taped with an interviewer earlier in the day.
"One of the questions was do you think that you could be better than Dick Butkus? 'Are you the best linebacker ever from Illinois?'," Hardy remembered. "Me being cocky and brash at the time, I made a statement about having the ability to become the best linebacker to ever play at Illinois or something along those lines. It wasn't really something I thought about when I was saying it. So, when they played that I'm thinking "Oh, #%x%!"
Finally, came the evening's most dramatic announcement.
"So, they called my name and Dick Butkus is handing me the award," Hardy said. "Obviously, he's the greatest linebacker ever to play and the trophy is in his name. He mentioned that it was two years in a row that the winner had come from his alma mater.
"He says, 'Congratulations, Kevin. Who knows? Maybe you will be the best ever from Illinois.' Everybody was laughing, so it was kind of an ice breaker. I look back now and it's a great story to be able to tell people."
As a member of Illinois's famed 1990s linebacker quartet that included Dana Howard, John Holecek, and Simeon Rice, Hardy admits that he didn't feel as highly regarded as his former teammates. It did, however, inspire him to raise his game.
"To be honest, I always felt like the odd man out," Hardy said. "They used to call Dana and John the 'H Boys.' I got thrown in the mix because my last name was Hardy. To me, they were the original 'H Boys.' And then Simeon being Big Ten Freshman of the Year and having the immediate success that he had, he got a lot of accolades. I used that as motivation because I didn't want to be considered the weakest link or the fourth guy. In my sophomore year, Dana and John and Simeon were all first-team All-Big Ten, and I was honorable mention. I remember hanging that press release on my wall, right next to my bed. It was one of those things that I saw every day and I used it as motivation to prove that I could be on the first-team the following year."
In 1994, Kevin Hardy's hard work paid off and he was rewarded with consensus first-team all-conference accolades alongside Howard and Rice. The following season, of course, he was able duplicate his teammate and personal hero's most notable achievement.
"On the football field, I never played with anyone who played with as much emotion and passion as Dana," Hardy said. "He just brought it every single day. He was the same type of guy off the field. People just gravitate to his personality. When I was being recruited and I came up to Illinois for a visit, the team was practicing in the bubble. They were doing a nine-on-seven drill and he hit the running back. In the bubble, when those shoulder pads would pop, that sound would echo. That hit echoed so loud that it got me all fired up. When they told me that Dana was just a freshman and that I'd get to play with him, that was one of those things that I never forgot. Years later, having experienced being on the field with him and seeing the work that he put in really helped motivate me and propelled me to work hard and be on the same level as him."
Earlier this year, Hardy got word that another honor was coming his way from his alma mater.
"A number of years ago, I was inducted into our high school Hall of Fame (Evansville, Indiana's Harrison High School)," he said. "At that point, Illinois didn't even have a Hall of Fame. When they finally established it, I felt that I had a decent shot of getting in there one day. So when (athletic director) Josh (Whitman) called and told me, I was definitely excited. I don't care at what age or at what stage of your life you are, you always appreciate recognition for work that you've done. Obviously, Illinois did a lot for me, giving me an opportunity to get an education and play football. I feel like I worked hard while I was there and worked hard to help the team win and, on a personal level, to be the best football player that I could be. When you get that kind of recognition, it ties everything together. It brings a sense of accomplishment. There are a lot of people that are responsible for helping me get there, so my thanks goes to all of them."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/12/9/football-kevin-hardy-reminisces-of-butkus-award-in-silver-anniversary.aspx
Andre Curbelo and Adam Miller
Curbelo, Miller Give Illini More Options at Guard
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
With an abundance of talented guards on his roster, Fighting Illini men's basketball coach Brad Underwood may be tempted to utilize hockey's unique concept of line changes, shuttling in players to match-up the needs of any particular moment in time.
Led by pre-season All-American Ayo Dosunmu, Underwood's roster includes a bevy of capable backcourt candidates who possess a variety of physical attributes and skills. Components of size, quickness, speed, toughness, experience, shooting ability and defensive tenacity provide Underwood with a Rubik Cube's worth of combinations. Perhaps at no other time in University of Illinois basketball history has a coach had so many options.
"You have no idea how great a problem it is to have really good guards," Underwood said. "There are unbelievable battles every single day (in practice). That has been the joy of preseason so far, watching those guys go at it. It's so competitive."
Two of Underwood's most intriguing choices for playing time come in the form of highly recruited freshmen Adam Miller and Andre Curbelo. The rookies' resumes are as impressive as any in recent memory.
Miller, Peoria born and bred, played his final three years of prep ball at Chicago's Morgan Park High School. He earned Illinois Mr. Basketball honors this past season.
Curbelo, a product of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, starred the last four seasons at Long Island, New York's Lutheran High School. A third-team All-American, he was considered to be the top-ranked player in the Empire State by 247Sports.
The freshman roommates have become good friends and mutually admire the other's game.
Says Miller about Curbelo, "He lives up to the hype. Everything they say about him is true. His passing game is just as good as they say it is. He makes great reads. His jump shot is improving and he's getting stronger."
Curbelo is just as complimentary about Miller.
"I've learned a lot from him," Curbelo said. "He's a great shooter, a hard-working kid. With him being such a great shooter and my ability to drive and play with the screens and look for my shooters and my bigs, I think me and him are going to play a big role on the team this year."
Thanks to strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher, each player's physical frame is rapidly evolving. Miller tipped the scales at 178 when he arrived and now weighs 195.
"I'm always working to get stronger," Miller said. "I've always loved the weight room. It's always been good vibes. It comes second nature to me because I like being in there. Great things happen in there just like great things happen in the gym. Putting in the effort in the weight room has really changed my body. I'm not done yet."
Nineteen-year-old Curbelo, who checked in at 159 pounds when he got to Champaign-Urbana and now weighs 180, admits that he used to be "a really, really lazy guy back home".
"Puerto Ricans aren't super strong and tall or athletic," he said. "My body is going to be defined in a little bit. The numbers are there and I'm really happy where I'm at right now. Being a little less strong than the older guys, I'm now able to bump into them with my chest. I'm in love with the weight room nowadays. For me, gaining weight is going to be really key because of how physical the Big Ten is."
Both Illini freshmen say they've learned a lot since formal practices began on October 14th.
"It's been really hard," Curbelo said. "I'm literally exhausted having to guard pros—Ayo's going to be a pro, Trent's going to be a pro—and that's what it's going to be like when we face our opponents. Obviously, I'm a freshman, so I'm trying to learn. As a point guard, I've got to be very observative. I'm trying to learn the little things. I'm think I'm doing pretty well, but I've got to continue to work hard and keep learning and listening."
Curbelo says he's not only been a pupil of the head coach, but also of his son, Tyler Underwood.
"Me and Tyler have a different relationship than just as teammates," he said. "He's like a brother to me and he's like a coach to me. He's always looking out for me. Same thing with Giorgi (Bezhanishvili) and Kofi (Cockburn). But my relationship with Tyler is different. I'm always talking with him when I'm not on a drill or getting reps, what I'm doing wrong or what I can do better. Dos (Dosumnu) and Kofi and Da'Monte (Williams) and Trent (Frazier) and Giorgi have done a great job as well. They're taking us by the hand and walking us along so that we can be the best freshmen that we can be."
Unlike Curbelo, Miller has one teammate he's known for years, fellow Peorian Da'Monte Williams.
"Da'Monte, that's my big brother," Miller said. "We work hard and we feed off each other. We know how each other works. We're going to push each other. The bond brothers have is 'I've got your back and you've got mine.' He's going to tell me little secrets that nobody knows. He's going to teach me. It's good to have him helping me out. I always give thanks to Da'Monte. Without him, I wouldn't be as successful as I am today."
Miller also is a big fan of his former Morgan Park teammate.
"Playing with Ayo and seeing his growth and his skill, his all-around awareness, it's motivated me to get there and get there now," he said.
Including center Brandon Lieb and Coleman Hawkins, Brad Underwood has been impressed by all of his freshmen.
"On the court, they're probably further ahead than any group of freshmen ever have been," he said. "They're great listeners and great learners. Where they're at in terms of learning and understanding is way ahead of any group we've had."
***
Fighting Illini basketball has produced some iconic guard units over the last 100 years. Here are this year's Illini guard group with some of the most memorable in its history:
2020-21:
Ayo Dosunmu, Trent Frazier, Da'Monte Williams, Jacob Grandison, Austin Hutcherson, Andre Curbelo and Adam Miller
2019-20:
Ayo Dosunmu, Trent Frazier, Andres Feliz and Da'Monte Williams
2004-05 (Big Ten champs, Final Four):
Dee Brown, Deron Williams, Luther Head and Rich McBride
2001-02 (Big Ten champs):
Frank Williams, Cory Bradford, Sean Harrington and Luther Head
1997-98 (Big Ten champs):
Matt Heldman, Kevin Turner, Sergio McClain and Arias Davis
1988-89 (Final Four):
Nick Anderson, Stephen Bardo, Kendall Gill, Larry Smith and P.J. Bowman
1983-84 (Big Ten champs):
Bruce Douglas, Doug Altenberger, Quinn Richardson and Tony Wysinger
1982-83:
Derek Harper, Bruce Douglas, Doug Altenberger and Kevin Bontemps
1962-63 (Big Ten champs):
Tal Brody, Bill Edwards and Bill Small
1951-52 (Big Ten champs, Final Four):
Irv Bemoras, Jim Bredar and Rod Fletcher
1948-49 (Big Ten champs, Final Four):
Van Anderson, Bill Erickson, Dick Foley, Jim Marks and Don Sunderlage
1941-42 (Big Ten champs):
Bill Hocking, Andy Phillip, Jack Smiley and Gene Vance
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/11/22/mens-basketball-mens-basketball-mens-basketball-curbelo-miller-bring-illini-more-options-at-guard.aspx
Doug Dieken
Former Illini Dieken Follows Path from Champaign to Cleveland
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Fifty years have passed since Doug Dieken last wore a Fighting Illini uniform, but time has not diminished the memories and honors he's garnered over the last half century.
"I enjoyed my time at Illinois," he said. "Though there were only seven from my recruiting class that finished the entire four years on scholarship, I stay in touch with nearly all of them."
A charter member of the Streator Bulldogs Hall of Fame, Dieken inherited his physical attributes from parents Charles (6-feet-6 inches tall) and Lorraine (6-feet tall). At 6-5, Doug figured he'd be a basketball player.
"Our coach was … well … dictator might be a little harsh," he remembered. "We'd shoot free throws at 6:30 in the morning, go home, shower, and come back for classes. Then, we had our regular practice after school. Our hair couldn't be any longer than half an inch."
The coach gave Dieken an ultimatum if he wanted to play basketball.
"He told me, 'If you want to go out for basketball, you either go out for cross country or football in the Fall, because I want you in shape when you get to basketball season.' I remember thinking, 'Well, that's an easy choice.'"
And while Dieken was an all-star forward who received some small-school offers and an outstanding baseball pitcher, his greatest acclaim came on the gridiron as a sure-handed receiver. Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern, Wisconsin & Michigan all pursued him, but it was Pete Elliott, the charming head football coach of the Fighting Illini, who talked him into attending Illinois. It certainly didn't hurt that his mom and dad were both UI graduates.
Though not swift afoot, Dieken became a reliable wide receiver for second-year Illini coach Jim Valek, catching 21 passes for 223 yards. In his self-deprecating style, he recalled a game in 1968 when Illinois played at sixth-ranked Notre Dame.
"So, the starting wide receivers were Jim Seymour and me," Dieken said. "We had to be the two slowest wide receivers to ever start an NCAA game. We got beat 58-8. I'm still trying to figure out why we went for two. I guess we were pretty optimistic."
Dieken earned team Most Valuable Player honors as a junior and senior, then exploded with 39 catches for 537 yards in his final season, earning first-team All-Big Ten acclaim.
He faced a particularly difficult personal challenge as the Illini captain in 1970 when Illini boosters called for his coach to resign in mid-season.
"We were getting ready to play (top-ranked and eventual National Champion) Ohio State," Dieken said. "It was a Friday night and we were out at Allerton. (Assistant coach) Ellis Rainsberger told me that Valek was going to be fired. 'After the game tomorrow, he's out of here.' I was the only player who knew what was going on. So, after the game, we went into the locker room and I just asked the coaches if they'd all leave. I said, 'Guys, if Coach isn't going to be here tomorrow, I'm not going to be here. Who's with me?' Everybody raised their hand. Afterwards, a few of us went over to the coach's house. We drew up a letter and sent it to the Athletic Board. We told them that we thought it was unfair and that if he wasn't allowed to stay for the remainder of the season, we weren't going to play. You might say, we had some leverage."
Dieken played in a pair of post-season all-star games and it was there where he'd see he first appearance as an offensive lineman.
"Bobby Bowden was our coach at the Blue-Gray Game," he remembered. "One of our linemen got hurt and he sent me in the game. On (NFL) Draft Day, I got a phone call from (Cleveland Browns head coach) Nick Skorich and he told me that they'd just drafted me as an offensive tackle in the sixth round. I said, 'Any chance that I can try out for tight end?' He said, 'We'll see when you get here.' Well, when I got to mini-camp, they gave me a 73 jersey, so I knew that #%&# wasn't going to work."
As a Browns rookie, Dieken initially played behind veteran Dick Schafrath.
"A few months before the season, an auto dealer told Dick that if he ran from Wooster—about 45-50 miles away—to Cleveland, he'd give him a car to use for the year," Dieken explained. "Dick had no legs by the time training camp came around."
The Browns actually waived Dieken near the end of camp, hoping he'd clear so that they could put him on their practice squad. He did eventually find a roster spot, playing on Cleveland's special teams.
"In the seventh game of the season, our right tackle got hurt," Dieken said. "We only had three tackles, so they sent me in. My first game as a pro I got (Atlanta Falcons Hall of Famer) Claude Humphrey. I did well enough that a couple of weeks they made me the starter."
From that point on—Nov. 21, 1971 through Dec. 16, 1984—Dieken was the Browns' starting left tackle for every regular season and playoff game. For 194 consecutive games—despite three knee operations, two broken thumbs, a broken hand, cracked ribs, and five concussions—the streak continued.
Dieken reluctantly retired following the 1984 campaign, but the team hired him as their radio network's color analyst the following season. Similar to his durability as a player, he's only missed broadcasting two Browns games, one in 1989 when his mother died (his father died 10 days later) and one when Cleveland played in London and Dieken was advised by a doctor not to make the lengthy flight because of a health issue.
Dieken has won numerous awards, including being named the NFL's Man of the Year in 1982. He's also been inducted into three Halls of Fame (Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame, Browns Legends Program, and the Streator High School Hall of Fame).
In 1997, he began a Foundation to honor his mentally challenged younger brother, Paul.
"When I was playing for the Browns, they were starting the Special Olympics in LaSalle County and I was kind of like the honorary chairman," Dieken said. "One year, I had taken my brother who was participating in the Games. I was passing out medals, so I couldn't keep track of him for the most part. Afterwards, we went to a root beer stand and the owner came out to say hello. My brother opened up his jacket and showed her these four ribbons that he had won in the Special Olympics. It was probably the proudest day I've ever had in athletics. The good Lord gave me some talent, but unfortunately Paul didn't get the same."
With the Browns in playoff contention, Dieken is cautiously optimistic that the 2020 team can break a 31-year playoff-game drought. He was privileged to cover playoff teams during his first five seasons behind the microphone (1985 through '89), but none since then. Dieken has described the performance of numerous all-star type players, but says that Joe Thomas—his replacement and the player that inherited his jersey No. 73—is at the top of his personal list.
"Joe is a first-ballot Hall of Famer," Dieken said. "I happened to be out at his first practice. He walked over and said 'I hope you don't mind that I took your number.' I said, 'Don't worry, Joe. I don't mind, but I've got to tell you that I've used up all of the holding penalties.'"
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/11/21/football-former-illini-dieken-follows-path-from-champaign-to-cleveland
Isaiah Williams rambles for some of his record-setting 192 yards against Rutgers.
Isaiah Williams: A Record-Setting First Start
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
A redshirt freshman who wears jersey number one got his first start on Saturday, scored his first career touchdown, led his team to season victory number one, and, in the process, placed his name in the number one position on the University of Illinois's all-time single-game rushing list for a quarterback.
No doubt about it, Saturday's 23-20 victory at Rutgers was one memorable day for quarterback Isaiah Williams.
Thirty-one times the redshirt freshman from St. Louis's Trinity Catholic High School used his feet to rush for 192 yards, including individual gainers of 26, 25, 22 and 19 yards. That broke A.J. Bush's previous high rushing mark by an Illini QB (187 yards at Nebraska in 2018).
Williams' most decisive drive of the afternoon came on the heels of Nate Hobbs' crucial interception with just more than a minute left in the game and the contest tied at 20-20. Taking over at the Illinois 46-yard line, Williams completed a pair of 16-yard passes to teammate Casey Washington, and set the stage for James McCourt's game-winning 47-yard field goal with just three seconds left.
Coach Lovie Smith wasn't at all surprised by Williams' 192-yard rushing and 104-yard passing performance.
"We've talked about how good Isaiah Williams looked in training camp," Smith said. "He had as good of a camp as anyone around. For me, today was about moving the football, whether it be run or pass. In an ideal world for a first-time quarterback, you don't want to be in a lot of tough passing situations. When you have a guy who can move the chains with his legs, that's just tough on a defense. Coach (Rod) Smith and the offensive staff did a good job of getting Isaiah ready. He needed to make some plays and he did that all day. Even in the passing game, when we really needed to throw it, I thought he was able to do it. It's tough duty for a defense when you have a quarterback who can run like that. Isaiah, for his first start, set a record today and we've had a few good ones who could run the football."
And, did we mention that Williams, who'd been quarantined for more than two weeks due to COVID tracing protocol, learned only one day in advance that he'd be getting his big break?
"When I came back Wednesday I was taking a lot of reps with the twos," Williams said, "but I was also getting in there a little bit with the ones. By the Thursday practice, I wasn't sure, but I had a feeling (that he would start) because I was getting more one reps. I knew, for sure, on Friday. Coach Lovie told me. He called me up and said 'You're going to get your shot. You had a great camp, now it's time to show the world.' And that's what I did today."
Williams was quick to hand out credit to his teammates, including his offensive line and sophomore running back Chase Brown, who rushed for a career-best 131 yards on just 17 carries.
"Chase is a dawg," Williams said. "He makes my job way easier. We got a lot of explosive plays from him. He came up big. He's a dawg. I know he's got my back. It's a connection that we have."
Williams also acknowledged his Illini defensive teammates that picked off three Rutgers passes.
"Honestly, the defense basically won us the game," he said. "Those three turnovers were big. They were in crucial moments. They make the offense's job easier when they do that. When they get a turnover, we've got to get a first down."
Hobbs returned Williams' compliment.
"We were cheering him on the whole time," Hobbs said. "There were a lot of third and longs, third and mediums, when we were preparing to go back on the field. On third down, he went out there and got that third-down conversion a lot of times. He helped the defense out a lot. He put the team on his back and just went to work. I saw an attitude out of our quarterback that I really want. He showed that, no matter what, he's going to keep battling. And I love that."
Noting that senior starter Brandon Peters was due to come off the COVID list next week when the Illini travel to Nebraska, a reporter asked Lovie if the team now had a "quarterback situation". A sly smile broke out on the veteran head coach's face.
"It's a little early (to talk about that)," Lovie said. "We've got a week to start putting some things in place. What Isaiah did today is give us a lot of options. The goal of every coaching staff is to put the guys and the team in the best place to be successful. We'll do that this week."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/11/15/football-isaiah-williams-a-record-setting-first-start.aspx
Meyers Leonard (right) found himself playing against formidable competition in the 2020 NBA Finals.
Leonards Always Together through Basketball, Business and Life
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
It's been an eventful, albeit forgettable year for Americans everywhere, but the past 15 months have been doubly Earth-shaking for former Fighting Illini basketball star Meyers Leonard and his wife, Elle.
Since July of 2019 when he was traded from the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers to the Miami Heat … to 49 consecutive starting assignments … to a debilitating injury … to his controversial decision concerning the National Anthem at the NBA's "bubble" … to seeing his Heat advance all the way to the NBA Finals … (among numerous other events) … Leonard's world has kept revolving and evolving.
And along for the ride has been Meyers' bride of five years, Elle (pronounced EL-ee). They met each other through mutual acquaintances in the Fall of 2010, as freshmen on the University of Illinois campus. Then 18-year-old Elle Bielfeldt, a graduate of Peoria's Notre Dame High School, was, shall we say, skeptical about the Robinson High School basketball hot shot. A
hoops player herself, three times she had rejected his invitations to join him as his guest at the dining facility just a short walk from his Scott Hall dormitory. On a desperation fourth try, Elle finally relented, suggesting that she and Meyers hang out at the Ubben Practice Facility.
"This was perfect," Meyers thought. "I was poor as hell and I can shoot a basketball really well. Maybe I can impress her this time. I had no clue how competitive she was and that she could shoot a basketball."
He challenged her to a shooting contest, going first and converting a "pretty solid" 22 of 25.
"I'm thinking, there's no way she's going to come close to that," Meyers said. "She wound up making 23. I knew at that point that I had a pretty special gal on my hands. Then I think I won her heart a little bit when we talked afterwards about our hometowns, other interests, our friends … those kinds of things. I think she was able to see that I was a good guy with a good heart."
An "official" first date didn't come until July of 2011. Four years later, they were married.
Meyers became the 11th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, being selected by the Portland Trail Blazers. The seven-foot center got nine starts in 69 games in his rookie season. Over the next six seasons, Leonard missed 56 games due to injury and illness, only rarely meeting the expectations he had set for himself. He remembers his fifth year—the 2016-17 season—being particularly miserable.
"I was dealing with depression and anxiety," he said. "It was a very, very difficult year. I was so distraught and in a bad place. There were ups and downs. Just pulling up to the arena, I got really bad anxiety. It was a negative place for me sometimes."
Elle wrote about her personal heartache it in a poignant story she titled "A Dry Goodbye." One passage capsulized what she had experienced during that stressful nine months.
"The 2016-17 season was the year that I slowly stopped attending games," she wrote. "I knew Meyers wasn't healthy. Sitting in that arena felt like absolute torture. Each opportunity seemed to be coupled with an injury or heartache. Each game, it was like I had a front-row season to watch my husband's paint on public display."
Ironically, Meyers' best game with Portland came in his very last game as a Blazer—May 20, 2019—scoring a career-best 30 points. The Moda Center crowd chanted his name.
"When you have seven years in a place, there's a lot of history and emotion," Elle said. "Basically, Meyers had experienced the worst of the worst and the highest of the highs with that final game. During that final game, I was crying tears of joy, hearing them chant his name, yet two years prior they were booing him and I couldn't go to games. We experienced complete polar opposites. You have to go through hard times to appreciate the good."
Two months later—July 6, 2019—Leonard and Jimmy Butler were traded to the Miami Heat in a four-team trade. It would turn out to be a positive event for the Leonards.
"When I got to Miami, I knew for sure that I could impact the game every night," Meyers said. "I was vastly improved and I was ready to make a real impact. Throughout training camp, I was really playing well. Spoe (Heat coach Erik Spoelstra) had seen Bam (Adebayo) and I play on the same team and, although we were both centers of sorts, he's so dynamic that it made sense that I could guard the five, take on the physical demand every night, and let Bam road on the defensive end. And on the other end, I spaced the floor and he played at the rim. It was like a perfect match."
Leonard started the first 49 games of the season, averaging six points and five rebounds per game in about 20 minutes of action. Game 49 saw him score 18 points and grab 14 rebounds. Midway through Game 50, his season came to a screeching halt.
"We're playing Philly at home," he recalled. "I landed on Joel Embiid's foot and tore basically everything there is to tear (in his left ankle), the worse of the worst. It would have been better for me to just fracture my leg. I've only seen the video of it once. I just know what it felt like.
It would be a long and grueling road to recovery.
"Because of COVID and the NBA shutdown, I wasn't actually allowed to get the treatment I needed," Meyers said. "So I did everything in my power to do everything at my house in Miami, but unfortunately it wasn't enough. Then the NBA announced we were going into the 'bubble' and that we were going to resume the season. So when I got to the bubble, I thought that I was OK … but I was far from OK. I loved my starting job so much and I just didn't want to say anything to anybody."
Then came a call from the head coach.
"Spoe said he wanted to sit down with me," Meyers remembered. "He said 'I need to let you know that I don't think you're fully healthy right now. You really need to have grace during this time because of the injury that you had. Just keep working with our staff and keep getting healthy. But you're going to be out of the starting lineup and we'll figure out the rotation later.'
"I totally understood. That was really, really difficult. The three things that were hardest in the bubble were having that conversation with Spoe. Second was being away from Elle and our dog Koko. It was hard. I'd never been away from my wife for that long. I count on her and our relationship and just being a normal human being. I didn't have that. I just kept going back to the same (hotel) room every day, knowing I was still not healthy and knowing that I wasn't going to play. Lastly, of course, was the Anthem."
SOCIAL JUSTICE IN THE BUBBLE
Conversations in the Disney "bubble" was so much more than just basketball.
Meyers and his Miami Heat teammates were but one of the 22 teams who had been shuttled to three hotel complexes inside Walt Disney World in early July of 2020. Not only had the players been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic the previous four months, they had witnessed tremendous social unrest due to the unnecessarily brutal deaths of African-Americans Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and others at the hands of police officers. The Black Lives Matter movement dominated the news, especially for the roughly 80 percent of the players who were either black or of a mixed race.
Said LeBron James to a reporter, "When you're black, it's not a movement. It's a lifestyle, a walk of life."
Boldly emblazoned on the three playing courts were the words BLACK LIVES MATTER. Numerous other phrases were featured on the players uniforms. The athletes and coaches were expected to gather around the center circle and take a knee.
Everyone wondered what Leonard, the 28-year-old seven-footer from Robinson, Ill.—a white man—would do.
"I spoke with Elle first and told her 'This is what I think I'm going to do', and that I was probably going to stand," Meyers said. "I knew there would be backlash towards me, no matter what, and that she may be roped into some of that as well. After Elle, I talked to my brother, Bailey."
Leonard's older brother by 22 months is a U.S. Marine who served in Afghanistan. He's been in service since August of 2008.
"I wanted to know how he felt," Meyers remembered. "He said, 'Meyers, it's not like I'm going to disown you if decide to do what everyone else is doing, but, based on my service to this country and our feelings to the flag and to the anthem, I feel that it's right for you to stand. And then I had some other conversations with other members of the military. Let's just say that they are some of the baddest men to ever walk this planet, including Navy Seal Team Six operators who have been on some very classified missions and such."
Next, Leonard had conversation with his teammates.
"I sat down with Udonis Haslem and had a very open conversation with him. He's a very, very mature individual, and he was very understanding. Coming from a guy who'd been with the Miami Heat for 17 straight years, who's African-American, and who has the utmost respect of anyone around the entire NBA, knowing that I had his support was big. Then I went to Jimmy (Butler) and he felt the same way. Basically, he said that if you don't stand for something, you stand for nothing. You have to do what you feel is right. We've got your back.
"I also talked to Spoe, to the entire team, and I spoke to (Heat president) Pat Riley. They said, 'Meyers, we know your heart. No doubt about it, we know who you are. If we didn't, we could have seen it coming a mile away.' That meant a helluva lot to me. Some of my former teammates (with Portland) told me that you have to be ready for what could come if you stand.
"I explained to the media that you can be both. I can—100 per cent—feel a certain way every time I hear that song and every time I see that flag," Leonard continued. "I have vivid memories of my brother being in Afghanistan twice and sitting with these incredibly high-level operators and hearing some of the painful stories that they had shared with me. Talking about that, right now, the hair on my arms is standing up. For me, personally, my main initiative off the floor is giving back to the military. There comes a certain real-life emotion and real-life experience that are tied to that.
"At the same time, ever since I was a sophomore in high school, I have been around African-American culture. Though I come from a blue-collar, primarily white community, I can relate because of my basketball experience on the AAU circuit and then at the University of Illinois and, of course, around the NBA. I have heard stories that were difficult to listen to, but that I needed to hear. They can relate to George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. That is their real-life experience and real-life emotion. I know, in my head, how difficult of a situation this was for me. But, in my heart, I knew that I needed to stand. It was a very, very, very difficult three-to-four days. I was sleeping two-to-three hours per night because I was so conflicted in this decision. Ultimately, I did what my heart told me to do, and that was to stand. My teammates supported me and so did many on social media. But there were also people who didn't support that decision. But I'm okay with that because I know the man that I am and I know where my heart is."
A few hours before the game, Bailey texted Meyers: "Stay true to you. Stay the course. I love you. Your family loves you. Your community loves you."
As the Anthem began, Meyers stood tall, wearing a dark shirt that displayed the words BLACK LIVES MATTER. placing his right hand over his heart.
At the end of the song, Haslem tapped fists with his teammate.
Said Haslem to reporters, "His being out there with us, as our brother, it's still showing strength, it's still showing unity, it's still showing that we're coming together for a common cause. People will question, 'Why isn't he doing it their way?' Well, he's standing by us. He's supporting us. He's with us."
The Heat eventually advanced to the NBA Finals, battling past the Pacers (4-0), Bucks (4-1) and the Celtics (4-2). And though Miami lost the championship to the Lakers (4-2), under the extreme circumstances it had to be considered a successful season.
WE'RE JUST NORMAL PEOPLE
Meyers and Elle Leonard have an amazingly open relationship with NBA fans. They frequently share social media posts, including Elle's basketball trick shots.
"Elle and I are just normal people," Leonard said. "We just want to be relatable to people in an unrelatable world, so to speak. Are there luxuries to be able to play in the NBA? Sure. It would be a lie to say that there aren't. But we also just try to normalize ourselves because we're just normal people. It's important to us for people to feel comfortable enough to reach out to us and also for us to share our lives. Being open to people is just who we are. We have no shame in who we are. We feel we can relate and that people can relate to us. It's that we know that we can impact lives. That's the main thing. There are two things that I won't ever let anyone question about me and that's my character and my work ethic. Off the floor, it's only about impacting people in a positive way. That's it."
Last April, Meyers raised $170,000 during the month of April by streaming himself playing video games online, donating the money to such causes as Feeding South Florida. He and Elle also have donated thousands of dollars to a fund that helps pay the fees Floridians leaving jails or prisons must settle before they can have their voting rights restored.
Many of the Leonards' off-court hours are devoted to their business: Level Protein Bars. It all began during their fifth season in Portland.
"I was feeling really bad," Meyers said. "I didn't know why, but much of it had to do with my diet and what I was putting in my body. I've always been lean and able to eat whatever I wanted. We met our good buddy now—Dr. Philip Goglia—who has his doctorate from Duke in nutrition. He told me to eliminate gluten, dairy and processed sugars. I cleaned up my diet, I was feeling better, sleeping better, recovering better, and performing better. However, the snacks that I was bringing home from the facility were protein bars weren't the best.
"Elle was like 'Meyers, you can't eat this one, there's dairy in this. There's gluten in this one.' Then I went on this 10-plus-day road trip and Elle went work in the kitchen. She took it as a challenge."
Elle, though a self-described non-cook, appointed herself to create a protein bar that both met her husband's dietary restrictions and his high-level taste restrictions.
"So, I get back from the road trip and I saw some things she had made and had left on the counter," Meyers said. "Elle said, 'Just try it for me' She had looked at the ingredients list from other mainstream bars and figured out how to throw a bar together."
"Some other bars met his dietary requirements, but he didn't like them because of taste," she said. "I knew that I could make a bar, but the hardest thing was to make sure that its flavor met his standards. So, I got all of the base ingredients and began mixing them up in the bowl, determining the right ratio to make it form. I knew the proteins to include, I knew the ingredients-ish. Also, I knew a little bit of the macro-profile I wanted. I knew that Meyers' downfall was caramel."
Elle figured out a way to make coconut taste like caramel. Meyers began sharing Elle's bars with his friends.
"We knew we were on to something," she continued. "People kept asking to order from us. Honestly, I could not keep up with the consumption. I was very hesitant because I didn't know what it took to make them shelf stable or the testing needed to get FDA approval. In Portland, there was a food innovation center downtown. There you could work with a food scientist in the kitchen and learn about it yourself. I believe in sweat equity. You have to put in your time. I just wanted to know my product backwards and forwards. I wanted to know my recipe, I wanted to know the why. We were fortunate to learn and work with a food scientist.
"Finding manufacturers is one of the hardest things in starting a protein bar company. Their minimums are extreme and their availability is scarce," Elle said. "We went through development for 18 months. Once of the manufacturers backed out after six months of working together. One email set us back six months. As a new business, you just have to roll with the punches."
When the Leonards launched their product in October of 2019, it was a smashing success.
"We did a presale and we sold out our entire production run in a day," Elle said.
Since then, Elle said the business is "like you're on a spinning ride at the carnival."
Now, she says, they have their grounding.
"This year, we're hoping to get on other digital platforms such as Walmart and Amazon … which is HUGE! We're also considering some smaller retailers. I'm extremely excited for 2021."
And while he awaits his next professional stop, Meyers also intends to keep a close eye on his alma mater's team.
"I personally think the Illini have an excellent shot to make an Elite Eight/Final Four jump," he said. "This is a championship-caliber team. The combination of proven players like Ayo (Dosunmu) and Kofi (Cockburn) and the young guns who are coming in this year makes this team incredibly talented. You get a sense about a team, even prior to a season This feels like a year when the Fighting Illini can really make a deep tournament run."
MEYERS AND ELLE LEONARDS' SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS:
Twitter: @meyersleonard, @elleleonard and @levelfoods
Instagram: meyersleonard and elleleonard
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/11/8/mens-basketball-leonards-always-together-through-basketball-business-and-life.aspx
Craig Virgin and his first paid of Nike shoes
Nike Origins: The unpronounceable name, a $35 logo and a Virgin first
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
In part two of this series about Nike's 25-year association with the University of Illinois, Kit Morris helps tells Nike's history, how the company's famed swoosh design was created, and its dealings with an Illini legend more than two decades before his official association with the University of Illinois.
This is the story about the convergence of two enterprising shoe distributors, a Greek goddess, a $35 logo, an asterisk, and a fascinating deal with a skinny farm kid from Lebanon, Illinois.
What may sound like a tease for an investigative report on "60 Minutes" is actually part of the legend that culminated with the eventual collaboration 25 years ago between Nike and University of Illinois athletics.
Established in 1964, co-founders Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight originally called their company Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS), serving as the United States distributor of Japanese running shoes that would eventually come to be known as Asics. At the time, Bowerman was the head track and field coach at the University of Oregon, while Knight was an Oregon and Stanford grad who was beginning his career in accounting and business.
Bowerman's ultimate goal for BRS was to design and manufacture his own shoes, and distribute the product under his own brand. He had first begun tinkering with custom fit running shoes in the 1950s, combining a soft sponge midsole that would absorb road shot in the ball and heel area with a high-density outer sole that would provide extra miles of wear. Bowerman's "Tiger Cortez" shoes debuted in 1968 and became a big seller. It would be just the first of his several celebrated shoe creations.
In the Spring of 1971, it came the time to name a brand for the entire line of shoes. Knight preferred name the brand "Dimension Six." Other suggestions were "Peregrine" (a type of falcon) and "Bengal", but neither drew any enthusiasm from the company's other employees.
Yet another administrator urged that the name should have no more than two syllables and at least one exotic letter or sound in them with a Z, X or K.
One of BRS's first employees, Jeff Johnson, is credited with coming up with "Nike", named after the Greek winged goddess or victory.
Facing a factory deadline to put a name on the shoe box, Knight grudgingly went with the four-letter word that none of the shoes' initial purchasers knew exactly how to pronounce.
The box also sported a quirky yet unique logo that Bowerman and Knight hoped consumers would easily remember.
Kit Morris, Nike's Director of College Sports Marketing and UI's primary representative for most of the last 25 years, told the story of how the company's famed "swoosh" was born.
"At the time, Phil Knight was teaching accounting classes at Portland State University," said Morris. "He met a graduate student in design named Carolyn Davidson and he asked her if she would design a logo for Nike. I understand that she was trying to save up money for a prom dress at the time. She charged $2 an hour and submitted a bill for 17-and-a-half hours. So, for the princely sum of $35, the swoosh was created.
The wing design was a notion of Nike, the goddess of winged victory. There's a statue in the louvre that embodies that, that we use as a model. When Phil first saw the design, he said to Carolyn, 'Well, I don't love it, but maybe it will grow on me.' Years later, when the company went public, Mr. Knight gave Carolyn somewhere around a thousand shares or so of Nike stock. Ten years or so ago, Phil told me that she had never sold a share of it."
As for the "asterisk" part of the story—you know, that tiny star-shaped symbol that's often used to call attention to a footnote?—Morris says it's been instrumental towards Nike becoming a brand that statista.com recently estimated to be worth $35 billion.
The company's 10-word vision statement declares: "Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world."
Explains Morris, "The asterisk next to the word 'athlete' pertains to a statement by Bill Bowerman. Bill believed that if you have a body, you're an athlete."
Curiously, one of the very first high-profile athletes to wear Nike shoes—and the very first to wear Nike spikes in international competition—was an Illini … though not at the time.
On July 29, 1972, 16-year old Craig Virgin—a senior-to-be at Lebanon High School, across the Mississippi River from St. Louis—was invited to compete for a U.S. junior team against an age 19 and under squad from the Soviet Union. On Virgin's feet that day were handmade spikes, provided to him by Nike's first promotions man, Geoff Hollister. Sporting green soles, the white nylon uppers were adorned with a black swoosh mark.
"I believe," said Virgin, "those were the first pair of Nike spikes ever worn in international track and field competition."
Recently, Morris confirmed Virgin's claim.
"What I learned from our Nike DNA team is that Craig did wear handmade Bowerman prototype Nike spikes that day in Sacramento," Morris said. "It's always nice to confirm yet another Nike/Illini connection!"
A photographer at that meet corroborated the story further by snapping a shot of Virgin leading two Russian runners. That photo provided the scene for Nike's first-ever poster, distributed by the company a month later.
Four years later, at the 1976 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore., Virgin—running in the 10K finals—became one of Nike's first three Olympic runners, joining Frank Shorter and Garry Bjorkland in qualifying for the Munich Games.
In a 2017 book authored by Randy Sharer, entitled VIRGIN TERRITORY: The Story of Craig Virgin, America's Renaissance Runner, the post-race scene was described.
"As (Virgin) crossed second (behind Shorter) in a personal best of 27:59.43, he collapsed. "You don't know what a feeling it is to realize you're second in the Olympic Trials," he told Dave Dorr of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I think when I crossed the finish line and I knew that I had made the team, it was just one of the happiest moments of my life."
"After taking a victory lap, Craig was greeted on the backstretch by legendary Oregon coach Bill Bowerman, who shook his hand and wrapped an arm around him. Bowerman asked if his parents were present. Upon learning they weren't, Bowerman said, 'Come with me. I'll treat you to a phone call. Call them and tell them you made the Olympic team.' Craig walked to a trackside phone booth to use Bowerman's credit card to call. It was an act of kindness Craig never forgot."
NEXT IN THIS SERIES: Student-athletes and coaches share their experiences about wearing Nike gear as Fighting Illini.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/11/1/general-nike-origins-the-unpronounceable-name-meh-logo-and-a-virgin-first.aspx
Red Grange's shoes (left) are a bit different than those used by 2020 Illini running backs.
NIKE 25 (Part 1): Illini Celebrate a Silver Anniversary with Nike
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
During the 2020-21 season, the partnership between the UI's Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and NIKE, Inc. marks its silver anniversary. It's a healthy "marriage", the two parties say, and one they expect to last well beyond the 25 years they'll celebrate this year.
"We're really proud of our long-standing relationship with Nike," said Josh Whitman, UI's Director of Athletics. "There's been a lot of symmetry between both organizations. It's really been an uplifting relationship for us through the years."
Kit Morris, Nike's Director of College Sports Marketing, shares Whitman's sentiments.
"It's easy to think of the relationship between Nike and Illinois in some ways as transactional, as a business deal," Morris said, "but that is probably the least of it. This has been something that has been relationship driven. It's been a labor of love for us."
Though the original deal wasn't officially finalized until several months later, the collaboration between Illini and Nike initially began in 1995 with then-director Ron Guenther and his assistants, Bill Yonan and Warren Hood.
Hood, UI's current Deputy Director of Athletics, recalled the details of those early meetings a quarter of a century ago.
"Ron hired Bill Yonan out of retirement from Time-Life (in New York City) to put together our corporate sponsorship program," he said. "Bill called Rudy Chapa and Steve Miller at Nike and asked how we could begin doing business."
In the 1990s, the DIA, its coaches and the equipment staff dealt with a plethora of different companies, according to then equipment manager Andy Dixon. When he first joined Marion Brownfield's crew as an assistant in 1981, Dixon said that Illini teams inventoried a wide variety of different brands on their shelves. There were Asics shoes for some, Pumas and adidas for others, Converse for yet another.
"During the Mike White (football) era, the Illini uniform apparel was Russell but the shoes were from adidas," he recalled. "Most of the players wore adidas, but a few wanted to wear Nike. They were asked not to, but they did anyway. So every Monday morning, ol' Andy got a phone call from the athletic director's office."
Finally, then A.D. Neale Stoner swung a deal for the football and basketball teams to exclusively wear Converse shoes. That continued through the balance of White's time at Illinois, through all of the John Mackovic era, and for a tiny portion of Lou Tepper's stint as head coach.
"One of Lou's best friends was George Balanis from Nike," Dixon said. "Their relationship dated back to when they were both coaches at William & Mary. As soon as Lou took over from Coach Mack, George called Lou and said 'We've got to get you in Nike stuff.'
So, in the Spring of 1992, Nike made its pitch and the Illini football team began using football shoes featuring the famous "swoosh" logo for the '92 season. They continued to wear Champion uniforms through the 1994 season.
On May 31, 1995, following weeks of negotiations, the Chicago Tribune announced that Illinois and Nike had agreed in principle to a multimillion-dollar deal that covered the entire Illini sports program, placing the school among about a dozen universities—including Michigan, Florida State, Southern California and Penn State—that had struck such far-reaching arrangements.
That particular date nearly parallels the time when current Head Athletics Equipment Manager Rick Raven first joined Dixon's staff: Aug. 7, 1995. This year marks Raven's 25th season of employment with the DIA.
"Honestly, I don't know any other apparel vendor other than Nike," Raven said. "One of my first big-boy jobs as a 23-year-old, bright-eyed Illinois State University graduate was to take the Champion 'C's' off the women's basketball uniforms and replace them with (Nike) swooshes. I got a crash course from Johnny B (Birdsell) on how to operate a sewing machine. We jumped into the deep end and got right to it."
Finally, on Dec. 12, 1996, a 10-year contract—retroactive to July 1, 1995—was signed by the University and Nike officials. First-year terms called for cash compensation of $100,000 and a cache of free product—shoes, socks, game uniforms, and other apparel—for each of the 17 varsity programs and the cheerleaders. Cash benefits increased to $450,000 by year 10.
It gave Nike the exclusive right to sell authentic Fighting Illini apparel and to market itself as the school's exclusive supplier.
"It was a pretty big moment for the department," Hood said.
A second 10-year deal was signed in October of 2005, raising cash considerations for the DIA to approximately $1.2 million (plus product).
Marty Kaufmann, Senior Associate Director of Athletics for External Relations, was the primary negotiator for a third 10-year contract that was signed with Nike in December of 2015. The latest deal swapped cash considerations entirely for product, ranging from $4 million worth of shoes, apparel and equipment the first year to nearly $5 million when it expires following the 2025-26 season.
"In this contract, virtually everything was poured into product and we rarely spend anything now," Kaufmann said. "From a dollar-for-dollar comparison, we get much more now than we used to."
However, the intrinsic value of being associated with the Nike brand is much greater than the actual compensation.
"Our coaches feel that our association with Nike helps them tremendously with recruiting," Kaufmann said. "They love being partnered with the industry leader. Because of Nike's loyalty to us and our loyalty to them, we are able to fund everything in terms of apparel and footwear needs."
NEXT IN THIS SERIES: Nike's Kit Morris shares tidbits about the company's history, how the company's famed "swoosh" came about, and its dealings with an Illini legend more than two decades before its official association with the University of Illinois.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/10/14/football-nike-25-part-1-illini-celebrate-a-silver-anniversary-with-nike.aspx
Germán Dalmagro
GERMÁN DALMAGRO: "It Takes Acceptance to Know What Other People Are About
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
National Hispanic Heritage Month (from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15) recognizes the influence and contributions of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture and achievements of the United States. This is the third in a series of articles about current Fighting Illini staff members of Hispanic descent.
Then 20-year-old Argentinian Germán Dalmagro (pronounced Her-mahn Dal-mahg-ro), a professional player in his South American homeland, first displayed his talents in front of collegiate recruiters at a showcase tournament in Miami, Fla.
"I had a couple of friends who'd gone to college in the United States, so I said 'Let's give it a try'," he said.
He played well and the offers started rolling in … Georgia, LSU and others. However, Dalmagro faced a couple of underlying problems. He'd been earning a small bit of money as a professional, a no-no in those days according to NCAA rules and regulations. Consequently, eligibility-wise, he'd be forced to sit out his first year.
Even a bigger issue for the young man from Córdoba, Argentina was that he scarcely spoke a word of English.
"I was close to a beginner," Dalmagro admitted. "Every time someone spoke English to me, I had to translate it in my head to Spanish. I would gather my thoughts and translate it to English. In Spanish, you sometimes say things the opposite way, so it was confusing."
He did have one other offer—from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, a small university in Tifton, Ga.—and it turned out to be his only realistic option.
"ABAC told me that they just wanted me for my tennis and would let me in without knowing how to speak English," he said. "My first semester was a struggle. I was thrown into the lion's den. But that made me better because I had no other choice than to learn quicker than I would back home. Nothing can compare to going to a place where you want to learn the language. English was the only thing I read or heard or saw, so that helped me a ton.
"My first semester, I basically took all English classes, but these were tailored to English as a second language. What helped me the most was just speaking with my teammates. It was hard, but it was also fun. I've always enjoyed a challenge. You can't be afraid to make mistakes, otherwise you would never speak it."
On the tennis court, Dalmagro was fabulous for the Golden Stallions, winning National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-America honors in both singles and doubles. He was the national champ at No. 2 singles in 2002 and the runner-up in 2003. ABAC finished second in the NJCAA national tournament both years.
This past March, Dalmagro was named to ABAC's Hall of Fame.
He continued his collegiate success at the University of West Florida, leading the Argonauts to back-to-back NCAA Division II titles (2004 and '05).
"I had teammates from Argentina, Brazil, France, and Columbia, so our team was very diverse, very international," Dalmagro said.
Like many other Argentinians, the Dalmagro family's roots are of European descent. His mother's family came to South America from Spain, while his father's family migrated from Italy. In fact, the original spelling of his surname was Dal Magro.
"When they landed, the officials in Argentina changed it to one name," Germán explained.
His maternal grandfather established a successful Napa Valley-like vineyard near the Andes Mountains in Mendoza. That's where young German and his family lived for many years.
"As a kid, I used to stomp on grapes in my family's winery," he said.
By the age of nine, Dalmagro was obsessed with sports, participating not only in tennis, but also in soccer, swimming, basketball and rugby. When he turned 12, young Germán followed in the footsteps of his very successful tennis-playing father. His parents now live in Paraguay, where his dad, Alberto Dalmagro, continues to serve as a coach.
When Germán's collegiate playing days ended, he began his coaching career, first as an assistant at ABAC, then at UWF, then for six seasons with the Kansas Jayhawks' women's tennis staff. He eventually moved on to Lincoln, Nebraska where he helped the Nebraska Cornhuskers earn a top-60 ranking each of the five years he was there, including No. 21 in 2017-18.
Dalmagro became Evan Clark's associate head coach at the University of Illinois in July of 2018 and successful results followed immediately. Not only did Illinois advance into the Big Ten Tournament Finals, it also received an invitation to the NCAA Team Tournament.
The 2020-21 Illini roster features a pair of international players in Japanese star Asuka Kawai and India's Shivani Ingle, and Dalmagro is an especially supportive mentor to them both.
"I've been in their shoes," he said. "I tell them what I've been through. That usually makes them feel a little more secure and safe and helps them navigate through their ups and downs. Sometimes our international students have much better grades that American-born students. Our academic advisors say that that success comes because of their discipline. They don't want to fail. They want to take advantage of their opportunity and do their very best."
Dalmagro, a member of the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics' diversity and inclusivity committee, explained why it's important to know about Hispanic culture.
"I describe myself as a Latino Hispanic," he said. "Many, many years ago, the population here was as much Hispanic as it was anything else. It's deep in the roots of the United States. I always say that it's better to be more diverse than to be close minded. It's always good to learn about other cultures, other foods, other languages and other behaviors. It's always best to be open-minded.
"I have friends that didn't know anything about my culture or foods or language, but the more you get to know each other you begin learning things and trying things and becoming more passionate about that. Sometimes, when you're used to only one thing, that's what you like and what you do and what you say and how you think. But the more you're around other people around the world, it opens up your mind and your thoughts and your heart. I think that's how you become more tolerant, more compassionate, more well-rounded.
"In this world that we're living in right now with racism, especially here in the U.S., the more you know about all the cultures, the more tolerant you'll become in accepting everybody. It takes acceptance to know what other people are about."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/10/8/general-germ-n-dalmagro-it-takes-acceptance-to-know-what-other-people-are-about.aspx
Kyle Hudson
KYLE HUDSON: Enjoying Road to the Playoffs with Cleveland Indians
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Considering the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting impacts of unemployment and forced social distancing, most people would agree that the 2020 calendar year has been less than ideal. However,Fighting Illini baseball and football alumnus Kyle Hudson would beg to differ a bit, particularly when it concerns his current employer, the Cleveland Indians.
Since receiving a life-changing call on Valentine's Day from Indians President Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff that offered him the opportunity to become a Major League coaching assistant, Hudson has played a major role in helping Cleveland secure a spot in the playoffs. His team won nine of its last 11 games during the regular season and finished just one game behind American League Central Division champ Minnesota.
The Indians will open baseball's 16-team playoffs on Tuesday (Sept. 29), hosting the New York Yankees in a best-of-three A.L. Wild Card Series at Progressive Field.
Wearing Indians jersey No. 97, the former bench coach at Class-A Lynchburg ('17), Class-A Lake County (2018) and Triple-A Columbus (2019) now assists Cleveland bench coach Brad Mills with the Tribe's outfielders, directing a rotation of Delino DeShields, Jordan Luplow, Oscar Mercado, Tyler Naquin, Josh Naylor and Franmil Reyes with defensive positioning.
And with manager Terry Francona being sidelined with an illness for most of the season, the former Mattoon Green Wave star's job description has been expanded even beyond his additional role as an advance scout.
"The role of a bench coach in the Major Leagues is similar to a second manager, so you've got a lot on your plate," Hudson said. "Millsy is trying to position the outfielders and focus on all of the in-game situational stuff as well. They just wanted to ease some of that pressure off him pregame and in-game. What a great opportunity it is for me to learn from the outstanding staff that we have here … a Hall of Fame manager and all the experience with Millsy, Sandy Alomar Jr., Carl Willis, and everyone else. I'm so blessed to be in this position."
Though Francona has been largely absent in 2020, Hudson has taken advantage of the few personal opportunities he's had with his manager.
"Early in the season, 'Tito' typically came out to the dugout about 30-to-45 minutes prior to the game," Hudson said. "Because we're so separated (due to the team's enforced social distancing), seeing him in the dugout was often the first time I would have seen him all day. I just want to pick that guy's brain. I want to know everything he knows. I want to hear his stories, I want to hear his experiences, I want to hear everything he says about the game. His ability to develop a culture within a team and an organization is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. The players love playing for him."
Hudson learned many tricks of the coaching trade during his time as an Illini football player (2005-07) under then head coach Ron Zook and in baseball (2006-08) under Dan Hartleb.
"Coach Zook pushed you hard," Hudson said. "You really didn't want to disappoint him, so you tried your best and worked your hardest in the weight room and on the practice field. We practiced one way and that was hard all the time. He helped develop me as a person."
Hudson is particularly indebted to Hartleb.
"Coach Hartleb has not only been a mentor to me, he's now one of my very good friends," Hudson said. "We continue to talk to this day. In 2015, he gave me an opportunity to come back and start my coaching career. That was just an unbelievable opportunity. I don't know that you can have a better face of a program than Coach Hartleb because of the way he's done it. I have so much respect for the way he's run that program and what he does for the university and in the community. When I left, I told him 'I want to be like you.' He's definitely been a huge part of where I'm at now."
Hudson, who had a 14-game big league career with the Baltimore Orioles in 2011, feels as though he has a unique bond with Illini Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau, a hero with the Indians in the 1930s, '40s and '50s.
"He's a legend at Illinois, he's a legend in our organization, and he's a legend in baseball," Hudson said. "It's kind of a running joke with me and one of my good friends in the organization (Kevin Howard, Indians hitting coordinator). I always talk about Lou Boudreau and how he's an Illini. Kevin doesn't know much about Lou because it was a long time ago. On my walk from my apartment to the stadium, I pass by his statue. Maybe the first or second day I walked by it, I snapped a picture and sent it to Coach Hartleb. My message said 'What a small world it is that I get to walk by this statue every single day.' It's a cool thing to be a part of. Every time I walk out into the stadium, I see his name plastered on the upper deck. It's pretty neat."
With the football season now just a few weeks away from beginning, Hudson is anxious to check out Coach Lovie Smith's 2020 Fighting Illini.
"On Saturday mornings when I flip on the TV to ESPN and College GameDay, I still get some butterflies like I used to back when I played," he said. "I've been a season ticket holder at Illinois ever since I left, so it's going to be fun to follow them through this crazy time."
Hudson also has a keen interest in Illinois's recently announced plans to enhance its baseball facilities.
"It's well overdue, to be honest," he said. "That indoor facility is something that we really need. A lot of recruiting is based off the facilities. That's what kids and parents are looking at. What the current coaching staff has done for the baseball team without those facilities is an amazing thing. That speaks volumes to what that staff has done. I'm excited for them to get the kind of facility that they deserve."
When the baseball season ends, hopefully not too soon, Hudson will be eager to rejoin his wife, Shaela, and their 18-month-old daughter, Hadley, at their home in Peoria.
"I hate being away from them, but that's the life we're in right now," he says.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/9/29/baseball-hudson-enjoying-road-to-the-playoffs-with-cleveland-indians.aspx
Marcos Asse
MARCOS ASSE: “Can Do” Cuban Roots Fuel Illini Tennis Coach
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
National Hispanic Heritage Month (from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15) recognizes the influence and contributions of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture and achievements of the United States. This is the first in a series of articles about current Fighting Illini staff members of Hispanic descent.
Twelfth-year Fighting Illini men's tennis coach Marcos Asse has Cuban roots … mostly. Suffice it to say that it's a wee bit more complicated than that.
You see, Marcos' paternal grandfather (Carlos Asse Dib) was born as a Christian Syrian in Western Asia. His family, persecuted in its homeland, fled to Spain, then ultimately to Cuba when Carlos was a young boy. His grandmother—Ana Fernandez Quiles, known to Marcos as "Abuela Anita" until her death at age 100 this past January—and her family, originally of Spanish descent, also took flight to the Caribbean Island.
Carlos and Ana had two sons, one of whom was Marcos father (Carlos Francisco Asse). The family operated a general store in Jibacoa (hee-ba-coa), a two-hour car ride from Havana. When Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro came into power in 1959, the country was converted into a one-party, socialist state under Communist Party rule.
In 1961, the Castro's government seized control of Marcos' grandparents' store. The family decided to flee to the United States, but just three days before their plane was to depart they were robbed of most of the money they had saved. Now, only enough remained for two family members to escape: Marcos' then 18-year-old father and his then 16-year-old uncle. The teenagers stayed for a short time with a cousin in Miami, but soon found jobs as busboys at a famous Jewish delicatessen called Wolfie's.
Within a few months, Marcos' dad, who spoke very little English, enrolled in what amounted to adult high school classes at Miami Dade Community College. Described by Marcos as a "straight A student", Carlos eventually transferred to the University of Florida in Gainesville to pursue a degree in architecture. And while Carlos was a brilliant scholar, his first love was theater.
Says Marcos, "Dad credits his passion for movies, theater, and plays to first seeing the animated Disney film 'Snow White' as a kid back in Cuba."
Just shy of beginning work on his architecture thesis at UF, Carlos got a job in downtown Gainesville as a set designer at the Hippodrome State Theater. Referred to by city residents as "the Hipp", the theater served not only as an entertainment center, but also provided classes, camps, in-school programs and workshops for all ages.
It was there where Carlos' eye was caught by an attractive brunette named Marilyn Wall, one of the Hippodrome's six founding members. Her specialties were make-up and costume design. Born in Iowa, Marilyn's father was a career military pilot, so the "Navy brat" lived all over the world, including a year-and-a-half in Guantanamo, Cuba at the same time her future husband was in Jibacoa.
"To say that Mom and the others were a band of misfit hippies is an understatement," Marcos said. "The Hipp was a crazy, wild, progressive theater that probably Gainesville wasn't ready for at that time."
Another understatement would be to describe his parents' success at their professions. Among their many awards, they've collectively won three Emmy awards, two by Carlos for his set design on a puppets show called "Salsa" and one by Marilyn for costume design.
As pre-teens, the Hippodrome became a second home for Marcos, his older brother Juan-Carlos—known as "Carly"—and his younger brother, Miguel.
"We grew up in theater," Marcos said. "That was our daycare. My brothers and I were in more plays than you can imagine. We'd always be in plays and shows, but our parents never pushed us. It was kind of like 'Do you want to hang here and do nothing or do you want to be in the play?' I ran follow-spotlight, I did backstage, basically whatever was needed at the time."
Then, the Asse boys discovered sports. Marcos was 11 when he started playing tennis. Almost literally, he never quit playing.
"Unless it rained, I played every day," Marcos said. "I just loved it. My parents would drop us both off at the courts and we would just play all day long. I remember that I just wanted to beat my older brother … that's all! He beat me the first four years of our tennis life."
Carly wound up with a scholarship at UNC-Ashville, then transferred to Florida. Marcos' younger brother, Miguel, also served as a manager for the Gators squad.
"We weren't those kids who were being driven all over to play," Marcos said. "I played doubles with the right kids so that I could go to the tournaments with them. Growing up in Florida was huge; there were tournaments all over the state in the '90s. I would not have survived in today's tennis world. Tennis has become a rich man's game. Tennis just kind of caught us at the right time."
Marcos took a long route towards earning his way onto the University of Florida tennis team.
"When I was 16, I would go to all of the Gators matches and I thought they were in a different stratosphere from where I was at," he said. "I knew all the guys. I'd hang out on the court and in the locker room; nothing that would be legal now. But because I was just a fun, happy kid, they didn't mind us hanging around."
Marcos wrote a letter to one of the coaches and found out about walk-on tryouts.
"I had an academic scholarship at Florida, but my parents had no money to give me," he said. "Financially, it was either Florida or bust for me. The coach let me work out with the team during the summer, then gave me a two-week tryout period."
At the end of the two weeks, Marcos received good news.
"Coach told me that I made it and I remember going to tell my mom," he said. "ESPN Gameday was in town for the Gators football game, so I rode my bike to where my mom was on the set doing makeup for (Chris) Fowler, (Kirk) Herbstreit and (Lee) Corso. So I go into the trailer where Lee Corso was in there with my mom. I was like, 'Mom, I made it!' It still kind of makes me a little emotional. So Lee Corso is there and he's exactly like who you see on TV. So it's me, my mom and Lee Corso all jumping up and down and hugging each other."
Marcos eventually became a key contributor and was a member of Florida's 2000 SEC championship team, posting 21 wins in doubles.
After studying accounting and graduating from Florida with a degree in finance—"I can balance the hell out of a checkbook," he says—Asse joined William & Mary's coaching staff and helped the Tribe win a conference title and earn two NCAA Tournament appearances.
He joined Brad Dancer's Fighting Illini staff for the 2009 season and has experienced nothing but success in Champaign-Urbana. Illinois has earned 11 consecutive NCAA berths, including six Sweet Sixteen appearances and one trip to the national quarterfinals.
And what's Asse's favorite moment with the Illini?
"That's easy … our Big Ten title in 2015," he said. "That was awesome for so many reasons. That was one of the best college matches I've ever been a part of, either as a player or a coach. On paper, against Ohio State in the finals for the Big Ten title, we were completely looked to be toast. Everyone thought we had no chance, but we ended up winning."
Asse is super enthused about the 2020-21 Illini as well.
"Kova (Aleks Kovacevic) is one of the best players in college tennis," he said. "Zeke Clark has the heart of a lion; you can fuel an army off his energy. Our senior leadership with Vuk Budic and Noe Khlif, they're two of the most role model guys that you'd want your daughter to bring home. Alex Brown is one of the most talented players in the country, too. And then we've got some new guys who are really going to be fun players to watch."
Asse says it's "fantastic" to be of Hispanic heritage and working in intercollegiate athletics.
"I'm in a sport that's highly international, so there is no majority in tennis," he said. "You go to a tennis tournament and it's the world that you're looking at. I've never felt discriminated against. For me, it's always been a celebration."
Asse is married to fellow Florida graduate Nikki. The couple has two daughters, Stella and Ana.
Catching up on Marcos' family. His father is now 77 years old and just took a new job as artistic director of the Bay Street Players in Eustis, Fla. His mother will soon turn 70 and lives fulltime with brother Carly in Gainesville, Fla., while she battles Parkinson's. Carly runs a personal training studio and is a documentarian, including films "Unsupersize Me" and "Unsupersize Me in Cuba: Shaping a Dream". Miguel is a data analyst for Google in Greater New York City.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/9/21/general-marcos-asse-can-do-cuban-roots-fuel-illini-tennis-coach.aspx
Coach Nancy Fahey and Eva Rubin
Caring Environment to Provide Fresh Start for Eva Rubin
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Every student-athlete faces a myriad of demanding challenges during his or her collegiate experience.
All attempt to achieve peak physical condition. Most strive to be a member of the starting lineup. Many endeavor to excel in the classroom. Tackling all three issues is an exhausting and stressful undertaking.
For Eva Rubin, who joined the University of Illinois's women's basketball squad this past January after transferring from Arizona State University, she deals on a daily basis with an even more demanding challenge: type one diabetes.
It's a condition that only five-to-ten percent of people have to endure. America's Center for Disease Control and Prevention says type one diabetes manifests itself when an individual's pancreas makes an insufficient amount of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps blood sugar enter the cells in one's body where it can be used for energy. Without insulin, blood sugar can't get into cells and build up in the bloodstream. High blood sugar is damaging to the body and causes many of the complications of diabetes.
Rubin, a 6-foot-5-inch All-State center from Homewood-Flossmoor High School, has been dealing with her somewhat rare and misunderstood condition since she was in the seventh grade.
"It takes a while to get used to it and to get a grasp on what it takes to manage it," she said. "You have to figure out what a good day looks like and what a bad day looks like."
Rubin said that it was a sometimes overwhelming task for her as an ASU freshman to adjust to the pace of college athletics from what it was in high school. It took a toll on her mental health.
"It was a challenge in getting the people around me to understand what I was dealing with," Rubin said.
Most athletes are conditioned to fight through anything, but Rubin's struggle was doubly difficult.
"Until someone tells you that you cannot practice, you're told to tough it out," she said. "However, diabetes is not something that you can tough out if your blood sugar is too low or too high. You have to honor that and wait for it to go back into range. Having it be something that behaves erratically, I'm not always sure what I'm going to get on a daily basis. That was hard on me because I have this pressure of never wanting to miss anything."
A lack of understanding Rubin's condition resulted in an unusually strained environment.
"I was often asked 'Are you taking care of yourself?'," she said. "There was always this questioning of whether I was doing what I was supposed to do."
After a hard day or workouts and then trying to sleep at night, Rubin's body was so pent up that her blood sugar would go very low and crash in the middle of the night. Occasionally, the stress would have an opposite effect and cause it to rise abnormally high.
"So I would set an alarm for 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., to wake up quickly, check my blood sugar to make sure that it's fine, then go back to sleep," Rubin said.
Being more than 1,700 miles from home and not having anyone near her to truly understand the disease like her parents did caused additional grief.
"It's very challenging to be a fulltime student and a fulltime athlete," she said. "Physically, you want to pour everything you have into your sport, but you're at a university for a purpose, to take advantage of an education. Balancing your mental health is another huge thing. Then for me, I had a fourth thing going on, so there was a lot of learning how to keep everything in line."
When Rubin decided to transfer, one of her objectives was to be able to go somewhere where she could pursue a community health degree and play at the same time.
"I realize that's a very ambitious idea on my part," she said. "I've seen it happen at the Division 1 level, but I haven't seen anyone in basketball do it. It's two very time-consuming things."
When Illinois contacted Rubin, she was hesitant because of the campus's lack of an actual nursing school. But since the University was only an hour and forty-five minutes from home, she decided to take a visit last December.
"When I came, I just loved the openness of the coaching staff," Rubin said. "I could tell that they wanted to hear what I had to say. I loved the desire here to rebuild our program and build our culture. It just seemed like a place where I could serve others and help build us back up."
As a redshirt senior with two seasons of eligibility remaining at Illinois, part of Rubin's focus is on her future career as a nurse. It's a field she was drawn to because of her experiences as a young diabetic.
"When I was 12, I was very, very, very afraid of needles, and I was thinking that I wouldn't ever be able to eat any 'fun' food ever again," she said. "All of my concerns—whether they were medically related or psychologically related—the nurses were all super understanding and patient. I could just feel like they were doing their job because they loved doing it. Nursing is a very under-paid, over-worked, under-staffed, under-appreciated field, so you really have to have that desire to help people. Because of the way they helped me, I really want to do that for other people. There's a bit of a crisis with women of color and, in particular, their health care needs. Me being a black woman, that's a space that needs people like me."
Rubin also is grateful for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics' focus on the mental well-being of their student-athletes. She says the DIA's "Open Doors" website is "an incredible resource."
"Open Doors is catered specifically towards us," she said. "The fact that the resource exists at all is great in calling attention to our issues. Sometimes there are needs that don't really get addressed until one person speaks up about something, then a resource is created to address that need. All of a sudden, you discover that 10-20-30 other people also needed a resource like that."
Rubin also is one of 10-to-12 Illini student-athletes who are involved with the Green Bandana project.
"When COVID is over and we're once again walking around campus, an actual green bandana will be tied to certain student-athlete's backpacks," she said. "The bandana will represent to our fellow student-athletes that this is a person who you can talk to if you're struggling with anxiety or depression or any sort of mental health issue. It says 'I can be a great starting point for you.' If you need to speak with a more thoroughly trained professional, that individual can help you set that up. It lets them know that they're not alone in the process."
Rubin is eager to get back to a regular routine as a Fighting Illini student-athlete.
"Even though (the pandemic) disrupted everything, my teammates have continued to embrace me," she said. "I'm really excited to be part of Coach (Nancy) Fahey's team."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/8/19/womens-basketball-caring-environment-to-provide-fresh-start-for-eva-rubin.aspx
Kam Buckner
KAM BUCKNER: Listening to the Voice of the People
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
From a very young age, Fighting Illini football grad Kam Buckner remembers observing the selfless behavior that his parents demonstrated toward public service.
Residing in Chicago's far southside community of Roseland, his dad, Raymond, was a Cook County Sheriffs Department officer. Kam's mom, Yvonne, was a seventh-grade teacher at Chicago's Alcott Elementary School.
"I watched my parents and knew that both of them were focused on other people," Buckner said. "The care they gave to their community and the people around them really influenced me and my sisters."
And though he was only a toddler at the time, Buckner vividly recalls the reverence that his family members held for Mayor Harold Washington.
"I remember my parents and my grandmother taking me downtown to city hall to see Mayor Washington's body lay in state," he said. "I knew that there was something about this guy that people loved. As I got older, I began reading about politics and discovering how people are able to make changes in society. It was something that grabbed me at a young age and it never let me go."
Today, Kambium Elijah Buckner is a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, serving on behalf of the people of District 26, a ward that includes the highly diverse Chicago neighborhoods of Streeterville and Washington Park. Originally appointed to the position in January of 2019, the 35-year-old Democrat is on the November 3rd ballot to continue in that role.
Buckner's initial foray into politics came 24 years ago when he was just 11.
"I ran for Student Council Representative in 1996 and I got whooped," he said. "I must not have brought enough candy to my classmates. But that didn't deter me."
Buckner became a student of history and was drawn to read about people like Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy and Harold Washington.
"For a long time, I thought that I would only be a person in the background and not be the person who was running for office," Buckner said. "As I got older, I changed the way I saw things and I knew that I had a certain passion for people and that it should be used to affect whatever kind of change I could."
As one of Chicago's top defensive end prospects, the Morgan Park High School product was recruited to the University of Illinois in 2003 by Ron Turner's coaching staff. Performing from 2003 through 2006, the 2007 political science graduate cherishes his time in East Central Illinois.
"The things I learned at the University and on the football field were priceless," Buckner said. "I can't begin to put into words their value. To be a member of a team, to have grace under pressure, and to find ways to win when the odds are against you are at the top of the list."
"We're all in the people business," he continued. "The things you learn in the locker room are just as important as the things you learn in the weight room and on the field. Being able to understand different viewpoints and being able to listen to people who you may not necessarily agree with or relating with people who come from places different from you. There are guys from all over the country, guys from different socio-economic backgrounds, guys who have different religious views. It created a sense of balance in my life and how to respect those who may come from a different standpoint than you."
And while Buckner deeply appreciates the mentoring he received from Coach Turner and then from Coach Ron Zook, it was Strength and Conditioning Coach Lou Hernandez who he says made the biggest impact.
"Me and Lou didn't always get along in the weight room, but I'll always value the precision and the passion that Lou brought to his job," Buckner said. "His drive to make us better than what we thought we could be is something that I carry with me today. Lou saw more in me than I did myself. When people buy into you like that, it means a lot. You don't always notice it when it's happening, but all these years later I'm thankful for it."
After graduating from the U of I in May of 2007, Buckner went to Washington D.C. to volunteer for Senator Richard Durbin on Capitol Hill. He returned to Chicago in 2009 and began law school at DePaul University.
After working in government relations for the Chicago Cubs, Buckner became executive director of World Sport Chicago, a non-profit that grew from the city's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Late in 2018, when Representative Christian Mitchell stepped down as District 26's delegate, Buckner was encouraged to throw his hat into the political ring.
"For whatever reason, I was chosen, so I'm grateful and thankful that I was," he said. "I'm really passionate about the work that I've been able to do."
Buckner currently represents the most diverse legislative district in the entire state of Illinois, including the wealthy near northside neighborhood of Streeterville. Bounded by Lake Michigan on the North and East, the Magnificent Mile portion of Michigan Avenue on the West, and by the Chicago River on the South, Streeterville is 90 percent Caucasian and has a life expectancy of 90 years.
Buckner also serves Washington Park on the south side, stretching East-West from Cottage Grove Avenue to the Dan Ryan Expressway and North-South from 51st Street to 63rd. It's a neighborhood that's 90 percent black and one that has a significantly lower life expectancy due to being embroiled in a world of violence, drugs and a lack of health care.
"These places are only nine miles apart in the same city and I represent both of them," Buckner said. "In terms of the economic opportunities that Streeterville has, it's important to me to find ways to make Washington Park more like Streeterville."
His 2020 campaign platform goals include the planks of relief and reinvestment.
"What's important in a capitalistic society like ours is to make sure that we are not just reinvesting with thoughts and deeds, but that we're reinvesting with dollars," Buckner said. "Far too often, we see communities that have purposely been left out in the cold. We don't directly address that. It's incumbent that we do all we can for the least among us, not just to be a safety net but to give them the opportunity to be economically feasible. That means finding opportunities where commerce can work in places where it has not been attempted."
Another major issue for Buckner is gun control.
"I've lost a lot of friends and family members to violence," he said. "Between my junior year of high school and my first year in Champaign, I lost more than a dozen friends and family and neighbors to gun violence. My family was involved in a triple homicide in 2008. In 2016, my dad's youngest brother—my uncle—was killed right here in the neighborhood I grew up in. It's unfortunately been a part of my life that's never gone away. It has been a relentless drumbeat of death and violence that I've witnessed and mourned."
Buckner says it's imperative that he listens intently to the voice of the people.
"Today, people all across America are speaking with a clear voice that it's time to make some changes," he said. "None of us could have predicted this pandemic. I said very early on that COVID will not break us, but what COVID will do is show us what's broken about us. Whether it's from an educational standpoint or from a criminal justice standpoint or from a police accountability standpoint. Whether it's about housing and healthcare, all of our blemishes have been brought to the fore. Because of that, people in positions like me have a moral and an occupational duty to do whatever we can to make it so that the people who live in this state know that we tried to have some actionable change when we were faced with these extreme and difficult times."
Since being placed in a role of leadership 19 months ago, Kam Buckner has learned a lot about himself.
"For me—a kid that didn't think that I'd ever be in a position to make changes—it's encouraging to know that my voice matters and that I can help effectuate whatever change that is necessary."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/8/2/football-kam-buckner-listening-to-the-voice-of-the-people.aspx
Charlton Ehizuelen
CHARLTON EHIZUELEN: Former Illini, Nigerian Jumper Reflects on US and Olympic Career
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Charlton Ehizuelen's stunning debut as a Fighting Illini is unequalled in the 148-year history of University of Illinois athletics.
It was January of 1974 and Coach Gary Wieneke's track and field program was hosting the annual Illini Invitational at the Armory. The performance fans witnessed that afternoon at the corner of Fourth Street and East Gregory Drive from a gangly 20-year-old freshman was truly astonishing. Now a 66-year-old, Ehizuelen will remember that day for the rest of his life.
"It was my very first collegiate meet and I didn't know what to expect," Ehizuelen said. "Before I came to the track, (teammate) Mike Durkin had come to my room and knocked on the door and told me to be at the track on time. I lived at the Illini Towers which is not far from the Armory. I got to the track and started to realize that this was going to be my first competition. I recall being relaxed."
The men and women from the Illini Striders Track Club who were officiating the jumps that day had greatly underestimated what the slightly built young man from Benin City in southern Nigeria was capable of.
"I took my first jump and I almost went out of the pit because the runway was too short, so they moved the board backwards for me," Ehizuelen said. "At the end of the day, they told me I had broken 11 records altogether."
Two of the marks were especially noteworthy. The Big Ten long jump record (25-feet-nine-inches) had belonged to a former Ohio State athlete for 39 years. Ehizuelen eclipsed Jesse Owens' ancient standard by half an inch. And on his final attempt that day, he triple-jumped 53-11 ¾, a new Big Ten and NCAA record.
It was only the beginning of what would evolve into a legendary collegiate career.
So how did the kid from the west coastline of the African continent actually wind up wearing Orange and Blue? It's another interesting tale.
"I was in high school in Nigeria competing in a dual meet against Ghana," Ehizuelen explained. "A few American coaches had accompanied the Ghanaian team. At the end of the competition, one of the American coaches came to talk to me. They were impressed with my competition and asked me if I wanted to continue my career in the U.S. I didn't completely understand what they were asking me, so I asked my coach to explain. The American coach gave me two addresses, one to the University of Illinois and the other to the University of New Mexico. I only wrote to one of them, the University of Illinois."
Why just Illinois?
"For some reason, I felt at peace with the University of Illinois," Ehizuelen said. "As it turned out, when my letter arrived to (then Illini coach) Bob Wright, the national coach of Nigeria—Dr. Awoture Eleyae—was at the U of I on sabbatical leave, getting his master's degree. He knew Coach Wright and that's when the process began."
Ehizuelen vividly recalls those first few months after his 6,000-mile journey to East Central Illinois.
"At the beginning, it was very difficult," Ehizuelen admitted. "I came in during the winter season and wasn't at all aware of what snow was like. I had seen it in the movies, but never had the experience of seeing it. People were throwing snowballs. It made me smile."
A couple of Illini teammates quickly befriended Ehizuelen.
"Mike Durkin and Craig Virgin would always come and check on me to make sure I was fine," he said. "Both of them were very, very kind to me, and very helpful. They knew that I was very far away from home. When I felt bad, they'd take me out. They helped me a lot."
Ehizuelen's Illini coaches also played a major role in his life on campus.
"Coach Wright was like a father to me and Mrs. Wright was like a mother," Ehizuelen said. "Coach Wieneke also helped me understand what was required of me. Coach (Tom) Pagani was my primary coach with the jumps. He would tell me every day that I could be the world record holder in the long jump and triple jump, but that I had to do some weights. I hated lifting weights, but it did pay off in the end."
Ehizuelen enjoyed a myriad of amazing performances as an Illini athlete in the 1970s. His incredible efforts at the Drake Relays in April of 1975, capped by a world record 52-11.25 triple jump, earned him most valuable athlete honors.
Altogether, the nine-time All-American captured four NCAA titles—three in the long jump and one in the triple jump. And 43 years after his eligibility expired, Ehizuelen still holds Illinois's school records both indoors and outdoors in each event.
Without question, Ehizuelen's greatest disappointment was never being able to compete as an Olympian. He recounted his heart-breaking story about the 1976 Olympics when Nigeria boycotted the games against countries that had sporting links with Apartheid South Africa.
"We were in Montreal for 10 days, gotten our IDs, checked into our rooms at the Olympic Village, and gone through all the normal formalities of being an Olympian. And on the 16th of July—the opening ceremony was on the 17th—I was on my way to go to a movie. I usually go to a movie and relax. Somebody stopped me and said that we were going back to Nigeria. So I went back to the hotel and everybody was packing. We had to leave. The Nigerian government had sent a plane to pick us up. It was the worst moment of our lives. It had taken a long time to get where we were and now they're telling us that we can't compete … without any input from the athletes. A day before the opening ceremony, they are telling us that we are leaving! It was very painful. We left and flew to London, then eventually back to Nigeria. I still feel it to this day. It's hard to forget that moment."
Virgin remembers looking out his window and seeing all of the African athletes with their luggage beside them on the Olympic Village sidewalk.
"I found Charlton and he had tears in his eyes," Virgin said. "Other athletes were crying. I watched them grab their bags and get on the bus. He shook my hand and said 'I'll see you back in Champaign in August.'"
In all likelihood, based upon his sterling performances leading up to the games, Ehizuelen would have at least won a silver medal in Montreal.
A torn muscle in his leg kept him from competing at the 1980 Olympics.
"Charlton and Mike (Durkin) were the two most talented teammates I ever had," Virgin said. "Mentally, Mike was the toughest and Charlton was the most physically gifted. If Charlton had had Mike's mental toughness and veracity, he would have been a world record holder for sure and he would have won an Olympic gold medalist if he'd been given a chance."
Ehizuelen says the postponement of the 2020 games because of COVID-19 reminds him of what he had experienced in 1976.
"Many of these athletes had already reached their peak," he said. "Now they've been told that they can't compete for another year. So everyone who would have qualified this year will have to start all over again. Those who weren't ready have another full year to get ready. Preparing for the Olympics is unique. It's the level that every athlete aspires to. Four years comes once for them, then the next opportunity isn't for another four years. It's an emotional event."
The 1977 UI graduate has served as a jumps coach for the past 40-plus years. Today, he resides in San Antonio, Tex. with his wife of 17 years, Vivian.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/6/22/mens-track-field-charlton-ehizuelen-former-illini-and-nigerian-jumper-reflects-on-us-and-olympic-career.aspx
Bobby Roundtree
Bobby Roundtree: "I want to show everybody that anything is possible"
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
For the 20 or so reporters who assembled on Friday's Zoom teleconference, it quickly became apparent to them that not even a debilitating spinal injury could crush the indomitable spirit nor mask the smile that they'd grown to expect from Bobby Roundtree.
And while the former Fighting Illini football star answered questions for some 45 minutes about the journey he's taken since his life-altering May 18, 2019 swimming accident, Roundtree's message could easily be encapsulated with just twenty words.
"I've still got goals to reach, and I'll reach them," he said. "I just want to show everybody that anything is possible."
Roundtree, a native of Largo, Fla., says that he doesn't remember much about that fateful day, but refuses to think anything but positive thoughts.
"Knowing that I'm going forward and hearing everybody say that I'm making big gains, it actually makes me want to go even harder," he said.
Roundtree indicated that he'd lost close to 70 pounds in the months following his accident, but has since gotten back to the 260-pound mark.
"I'm actually on a diet now, trying to trim down a little bit," he said.
Roundtree, who's been enrolled in classes at Illinois since last Fall, has a weekly routine at his home in Champaign. Every Monday and Friday, he makes the short jaunt to 1207 S. Oak Street on the west edge of the University of Illinois's campus to attend two-hour therapy sessions at Illinois' renowned Disability Resources & Educational Services (DRES).
"When this all began and we started our planning process, we realized that, for Bobby, there was actually no place better to be than in Champaign," said Jeremy Busch, Associate Director of Sports Medicine and football's Head Athletic Trainer. "This campus is surrounded with amenities to help him succeed, both short-term and long-term."
Roundtree's mom, Jacqueline Hearns, serves as his unofficial personal therapist and spiritual advisor.
"When things get kind of hard, my Mom reminds me about where I started when I first got hurt," he said. "I just try to keep being positive.
The pace at which Roundtree has progressed has amazed his therapists.
"They didn't expect me to be where I'm at this soon," he said. "When somebody tells me I can't do something, I'll prove them wrong. It might take me a couple of tries, but I'm going to do it."
Busch quickly hinted to Roundtree's doctors and nurses at Florida's Mease Countryside Hospital in Florida that they'd better expect the unexpected.
"When they talked about laying out some realistic expectations, I said 'No, you don't know who you're getting your hands on here.' I said 'You'd better raise your expectations pretty quick.' When we moved Bobby up to Shirley Ryan (Ability Lab) in Chicago, we had that same conversation. I said 'You'd better raise your expectations because (Bobby's) wired differently.' Then we moved him down to campus and we had that same talk. Again I said 'You'd better continue to raise that bar because he doesn't live under those same limitations.' Bobby does it on a daily basis because that's who he is. He's going to push the envelope with everybody. He going to get the very best out of himself."
Regaining his independence is Roundtree's No. 1 motivating factor.
"I'm not used to having my Mom and everybody caring for me and doing things that I can't do," he said. "I can't wait to just be independent again. Getting back to where I want to be and what I want to do are my goals. I love working. I hate sitting around and I hate it when they say I can't work out. Things might not always go as planned, so I just want to show everybody that this injury isn't going to overcome me. I'm going to beat this and I'm going to be successful."
Busch has been at Roundtree's side for his entire collegiate career.
"When Bobby first stepped on campus as a freshman, you saw this natural leader," Busch said. "He's got a million-dollar smile and everybody gravitates to him naturally."
"After this injury, I've watched a person who's truly been at the worst point in his life. He doesn't acknowledge that to where it defeats him, but he acknowledges it to motivate him. Bobby is truly your idea of inspiration and hope on a daily basis. He's gone from the simplest of struggles to absolutely overcoming everything that you put in front of him. He's always knocking down my door and blowing my phone up about what we can do and what we have to do and what we still need to get done. Talking to Bobby makes every day an inspiration for me. He will push the limits at all times. He's got a natural-born gift and that's probably been the biggest blessing for us all."
And what does the future hold for Bobby Roundtree?
"Five years from now, I see myself walking again and traveling around with my Mom," he said.
He's pondering a coaching career or perhaps starting his own rehab center.
"I want to do something that's going to help people who've been through this," Roundtree said. "I want to show everyone that anything is possible, no matter your situation."
Roundtree is especially grateful to Illinois' football family and to Illini Nation.
"Everybody donating and doing fund raisers, that means a lot," he said. "I don't have a million dollars to help me through this. People giving their last pennies to help me out, that's just a lot of love right there. I appreciate everybody for that."
Roundtree is a man who brims with faith.
"God gives His hardest battles to His strongest warriors," Roundtree said. "There was a reason why I got hurt. I don't think everybody could handle this as I am. I'm grateful that I'm still here and able to get strong every day. It's gonna happen."
WAYS TO ASSIST BOBBY ROUNDTREE:
GoFundMe: To make a donation through GoFundMe, search "Bobby Roundtree" or click here.
Directly to the Bobby Roundtree Trust: To give directly to the Bobby T. Roundtree Trust, contact Busey Wealth Management at 217-365-4800. Checks made out to the Bobby T. Roundtree Trust can be mailed directly to Busey Wealth Management at P.O. Box 260, Champaign, IL 61824-0260.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/5/23/football-roundtree-i-want-to-show-everybody-that-anything-is-possible.aspx
(L to R) Mike Durkin, Mark Johnson and Craig Virgin
Disappointment of the 1980 Olympics Still Vivid for Three Illini
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Forty years ago, two gifted University of Illinois athletes and a talented future Illini coach - all destined for potential Olympic glory - unwittingly became symbolic pawns in a game of international politics.
Mike Durkin, Craig Virgin and Mark Johnson were but three of 466 American athletes and approximately 4,000 individuals from 65 other nations who for years had dedicated their lives to rigorous training regimens, only to see their dreams of participating in Moscow’s 1980 Olympic Games shattered by a purely political decision.
Protesting the Soviet Union’s 1979 Christmas Eve invasion of Afghanistan, U.S. President Jimmy Carter debated whether to use an Olympic boycott or a grain embargo, or both, as leverage against the host nation. Eventually, about 96 percent of the U.S. Congress approved the President’s suggested measure. On April 12, 1980, the U.S. Olympic Committee, under withering pressure, officially voted to boycott the Games.
Mark Johnson
1980 Olympic Wrestling Team Member
Illinois Head Wrestling Coach (1992-2009)
Perhaps no one was affected more by the President’s decision than Mark Johnson, a former University of Michigan wrestler and, in 1980, a graduate assistant to Coach Dan Gable at the University of Iowa. He had earned an Olympic spot as the 198-pounder on the Greco-Roman team by beating Wisconsin’s Laurent Soucie in the wrestle-offs.
“After the Olympic Trials, we started hearing bits and pieces about a boycott,” Johnson remembered. “We’re thinking, ‘they’re not gonna really stick with this.’ It was in the middle of training camp in Brockport, N.Y. when the word came. It was official. There’s no way we’re going.”
The jubilation that Johnson felt when he made the team turned into total despair.
“At that point, for me, the news was devastating,” he said.
Fortunately, about the same time, Gable named Johnson as a fulltime member of his Hawkeye wrestling staff.
“Honestly, getting that job at Iowa really softened the blow for me,” he said.
A few months later, in July, Johnson and the rest of the 1980 U.S. Summer Olympic Team that wasn’t were flown to Washington by the USOC to celebrate the team. Johnson still has a picture of himself that was taken with the President. Each team member received a special medal. Still, Johnson’s pain lingered.
The very next week, at the state Special Olympics Track Meet at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, Johnson was asked to be a medal presenter.
“Of course, those kids didn’t know if they were first or last,” he said. “They were just so happy they were getting a medal. They were hugging me and I remember thinking, ‘Alright, I’m always going to be disappointed (about not being able to go to the Olympics). Stop with the bitterness.’"
I went on to coach for 30 years. Now, I’m at peace (with not being able to compete in the Olympics). I’m a believer and I know that things happen for a reason. It is what it is. If that’s the worst thing that happens in my life, then so be it.
Johnson says that the current COVID-19 pandemic that’s caused the 2020 Olympics to be postponed is certainly a disappointing development for today’s aspiring Olympians, but for many it’s just a matter of adjusting.
“As an athlete at that level, you fine tune but you have to be able to adjust because things happen,” Johnson said. “Is it a disappointment? Yes, but I think most of them have already adjusted. There will be some in wrestling and some other sports that will say ‘That was my dream; I need to move on.’ But I think that 90 percent of them will do the extra year. They may look back and say that was a major blip at the time. But, as you get older, that blip isn’t quite so major.”
Today, Mark and his wife of 38 years, Linda, spend their free time doting on two young grandchildren.
Mike Durkin
Illini Cross Country Letter Winner (1971-74)
Illini Track & Field Letter Winner (1972-75)
A member of the 1976 and 1980 U.S. Olympic Teams as a 1,500-meter runner, Mike Durkin’s tale is one of pure perseverance. The nine-time Big Ten individual champion purposely intended to stop competitive running after he graduated in 1975 to focus on law school, but watching a February ’76 meet at the Armory reignited his interest.
“My thought was that if I could get a qualifying time for the Olympic Trials (3:41.7), the Olympic Committee will pay my way to Eugene. I could stay for a couple of weeks and watch the second-greatest track meet, the Olympic Trials.”
With only 14 weeks to prepare, Durkin amazingly reached his objective in a last-chance race at the AAU Championships in Los Angeles. At the ’76 Trials, needing to finish among the top three, he ran the fastest 1,500 of his life—3:36.72—placing just behind Rick Wohlhuter and Matt Centrowitz. At the Olympics in Montreal, he ran a 3:38.7 in a second heat of the prelims, but missed advancing to the semifinals by a tenth of a second.
Now bubbling with confidence, Durkin planned to keep running, aiming ultimately for a spot on the 1980 Olympic Team.
“I wanted to prove that 1976 wasn’t a fluke,” he said.
Though he says he was never in as great of shape as he was in ’76, Durkin was very competitive and ran 3:39 to make the team. At the ’80 Trials, with a lap to go, Durkin was fourth.
“Third place was probably 20 yards ahead of me,” he said. “It’s not easy to make up that ground, but I never quit. I caught that fourth-place runner with 10 yards to go and slid into third. I have a photograph on my piano at home. There were three of us—Steve Scott, Steve Lacey and me--with probably only six inches between us. But I was third and I was on that team.”
Hearing news about the U.S. boycott of the ’80 games is seared in Durkin’s brain.
“It was the middle of February and about 9 o’clock at night,” he remembered. “I passed the bar in ’78, so I was a practicing attorney at that point. It would come home from putting in a full day of work and then going out and train. It was a really cold night, a lot of snow, so I was sitting in the bathtub, trying to thaw out. My wife came in and said ‘Oh my God, I just heard on the news that President Carter said we’re going to boycott the Olympics.’ I was like ‘Oh, that’s just talk. He’s just trying to pressure the Soviets. They’re never going to boycott the Olympics.’
But, as the days went on, it became a reality.
It was a hard pill to swallow, a futile gesture. There were a lot of other things the U.S. could have done to economically boycott the Soviet Union - grain shipments, etc. - everything we had in our power. But to take innocent athletes that were competing in a spirit of friendship, then to put them on the front lines and make them the only people that would sacrifice in this effort I thought was a ridiculous gesture and meaningless. The irony is that I went to Europe a week after the ’80 Games and raced against Soviet athletes … the way it should be.
Durkin says that postponement of the Olympics from 2020 to ‘21 is a world of difference from the cancellation of 1980.
“The circumstance that you have with this postponement is going to be challenging for some athletes,” he said. “But, let’s face it, you ride waves of success. Some people go up and down. If the peak of your career was going to be this year and you lose that edge, it’s hard to recapture. But most people are not in that situation. It’s going to open the door for another class of athletes that 2020 would have proved a year too short. Now they’re going to make it because they’re going to be a year older and a year better.”
A member of the Rosemont law firm of Storino, Ramello & Durkin, he’s been married to his wife, Joannie, for 43 years. They have three grandsons.
Craig Virgin
Illini Cross Country Letter Winner (1973-76)
Illini Track & Field Letter Winner (1974-76)
There were few Olympians more outspoken about the United States’ boycott of the 1980 Games than Fighting Illini Hall of Famer Craig Virgin. The farm boy from tiny Lebanon, Ill.—population 4,000—dominated his competition as a collegian at the University of Illinois. Among his nine Big Ten individual titles were a record four-straight conference cross country crowns.
Virgin was a three-time Olympic qualifier in the 10,000 meter run—1976, ’80 and ’84—but he maintains that his best chance to medal was in Moscow. And though President Carter’s decision to boycott the 1980 Games had been announced more than two months before the Olympic Track and Field Trials at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., Virgin still held out hope that somehow the verdict would be reversed.
“Guys like myself who were naïve or optimists still held hope that they were going to come to their senses,” Virgin said. “How can there be an Olympics without USA there? We’re one of the best teams in the world! Surely, there will be a back-door deal cut at the last minute.”
Many others, though, weren’t as confident.
“There were two ways the athletes responded at the 1980 Trials,” Virgin remembered. “Either they were mentally shot and didn’t fight with much vigor or else they said that this was their Olympics and they ran their asses off.”
Virgin fell into the latter category. Wearing a yellow-and-black adidas uniform with Front Runner across his chest and his name on the back, an all-star cast of runners were in the field of 20, including longtime Big Ten foe Herb Lindsay from Michigan State and hometown star Alberto Salazar from Oregon.
In his 2017 book entitled Virgin Territory, author Randy Sharer described the race’s opening laps: Salazar set a 67-scond tempo for three laps. Craig ran the fourth lap in 64.3 to pass the 1,600 mark in front at 4:27.5.
“I started at a really brisk clip … and then about every 1,200 I would surge,” Virgin recalled. “The first surge dropped a few guys. The second surge dropped a few more. The third surge dropped everybody but Lindsay.”
“But I could tell that Herb was starting to breathe harder each time,” he continued, “and finally, with two miles to go, I had broken him. I could tell that he was on the ropes. He just was mentally strong enough to catch back up to me and I didn’t let him get but one stride, then I reached down somewhere and found one more surge. And that was the nail in the coffin. He dropped from second all the way to ninth place.”
Virgin’s time of 27:45.61 set a Trials record that would last for 24 more years. Unfortunately, President Carter didn’t back down from his threat and the American contingent stayed home.
There were four or five of us in the middle and long distances who had amazing performances at the 1980 Trials - me, Steve Scott in the 1,500, Don Paige in the 800. We all had a chance to medal in Moscow.
Mike Durkin agreed with his former Illini teammate’s assessment.
“I believe that Craig Virgin was a lock at winning a gold medal or certainly the silver,” Durkin said. “I’ve talked with him at least 50 times about that. He was the best 10,000-meter runner in the world in 1980.”
As for the pandemic of 2020 that’s postponed the Olympic Games for a year, Virgin maintains that there are events in your life that you simply cannot control.
Said Virgin, “I agree with the person who said ‘you can’t control the events that happen to you, but you can control how you react to the events.’”
He feels worst for 2020’s high school senior athletes.
“They won’t be able to go back and get a mulligan in the corona virus shutdown,” he said.
Today, Virgin has been happily married for the last 20 months to Karen Fox. His daughter, Annie, is a student at American University in Washington, D.C.
NOTE: A fourth former Illini track and field star, long jumper and triple jumper Charlton Ehizuelen
was a member of Nigeria’s 1976 and ’80 Olympic Teams. He, unfortunately, didn’t compete either time because of his country’s decision to boycott the Games. Ehizuelen now resides with his wife, Vivian, in San Antonio, Tex. He has two sons and two daughters.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/5/19/general-disappointment-of-the-1980-olympics-still-vivid-for-three-illini.aspx
Kameno Bell
Kameno Bell: A True American Hero
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Webster's dictionary defines the word hero as "a person of distinguished valor in danger; a prominent or central personage in any remarkable action or event; hence, a great or illustrious person."
As a gritty Fighting Illini football running back from 1989-91, Kameno Bell experienced a handful of gridiron moments when his performance was measured by sportswriters as being exemplary. However, those past exploits pale in comparison to the level of intrepidness to which he's risen over the past several weeks.
Today, Dr. Bell can indisputably be labeled as a true American hero, battling the horrific disease known as COVID-19, day after day after day.
Since 2007, he's served as an Emergency Medicine Physician at New Jersey's Hackensack University Medical Center. Located just 10 miles from the world's COVID-19 epicenter in New York City, Bell has personally experienced a tidal wave of tragedy since the first disease-related death was reported on March 14. And while the dreaded curve appears to finally be flattening, he says that the end may be far into the future.
"We're still in it," Bell said this past weekend. "I'm looking at the COVID tent right now. In fact, I'm looking at one of my colleagues who's in full PPE (personal protective equipment) with his face mask and his respirators. They're still coming in, but we're not as overwhelmed as we were prior. There were several days when we had patients in the hallway that could have possibly been COVID. Fortunately, our hospital did a good job of amping up and preparing. We increased our capacity by 40 or 50 percent and got a lot more hospital beds. I think it's been a successful campaign of telling people to stay home. We're still full, but we have a good way of triaging patients, discharging them if they don't need to be here or quickly admitting them if they need to stay in."
Bell had an early mild exposure to the virus, seeing a patient who didn't have the symptoms but ended up being declared positive a few days later. And though Bell didn't display any symptoms himself, he was quarantined in his basement for a week (a total of 14 days from the exposure). Since he never displayed or evolved into any symptoms, he's been back to work for several days now.
Growing up in Chicago, Kameno Bell was introduced to the medical profession by his parents at an early age. His mother, Shirley Walker, was a longtime hospital administrator, and his stepdad, 1960s Illini track and field star George Walker, is still a practicing dentist.
"The fact that I was around the medical field may have influenced him more than I realized," Shirley Walker said. "I was surprised when he went to school to study medicine."
It was just Kameno and his mom for the first 12 years of his life.
"She met George and got remarried," Bell said. "He was a practicing dentist and I remember asking him how he got to that point. He mentioned that he taken biology in college."
It was in a biology class where Bell practiced his first "surgery".
"I really liked dissecting frogs and that kind of thing," he said.
Then, young Kameno discovered football, and joined the squad at Chicago's Whitney Young High School. Ironically, a personal injury in his senior year caused him to further investigate a career in medicine.
"I got hurt and was initially diagnosed with having a broken bone," Bell said. "The coaches told me that my season was over. Then, I got reevaluated by an orthopod sports guy and he diagnosed it as a bad sprain. He said I could come back, but with pain as a limiting factor. That experience lit a light bulb for me and got me thinking that I could turn my interest in biology into a career in medicine."
Bell eventually received an invitation from then Illini assistant coach Tim Harkness to be a preferred walk-on for Illinois.
Illini teammate Chris Green, a defensive back, was first introduced to Bell on the practice field.
"At first, I really didn't know who he was because he wasn't part of the recruited crowd," Green said. "Then I played against him as a member of the scout team and I was like 'WHOA! Who's this kid?,' Kameno definitely made his presence known and he was able to earn a scholarship the hard way."
Current Illini running backs coach Mike Bellamy grew up with Bell in the same Chicago neighborhood, but played for rival high school teams.
"The day I announced my commitment to Illinois was the same day Kameno told me he was going to Illinois, so our paths have been connected for 25-30 years," Bellamy said.
Bell toiled behind Howard Griffith for the majority of his career, but the self-proclaimed "late bloomer" came into his own as a senior in 1991.
"I did very well in the first game," Bell recalled of his 108-yard, two-touchdown performance against East Carolina. "Afterwards, Coach (John) Mackovic told me that 'We'll just switch you to Howard (Griffith)'s position now. Seems like you can do the same thing.' I was happy to be a contributor."
Following his 664-yard rushing/503-yard receiving performance in 1991, he was named as Illinois football's Most Valuable Player. Bell was surprised to get an invitation to the NFL combine and was eventually selected in the twelfth round of the '92 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.
Still, Kameno knew that his shelf life in football was limited. He had set his sights on medical school and took his initial entrance exam while in preseason camp with the Dolphins.
"I hadn't studied at all," Bell remembered, "but my Mom was bugging the mess out of me. My coach found out about it and he gave me the day off from camp and I went down to Florida International (University) in sweats and took the test. I had a hat on my head so that nobody would recognize me."
Once he eventually got accepted into med school, Bell knew that it was time to go on with the rest of his life. He graduated from the University of Illinois-Chicago in 2000, earning money on the side as a Chicago Public School substitute teacher.
After his first year as an intern at Chicago's Rush Presbyterian Hospital, Bell switched from general surgery to emergency medicine. Following a Fellowship in sports medicine at Indiana University's Indianapolis medical school in 2006, he was approached by Ronnie Barnes, head athletic trainer for the New York Giants, and a good friend of former Illini coach Denny Marcin, then the Giants defensive line coach. Today, Bell continues as a medical consultant for the Giants.
Since 2007, Bell has been an attending physician in Hackensack. He also serves an assistant professor at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University and as a professor for the Saint George University School of Medicine.
Bell's family includes his wife, Kenyanna Scott Bell - VP, Associate General Counsel at ADP. They have three girls, ages 10, eight and six.
A few years ago, Kameno was joined in the medical community by his younger brother, Dr. Garth Walker, now an emergency physician at Chicago's Jesse Brown Medical Center. Garth is a big fan of his big brother.
"I was late in deciding on medicine, but knowing that Kameno was in medical school made the goal seem achievable," Walker said. "As a mentor, he provided me with great advice."
Kameno Bell's former Illini teammates swell with pride when talking about their good friend.
"His is really an amazing story," said Howard Griffith. "Going to med school and all of that was never easy for him, but he stayed with it. Kameno worked just as hard as anybody could. It was similar to being a walk-on. He wasn't afraid of that either. Now he's on the front line helping out in New York and New Jersey. While we all wish we weren't in this type of situation with COVID-19, to see Kameno using his skills and helping save people's lives is unbelievable. And to stay in the fight when he has a young family, we're all really proud of him."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/4/22/football-kameno-bell-a-true-american-hero.aspx
Taylor Edwards
Taylor Edwards: Exemplifying the Student-Athlete Experience
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
In days gone by, multi-sport athletes were a fairly common lot at the University of Illinois. Not so much, though, in the 21st Century.
Taylor Edwards, however, is anything but common.
The future Arcola High School Hall of Famer was "Miss Everything" for the Purple Riders, annually earning all-conference honors in track and field, volleyball, basketball, and softball. And, oh, by the way, she also possessed the intelligence and work ethic to also be her senior class's valedictorian.
Growing up just 32 miles from the University of Illinois campus, Edwards was an ardent Fighting Illini fan. Basketball's Dee Brown and Chatrice White were a couple of her favorites.
"Champaign-Urbana was the closest big city for us, so we went there to for doctor visits or to go shopping," she said. "I remember always being starstruck by Illinois's athletes. And while I didn't much get the chance to see them in person, I always watched them on TV. I thought it was so cool when athletes got to play on TV. So, Champaign-Urbana has always been a place where I loved to go and the University of Illinois was always related to that."
Parkland and Lakeland Junior College's basketball programs actively recruited Edwards to compete for them, but she admits that she had her eyes on a bigger prize … specifically, the U of I. An invitation to do so with a partial scholarship came from Terri Sullivan's Illini softball coaching staff. And though Edwards was originally pegged as an outfielder, those plans changed when her coach departed.
"When I came onto campus my freshman year with Coach (Tyra) Perry—given she had never seen any of us play—it was like a fresh start for everyone," Edwards said. "There was a pitcher from California in my class that ended up going back home just two weeks after arriving, shorting our pitching staff significantly. I had mentioned to my coaches I had prior pitching experience, so they gave me a chance in the bullpen. I still had the desire to play outfield and hit and play other positions, but my freshman year, the need for our team was pitching. As I progressed as a pitcher, Coach Perry believed that I would be most successful as a pitcher if I focused in on becoming the best I could be in that one role; so I gave up outfield and hitting my sophomore year and honed in on just pitching. By my Junior year, I had really found my groove and embraced my role on the team."
With her softball career now complete, Edwards finds her name scattered throughout the Illini record book, including the categories of earned run average (3.41, ranking seventh), victories (37, seventh), pitching starts (61, seventh) and most appearances (101, sixth).
Edwards' admiration for Perry grew exponentially.
"I was thankful for all the times she trusted me for my presence on the mound to compete, but also with regards to team-building and community engagement," Edwards said about her coach. "I really enjoyed her leadership and the champion-like drive she has. She made sure that our team was always in a position to compete at the highest level. I feel I really evolved as an athlete and as a person under her leadership. She taught me a lot about what it means and what it looks like to be mentally tough which is something every high-level athlete has to learn to compete at the highest level."
But while Edwards adored softball, that game with the bouncy orange ball constantly tugged at her heart.
"After my freshman year of college, it was apparent that I really, really missed basketball," she said.
So Edwards leaned on her faith.
"A big part of my daily routine is praying and writing in my journal," she said, "and I started praying for an opportunity to play again."
Through attending church, Edwards got to know former Illinois women's basketball coach Matt Bollant, who had heard of her standout basketball career at Arcola. With injuries plaguing his Illini that year, Bollant asked Edwards if she might have an interest in walking on.
"I was in shock because I felt that it was an answered prayer," she said. "Then it became a conversation between Coach Perry and me. My commitment to the softball team was obviously my priority, so we agreed that it would be in my best interest to fully commit to the softball team for four years and pour everything I had into that. We both felt that it would have been hard for me to split my commitment and excel at the highest level if I wasn't all in. So I turned down the offer to walk on with basketball and fully committed to softball."
When Edwards secured her bachelor's degree in recreation, sport and tourism in May of 2019, she turned her focus to grad school and was accepted at the University of Washington and the University of Florida. Yet, her desire to play basketball still remained.
"I had heard of the rule that allowed athletes to play a fifth year if you hadn't used your fifth year of eligibility," she said. "I was a little skeptical about doing that at Illinois because Coach Bollant had gone and Coach Fahey didn't know who I was, so I felt like it was a shot in the dark to play that fifth year at Illinois. But I kept praying about it and I eventually got a little bit of hope."
In March of 2019, she sent an email inquiry to Illini women's basketball coach Nancy Fahey.
"She said that she couldn't give me a definite answer as to whether or not I could play on the team because she'd never seen me play before," Edwards said. "I understood that. But she said we could reconvene after softball season was over and talk about it some more. Hearing her say that there was a chance was just enough to make me decline my admission to other schools and apply for grad school at Illinois."
When Edwards' senior softball season ended, her conversation with Fahey continued.
"I talked about my desire to be on the team and what my intentions were, and I made it clear to her that I loved the game of basketball and I loved Illinois, and that I intended to give everything I had to the program," Edwards said. "After a while, she shook my hand and said 'Welcome to the team'. I can't tell you how happy I was when I left her office that day. I remember leaving Ubben and being full of tears and excitement and so much joy. It was a dream come true. It was like I was walking on clouds when I would walk into the gym with the girls because it was something that I had wanted for so long."
Edwards saw limited playing time in November and December but, in January, Fahey had a surprise for her and teammate Carolyn Waleski, placing them both on full scholarship.
"That was a really big moment for me," Edwards said. "For the first six months of me playing basketball, I wasn't receiving any scholarship. But that really showed me how much I loved Illinois, to be able to go through that and continue to push myself without getting any aid. A lot of times, I sat down and asked myself how much do I love the school to be able to do this. I was going into debt and all of that, so it got hard at times. The moment Coach Fahey gave me the scholarship was like the icing on the cake. It took a huge financial burden off me. For me, it was the moment it all paid off. It was an incredible feeling. To see my teammates' reaction and to know how my coach valued my contribution to the team, it was pretty incredible."
This past February, Edwards received another honor, earning a three-year appointment as an Illini representative to the Big Ten's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
"I am inspired and humbled and I look forward to my role working alongside the leaders of the Big Ten," she said.
Now, as Edwards approaches the completion of graduate school in June, she's employed by the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics' student-athlete development office, working under Kathy Kaler, Lisa Lawrence, and Sydney Moman.
"So many things have changed for student-athletes due to the coronavirus outbreak, forcing everyone to work from home," Edwards said, "They are still allowing me to work for them to ensure that student-athletes stay engaged with one another and stay informed on what resources are available to them."
The DIA obviously made a good hire, because no one knows the Illini student-athlete experience better than Taylor Edwards.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/4/30/softball-taylor-edwards-exemplifying-the-student-athlete-experience.aspx
Jonathan Wells
Jonathan Wells: Jumping Into Exclusive Company
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
In February, one of the University of Illinois's most talented athletes added his name to an exclusive list on which only five other men in the history of the Big Ten Conference are members.
When two-time Big Ten high jump champion Jonathan Wells captured his long jump title (25-1 ¼, 7.65 meters) at the 2019-20 Big Ten men's indoor track and championships in Geneva, Ohio, he accomplished the ultra-rare double of earning trophies in both of those events.
Based on the confident 23-year-old Illini senior's personal beliefs, his uncommon feat was far more expected than surprising. You see, Wells doesn't believe in luck. He believes in blessings.
"Everything we do, every action that we have, every decision that we make, puts us in a certain situation," Wells said. "Sometimes we find opportunities that may seem coincidental. But all of those coincidences lead to something greater. We can't really see the broad picture of it, the full scope of it. But I'm a man of faith and I do believe that God sees that full scope. I like to have that mentality on the track and in life. When you go into a competition, you want to have some control over the outcome and be able compete to the best of your ability. I want to take ownership over my training, over my diet, over my mindset … everything. I find comfort in the fact that God has control over my life."
Because of an unusual series of personal circumstances, the fact that Wells is a still a member of Coach Mike Turk's Illini track and field squad is remarkable. When Wells' father, Sean Sr., was diagnosed with brain cancer in April of 2017, Jonathan decided after Illinois's 2018 outdoor season that his dad needed him more than his teammates. He left school and returned to his home in Fox Lake to become a fulltime care giver.
"Day in and day out, we spent a lot of time at appointments and chemotherapy," Wells said. "My schedule was booked from morning to night. It was a heavy responsibility."
At that same time, Jonathan, himself, was experiencing lingering pain from a chronic foot injury, so he made a decision to take advantage of his time off and undergo plantar fasciitis surgery.
When Wells' father died in March of 2019, Jonathan decided that it was time for him to return to the U of I and pursue his unfinished athletic objectives. As a result of 7-4 ½ high jump at the 2018 U.S. Championships, he automatically qualified for July's 2019 USATF meet in Des Moines. Wells trained at a highly accelerated pace, assisted by Illini coaches Turk and Jacob Cohen.
"In a strange way, athletically, it was probably a good thing that had forced him to take time off," Turk said. "His mind certainly was not as much on himself as it was his father. Physically, he came back in a lot better positioned than he was before."
Wells' efforts paid off, leaping 7-4 ¼, winning a bronze medal and earning an opportunity to compete for Team USATF in Minsk, Balarus. Proudly wearing an Illini "I" on his chest during the international competition, Wells took fifth place.
Turk calls his sixth-year standout "a very special and unique individual."
"From the very first time I sat down with Jonathan, it was pretty apparent to me that I was talking to someone who was wired a little differently than other kids," Turk said. "He had a very clear plan of what he wanted out of life and how he wanted to challenge himself. Jonathan had a definite vision. He sets his sights on something and then he focuses all of his energy toward it. We're blessed to have Jonathan in our program and not just from a talent standpoint. His presence and character and the person that he is—what he brings to the culture of our program—is absolutely phenomenal. I couldn't be fonder of anyone than I am about Jonathan Wells. I respect him so much for what he's done and the person that he is."
The 6-3, 195-pound Illini star considers high jumping more of a mental challenge than a physical one.
"Confidence is absolutely critical in high jumping," Wells said. "It's definitely one of the most challenging events. You're taking your full body and you're propelling it over a bar. When you stand next to that bar, it's about a foot taller than you are. Except for the hurdles, no other event has an obstacle to go over. But unlike the hurdles, the height of the high jump bar changes. Confidence is huge. Any hesitation might slow you down and take away from your momentum, your flow and your rhythm. The event is a continuous battle because in order to progress, you need to change. You've got to be comfortable being uncomfortable."
Are the Olympics an objective for Wells?
"One hundred percent," he said. "It's going to take 7-7 to advance to the Olympic games, but I am encouraged. I want to put myself in a position to have an opportunity to go to [the Olympics]."
Academically, Wells is in the home stretch of obtaining a master's degree in technology management from UI's Gies College of Business.
"When I think of track and field, I think of everything that's applicable to the business world," he said. "Athletics is about making progress and that's what business is all about. As a track and field athlete, you go through a lot of struggles before you become successful."
Wells' long-range career plan is to become a business owner, yet he's in no hurry to begin that phase.
"Hopefully, life after track isn't for a little bit," he said.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/3/30/mens-track-field-jonathan-wells-jumping-into-exclusive-company.aspx?path=mtrack
The No. 1 Hit of 1918
Illini Trials, Tribulations and Triumphs
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Over the almost century and a half that athletics has been on the scene at the University of Illinois, American life has been interrupted by monumental challenges.
World wars, economic crises, and troubling health pandemics have periodically reared their ugly head, but nearly every time the Fighting Illini have fought through those tragedies with a spirit of hope and optimism.
The United States' entrance into World War I on April 2, 1917, ultimately changed the lives of hundreds of UI students.
Then under the leadership of President Edmund James, the U of I offered the federal government an opportunity to establish a school of military aeronautics on campus. College men from various parts of the country were shuttled to Urbana-Champaign and the campus's Gymnasium Annex was converted into a gigantic aeronautics laboratory. Many were housed at the Armory that was transformed into a mammoth barracks.
Altogether, nearly 9,500 UI faculty, staff and students were in the service, including U.S. Navy enlistee George Halas and numerous Illini varsity athletes. Though Halas never encountered actual battle, his star football teammate Ralph "Slooie" Chapman did. On July 18, 1918, Chapman was riddled by machine gun fire from a low-flying German plan, crippling him for the rest of his life.
When the war ended on the eleventh hour of November 11, 1918, the campus's fatality list - including athletes Homer Dahringer and Edward Wallace - numbered 184.
Almost unbelievably during that same period - from January 1918 through most of 1920 - America and every other nation was enveloped by a deadly influenza pandemic that infected an estimated 500 million people and claimed the lives of well in excess of 50 million. By September of 1918, the University of Illinois also was enveloped by the disease.
Ailing students filled a variety of quarantined campus buildings, including the university's hospital, College Hall, Osborne Hall and the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. Emergency volunteers included athletics director George Huff, football coach Bob Zuppke, track mentor Harry Gill and a number of other Illini athletics staffers. They worked day and night to care for the campus's afflicted students.
Amazingly, the Illini football schedule proceeded as planned in 1918, but it did not do so without some major alterations to rules and regulations. Because of the shortage of male students, Big Ten faculty representatives adopted a resolution that declared freshman eligible to play football. The conference also temporarily agreed to be governed by rules of the War Department.
Individual football practices were limited to no more than 90 minutes and the conference eliminated games that required lengthy travel. On October 26, 1918, Illinois hosted the U.S. Naval Reserve School at Municipal Pier (Chicago) in a spectator-less game at Illinois Field. Because of the existing health fears, it's the only time in history that an Illini football game has ever been played behind closed gates.
With the war over and the health crisis mostly defeated, Illinois athletics rebounded with incredible resiliency in 1919-20, winning Big Ten and national championships in football, and placing second and third, respectively, in the conference's baseball and track and field competition.
Sporting event attendance, particularly in football, surged at the University of Illinois. In April of 1920, UI Director of Athletics George Huff announced a massive fund drive for a new $8 million stadium, dedicating it to the memory of the university's fallen war heroes.
The beginning of World War II in 1939 covered another memorable period for UI's Athletic Association. Coach Doug Mills' talented Whiz Kids basketball team captured back-to-back Big Ten championships in 1941-42 and '42-43, but Uncle Sam snatched away most members of the all-star lineup before they could attempt a run at the national crown.
With the retirement of Zuppke and the ascension of Ray Eliot to head coach in 1942, the war years also altered the composition of the Illini football team. Roster-wise, Alex Agase, Tony Butkovich and four other Illini were ordered by the military to depart for Purdue where a Navy-Marine training school was based.
"We got nothing in return," Eliot told author Lon Eubanks in a book entitled The Fighting Illini. "The only military program on our campus was the Navy V-12, a non-collegiate service training, and those boys weren't allowed to go out for football."
Altogether, in 1943, between the start of Fall practice and late October, Eliot lost 25 players to military induction.
"We never knew who we'd have from one day to the next," Eliot remembered. "We had so many young and new players that we needed to have a system (the split-T offense) that we could teach in a short period of time and still have reasonably good execution."
Predictably, the toughest game the Illini played all season was against Purdue, a contest the Boilermakers easily won. Butkovich ran for 207 yards and four touchdowns, while Agase excelled on defense. Four other Purdue Illini - Joe Buscemi, John Genis, Frank Bauman and Mike Kasap—also played key roles for the Gold and Black.
When World War II ended, five of the six former Illini returned to Champaign-Urbana to play for Eliot's 1946 Big Ten and Rose Bowl champs. The only absentee was Butkovich, who had died heroically in battle in Okinawa.
The war also ended an eight-year existence for Illinois's polo team and a successful six-year run for ice hockey.
Today, 75 years after the end of World War II, another crisis (COVID-19) confronts Illini athletics. And though this pandemic has stolen the tail-end of intercollegiate athletics' winter sports season and the entire spring schedule, DIA administrators remain hopeful that the stoppage is only temporary.
After all, there are championships to be won!
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/3/29/general-illini-trials-tribulations-and-triumphs.aspx?path=general
"Young" Dan Hartleb
Dan Hartleb: Returning to His Roots
This story was originally scheduled to post ahead of the Illinois baseball team's trip to Ohio to face Dayton and Miami (Ohio). The Illini planned to stay in a hotel in head coach Dan Hartleb's hometown of Hamilton, Ohio, during the trip. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the trip and the season were cancelled.
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Ten-year-old Dan Hartleb vividly remembered his first embarrassing moment with Hamilton, Ohio's Irene's Donut Shop Senators. He even memorialized it with a drawing, depicting the scene of the ball rolling through his legs.
Wrote young Dan in the Senators' homemade 1976 yearbook, "I played center field during the whole year, except when I didn't get in front of the ball and I was taken out of the game at the last minute."
However, there were good moments for Hartleb, too … lots of them. Like that time he robbed Joe Spicer of a homer … and when he caught seven foul tips on third strikes that helped the Senators beat the Cards.
Little No. 13 absolutely loved his coach, Neil Burtis.
"Coach Burtis made the game fun," Hartleb recalled recently. "He really influenced my love for the game."
The kid who grew up with his mom and dad, NaDeen and Dan, and his older sister, Beth, at 1051 New London Road was particularly inspired by the Major League team just 31 miles south of Hamilton. The Cincinnati Reds' legendary "Big Red Machine" of the 1970s was loaded with all-stars, including Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, and Hartleb's personal favorite, catcher Johnny Bench.
The energetic fifth grader with the strong right arm, who eventually became a receiver like his hero, was one of his Little League coach's favorites.
"We got to the semifinals of the city championship that year with a ten-year-old starting in center field," eighty-year-old Burtis snickered. "Dan really wanted to catch, but my twelve-year-old son already was doing that."
Now, if you want to see really passionate youth baseball, just visit Hamilton on a summer evening. The city's West Side Little League has an almost unparalleled history, winning twelve Ohio state championships in the 21st century alone. Four times the community's program has represented southwestern Ohio at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.
"West Side has a lot of coaches that stay around and coach long after their kids leave the program," Burtis said. "Personally, I know I got a lot more out of it than I put into it. And the best part of it was because of kids like Dan Hartleb."
This week, Dan Hartleb bring his University of Illinois baseball team to his childhood neighborhood, playing single games at the University of Dayton on Tuesday and at Miami University on Wednesday. He anticipates that several friends and members of his family will be cheering on the Orange and Blue.
Hartleb is especially familiar with the classic campus in Oxford, Ohio. It resides in a town whose citizenry is about equal to the University's enrollment of 17,000. The RedHawks' ballpark, where Dodgers Hall of Famer Walter Alston and current Washington Nationals standout Adam Eaton once played, is just a short walk from where Hartleb's late father served as the campus coal plant's supervisor. As a teenager, Dan Jr. made some summer spending money by painting dormitory rooms on the Miami campus. He nearly accepted Miami's offer to walk on as a collegiate player coming out of Hamilton High.
Coach Dan Bowling's Big Blue, Ohio's 1983 state champs, had outstanding players throughout the lineup, including seven future Division I players and a Division II All-American. An eighth player, pitcher Mike Conley, was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the second round of the '83 MLB Amateur Draft. Years later, Hartleb and many of his teammates were inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.
"We were pretty good," Hartleb said. "I've got to believe that we still hold a couple of state tournament records. That year in the semifinal game, we scored something like 25 runs on 25 hits, and then we had 14 runs on 14 hits in the finals. We had a number of really, really good players."
During the summer, Hartleb caught for the Cincinnati Storm. At one point in the season, the Storm played a series of games in southern Illinois against teams from Marion, Murphysboro and others.
"The younger players on the team would go to a camp (run by then Southern Illinois coach and future Illini coach 'Itch' Jones) in the morning, and then we'd play local teams in the afternoon," he said. "Jerry Halstead, the coach at John A. Logan College (located in Carterville) saw me and offered me and one of my teammates, Rich Campbell, scholarships. We were two of the first players to be brought in from out of state. The opportunity to play right away—and to play with one of my teammates—just felt like the right thing to do."
Hartleb performed well at Logan and was chosen to play in a junior college all-star game at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
"I went up there and had a really good day, threw very well and shut down some pretty good runners," Hartleb said. "Right after that I got a call from Itch and he gave me an opportunity to go to SIU on scholarship."
The Salukis' career .305 hitter completed his undergraduate degree in advertising, but remained unsure as to what the future held for him. When an SIU grad assistant moved on to a head coaching position, Hartleb happily accepted that role with Jones and pursued his master's in higher education administration.
"I was able to go on the road and get my feet wet in recruiting and help Itch run his camps," Hartleb said. "In my first year as a grad assistant, we were young and very talented, but we set the school record for losses. The following year, we turned things around and set the school wins record and won the Missouri Valley. So, I got a taste of both sides of some of the toughest times coaching and some of the best times coaching."
Following SIU's championship year in 1990, Jones received an offer to become the head coach of the Fighting Illini. He asked his young assistant if he'd like to join his staff in Champaign-Urbana.
"Of course, I immediately accepted," Hartleb said. "When Itch asked what I'd like my responsibilities to be, I told him that I'd like to become a pitching coach because if I ever become a head coach, I'd have experience on both sides. For some reason, he agreed to do it. It was a steep learning curve, and early in my career I was terrible, but I learned a lot of valuable lessons. I wouldn't be in the position I am today without Itch and his trust and willingness to help me learn."
Following 15 years as Jones' assistant, Hartleb took over the reigns as Illinois's head coach in 2006. His biggest highlight came in 2015 when the Illini won a school-record 50 games and advanced to the NCAA Super Regional. This past January, Hartleb was named D1Baseball's Big Ten Coach of the Decade. He quickly credits his personal success to "being surrounded by really successful coaches, great players, and a lot of good people."
"For us to be here at Illinois for 30 years makes us unbelievably blessed," Hartleb said. "As a coach, staying in one place is very, very difficult. It just doesn't happen very often. Both Gina (Hartleb's wife) and I have tried to be involved and give back to our community. The University of Illinois is truly home for us."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/3/7/baseball-dan-hartleb-returning-to-his-roots.aspx
Mia Takekawa
Mia Takekawa: Pure Perfection
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Perfection in sports is rare, particularly when—in most instances—it's indefinable.
Historians might say that Michael Phelps was perfect at the 2008 Olympic Games when he captured eight gold medals. Tiger Woods won the 2000 U.S. Open by 15 strokes, becoming the first golfer to break the double-digit under-par barrier at that tournament. They were performances that were undoubtedly incredible, yet it would not be factual to call them perfect.
Like diving and figure skating, the sport of gymnastics is different. Women's gymnasts perform in four events—vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. With a panel of judges' eyes focused specifically on the execution and difficulty of an individual's routine, there are any number of subjective deductions that can be made. Slight wobbles, bent legs, and the preciseness of a landing are but a few of the subtractions on a judge's checklist.
A perfect score of 10.0 is extremely uncommon, reserved almost exclusively for superstars like Nadia Comaneci, Simone Biles, and Mary Lou Retton.
But on January 9th, in a triangular meet at Huff Hall against Lindenwood and Temple, Mia Takekawa—a 5-foot-2-inch freshman dynamo from Sacramento, Calif—penciled her name onto that elite list. Performing on a balance beam 16.4 feet long and only four inches wide, Takekawa became the first Illini athlete to ever earn a perfect 10.0 on the apparatus.
"I know I've hit sets like that all the time in practice, but to be able to do it just like that in competition was pretty unreal," Takekawa said. "You never know what the judges are going to do. Even when I do hit a set that I think is perfect, the judges might see something. To be rewarded for something that I thought was perfect felt pretty good."
For third-year Fighting Illini coach Nadalie Walsh, her 18-year-old rookie's flawless fifty-seven second performance wasn't necessarily unexpected.
"It was Mia's second competition at the collegiate level," Walsh said. "She had just come off of a meet where she scored a 9.9, so I think she had a lot of confidence, but there was still a level of nerves. I remember telling her to take a deep breath to bring her heart rate down. I looked in her in the eyes and said something like, 'You're outstanding. Just go up there and enjoy yourself. You're great. You've got this.' She said 'Okay.' Then she just went up and stayed calm. It was a routine that I've seen her do many times before. It wasn't anything more or less. She's constantly perfect in the gym every day. She's just so clean and consistent. Then when the score came up, the judges agreed. They weren't going to take anything from this young woman."
When Takekawa's score was posted, the enthusiastic Illini crowd erupted with a chant of "Ten, ten, ten."
"Mia had a surreal look on her face and tears welled her eyes," Walsh said. "You could tell that she wasn't sure that this was really happening. After a quick hug, I had to go and help the next girl do beam with all this commotion. Then after she finished, I was able to go to Mia and give her a really big hug and have a really good moment with her and tell her 'Well done!'
While a gymnast's physical performance is most predominant, Takekawa said that executing a routine on the beam is also "a mental thing."
"I think about my key words," she said. "I try not to think about all of the things that could go wrong. My key words help me focus and stay in the zone … focusing in the moment instead of what's coming next or the whole routine. I'm focusing on each skill as it happens. It helps keep my mind tight and strong instead of letting it wander and get lost in negative thoughts."
Prior to mounting the beam for her perfect ten, Takekawa repeated every one of her key words with her coach, beginning with "breathe" and "confidence."
"Before my first skill, I say 'tall', 'push', 'look', 'press', 'arms', 'hips'."
"Before my leap, I say 'step', 'block', 'pull', 'step', 'arms', 'hips', 'press'."
"Before my full turn, I'll say 'push', 'tall', 'press'."
"Then, before my dismount, I'll say 'arms', hips', 'look', 'press'."
"The corrections that I know, Nadalie will tell me all the time, so I condense those into words that will help me remember them. That helps me stay in the motions that I know will work."
Is Takekawa a bit astonished at how much she's progressed as an Illini freshman?
"I am surprised," she said. "Just based off of last year, I didn't think I would be able to grow in my confidence as I have in the past six-seven months that I've been here. My growth in confidence has surprised me the most."
And is Walsh surprised at Takekawa's rapid improvement? Not at all.
"I was confident that she'd step right up," Walsh said. "Mia is a really hard worker and very dedicated. She's a championship-minded athlete. She's a 4.0 student. All around, she's a wonderful individual. I am not surprised at how well she's done."
Walsh calls her star pupil "non-emotional." Though Takekawa won't turn 19 until March 30, the Illini mentor labels her as "level-headed" and "wise". The future bioengineering major is often sought out by her teammates for advice.
"Everybody does come to me with questions," she admits, "most of the time, about homework. Sometimes it's other stuff. I try to listen really well. Sometimes I don't know what to say, but I try to give the best advice that I can."
"When you have wisdom, people want to know what you have to say," Walsh said. "Mia has the ability to bring peace into situations for others that feel really chaotic. She can help them see the perspective that they're missing so that they can focus on the truth instead of being caught up in the distraction."
So is the teenager from the West Coast at all homesick?
"Not really," she says. "I'm mostly missing my dog Odyssey (a yellow lab) and spending time with my family. But, right now, I'm too busy with gymnastics and school to be homesick."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/3/11/womens-gymnastics-mia-takekawa-pure-perfection.aspx
Ayo Dosunmu
Dosunmu Dazzles Former Illini Stars
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
They played together for the Fighting Illini a decade-and-a-half before today's Illini players were even born, but Bruce Douglas and Doug Altenberger know a little something about guard play.
Teammates and starters on the University of Illinois's 1983-84 Big Ten champions, the Lou Henson protégés were synonymous with winning basketball. Douglas and Altenberger know a winner when they see one and, in their consensus opinion, Illini sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu fits that description. They would have loved to have the 20-year-old phenom on their team way back when.
"Our teams liked to transition, get out on the break and play up tempo," said Douglas, "so Ayo would have made the teams that I was on even better. He creates things one-on-one and really poses match-up problems."
Altenberger says Dosunmu reminds him of Illini great Derek Harper.
"When Ayo is in the open court and with his ability to get to the basket and finish, I haven't seen anybody as good as him since Derek," Altenberger said. "Derek had great length and was able to get to the basket and not only finish, but to finish in traffic. Derek didn't have a great outside shot. Ayo is still developing that and he might yet become a great shooter."
What's the most difficult part of Dosunmu's game to defend? According to Douglas, one of Illinois's all-time greatest defenders, No. 11's multiplicity of talents would have been a handful for him.
"When you talk about guarding people, you first have to look at their skill set," Douglas said. "Ayo's speed and quickness are deceptive. He really gets to the basket fast. His first step is really good and his length creates a problem. Ayo has a great knack for finishing shots that are hard to defend. He has the ability to adjust in the air and create shots that he can finish. He can shoot a lot of shots on the run, especially going to his right. All those things would have created a challenge for me. Ayo's skills are unique."
Altenberger wishes he had had Dosunmu's bread-and-butter move, the Chicago sophomore's patented 15-foot step-back jumper.
"Ayo will either cross-over in front of you with his left hand or he'll go behind his back with his right hand, and then he'll step back and hit that little baby 'J'," Altenberger said. "The other guy knows he's going to do it. If they go for his jump shot, then he'll do the hesitation against the basket and finish. He's got that move down. When Ayo freezes his defender, he's either going to get a pull-up jumper or he'll get to the basket and finishes."
As for Dosunmu's ability to lead the Illini to crucial road victories at Wisconsin, at Purdue, at Michigan, and at Penn State, Douglas is impressed.
"Ayo has grown a whole lot in that area this year," said the former Quincy all-star. "He uses his leadership ability to will his team to win. That's something that every great team needs. You need someone that can inspire and encourage everyone else to—no matter what the score is—go out and win the game. This team looks to Ayo to provide them with that direction."
Altenberger, the Illini radio network's color analyst, went a step further in underscoring Dosunmu's self-confidence.
"Ayo is like 'Hey, I'm good. I know I'm good. I want you guys to know that you can get me the ball for the last shot,'" Altenberger said.
"Ayo wants that responsibility," Altenberger continued. "He wants to be the man and the guys have given him that baton. They know that when it's time for a bucket, it's going to start with Ayo. Against Rutgers (at the State Farm Center), he took over and won that game. Ayo took the huge shot at Wisconsin. He won the Michigan game with a last-second shot. At Penn State, he just took control in the second half. When the lights are bright, that's when Ayo shines. That's what big-time players do, and he's definitely big time."
Does Ayo Dosunmu deserve to be a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2020? Douglas thinks the Morgan Park High School product should receive strong consideration.
"There are some really great players in the league this year," Douglas said. "When you evaluate the great players, you also have to evaluate their wins and losses. I think that what Ayo has elevated Illinois to do this year—to stay within the top five or six teams in the Big Ten—I think he fits into that first five. He's finished some games well and he's elevated the play of his teammates. They're in a position, right now, to still contend for the Big Ten (title), so I probably would put him among my top five players in the league."
Dosunmu would get Altenberger's vote as well.
"I think that if Ayo continues to run out the season the way he's playing now, for what he's done for our team, then yes, he's first-team All-Big Ten," Altenberger said. "He's made clutch shot after clutch shot and he's played as well as anybody in the Big Ten. Prior to the conference (portion of the season), Ayo didn't make as big of an impact. But since January, that guy has played lights out. I think that Ayo has played better than (MSU's Cassius) Winston. If I was voting, I'd have Luka Garza, Anthony Cowan, Jalen Smith, Lamar Stevens and Ayo as my top five. If not Stephens, then Winston. Ayo's just played out of his mind. He's single-handedly won four or five games for us."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/3/3/mens-basketball-ayo-dosunmu.aspx?path=mbball
Moe Gardner
Moe Gardner: Helping Scholars Study the African Diaspora
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
February is Black History Month and in celebration of the month, FightingIllini.com will be featuring a storytelling series of influential and impactful stories of African American student-athletes and coaches.
As a youngster in Indianapolis, Moe Gardner frequently found enjoyment in the intellectual tranquility of a library. His mother, Mynelle, a kindergarten teacher in Indy's school system, would often drop him off at the family's local library for an afternoon of exploring books.
Moe loved Ray Bradbury's science fiction books, devoured J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis's works of fantasy, and even indulged in Black Panther and X-Men comics.
"Growing up in a working-class family, I spent a ton of time at the library," Gardner said. "It was always kind of a safe space for me. I was just that kind of kid growing up and my mother totally saw the trajectory and connected it with me."
Then, as a teenager, Moe had a growth spurt, bursting out to a frame that eventually expanded to 6-feet-3 and 260 pounds. Predictably, sports became a more relevant part of his life.
Playing alongside future Fighting Illini teammate Darrick Brownlow at Cathedral High School, Gardner excelled at football, winning all-state and all-city honors. Still, Moe's skills as a defensive lineman didn't totally define him as a person.
"That natural feel of books and history and research was always something that I had a really strong interest in," he said.
Mike White, then the University of Illinois's coach, convinced Moe to become a Fighting Illini. From 1987 through 1990, Moe Gardner transformed into one of the Orange & Blue's finest performers. He became a three-time first team All-Big Ten selection, leading the team in tackles for loss three-consecutive seasons and ending his career with an Illini record fifty-seven TFLs.
The Outland Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Award finalist was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 1990 and was chosen in the fourth round of the '91 National Football League Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. As an NFL rookie, Gardner recorded 96 tackles and three sacks in the 1991 NFL season. Statistically, his best year came in 1993 as he amassed 128 tackles, two sacks, and forced a fumble, finishing second overall on the team.
Following the 1996 campaign, Gardner hung up his pads.
"Physically and talent-wise, the NFL just ran its course for me," he said. "I played all the football out of my body that I had in it. Honestly, I was probably fortunate to get those six years in."
Already a father of three young children with his wife, Roberta, Gardner was eager to discover life after football. He did a video internship at Atlanta-based CNN-Sports Illustrated, archiving and indexing sports clips. It piqued his interest and soon he enrolled at Clark Atlanta University to seek his master's degree in library science. Moe served a short stint at a local public library and, twelve years ago, landed with his current employer, Atlanta's acclaimed Auburn Avenue Research Library (AARL). The facility is the first public library in the Southeast to offer specialized reference and archival collections dedicated to the study and research of African American culture and history and of other peoples of African descent.
Today, Moe Gardner's professional title is as the AARL's Public Services Librarian Principal, serving in the Reference, Research and Programs Division of the AARL. He assists scholars and PhD candidates who study the African diaspora on a global scale. Gardner also helps facilitate scholarly public lectures within the academic communities and creates events that encourage the public to come in and utilize those resources.
He says that 2020 is a significant year in African American studies, marking the 400th anniversary of when the first enslaved Africans were brought to North America. The New York Times award-winning series entitled "1619" aims to reframe the United States' history by focusing on the consequences of slavery and the contribution of black Americans.
Externally, in terms of public awareness, Gardner says that Black History Month is a launching point for AARL's year, but his objective is to highlight it consistently throughout the year.
Moe's grandfather, Albert Umphrey, was an All-America halfback at Tennessee State in the mid 1930s and went on to run some of the community athletic programs in Indianapolis. One of Gardner's hometown's most famous legacies revolves around Crispus Attucks High School.
"Through my uncles and aunts and grandparents, I learned how important Oscar Robertson was to the black community and how important that state championship was to them," Gardner said. "It was a sacred thing for them. When you look at the movie "Hoosiers," you're actually talking about that same Crispus Attucks team. They were placed in the shadows in that film. There was a strong, resonating story of perseverance and community and a true celebration of the black experience that got totally overshadowed by the story about the Hickory team. But that's the kind of work we do at the Auburn Avenue Research Library, to place stories side by side so that we can get a true understanding about the contextual landscape of not just race in America, but American history."
Last June, Gardner got the opportunity to meet and work with another African American hero of the Circle City—NASCAR legend Willy T. Ribbs.
"Though I grew up in Indianapolis, I was never much of a racing fan," Gardner said. "It just wasn't a something that someone in my community followed that much. When Willy T. Ribbs came onto the scene as a racer (1986), it was the same kind of visceral thing that Tiger Woods did for golf within the black community. Just his presence alone invigorated communities of color to become interested in racing. Willy T. Ribbs did this for me when I was growing up as a kid. His name was something that, all of a sudden, you'd hear conversations in barber shops about this Black NASCAR racer."
When Gardner received a call from the African American Film Critics Association to see if the AARL would have an interest in screening Ribbs' documentary, he jumped at the chance.
"It was just a really powerful thing for me to meet him," Gardner said. "Seeing this man compete in an otherwise completely dominant field of white racers and then being able to talk to him and hear his experience was amazing. I'm not a person who's typically star struck, but to understand the scope and depth of what he was dealing with in kind of an institutional, racist structure, and then to see the fortitude he had to deal with some significant obstacles was truly amazing. We have a two-hundred capacity theater here at the library, and it was packed. To see how his presence resonated with them was gratifying."
Moe says he's blessed to be engaged in an environment and with a subject matter for which he has a true reverence.
"Some of it's pure luck that I was standing in the right place at the right time and things just worked out for me," he says.
In June, Moe and his wife, Roberta, a 1991 UI alumnus and now a professor of literacy education at Georgia's Kennesaw State University, will celebrate their thirty-second anniversary. Their children include daughter Morgan (30), son Andrew (28), daughter Price (26), and son Nicholas (21).
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/2/27/football-moe-gardner-helping-scholars-study-the-african-diaspora.aspx
Govoner Vaughn
Govoner Vaughn: Illinois's Groundbreaking Star
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
February is Black History Month and in celebration of the month, FightingIllini.com will be featuring a storytelling series of influential and impactful stories of African American student-athletes and coaches.
On Sunday (March 1), he turns 83, but most of legendary Fighting Illini basketball alumnus Govoner Vaughn's recollections about his days at the University of Illinois are still crystal clear.
He even remembers the room numbers of the dormitories he stayed in during his four years on campus.
"Not too far from Huff Gym," Vaughn said. "218 Noble Hall, 257 Clark Hall and 276 Garner Hall."
The man who finished his collegiate career ranked third in career points at the U of I also can vividly recall his days growing up in Edwardsville, Illinois with five brothers—Jim, Tom, Taylor, Otis and Wardell—just 23 miles northeast of St. Louis. Govoner inherited his unique first name from his dad's brother.
Gov's lifelong comrade is Mannie Jackson, a buddy who'd become his teammate with the Illini. Together, they attended segregated Lincoln Elementary School, then Edwardsville Junior High, then Edwardsville High School.
"We played all kinds of sports together—basketball, track, cross country—and we even worked together at the local brick company during the summer," Vaughn said. "I always admired Mannie's tenacity. Once he got into something, he stuck with it."
In 1956, Coach Joe Lucco's Edwardsville Tigers lineup was loaded. Six-foot-three-inch senior Govoner Vaughn—self-described as "skinny as a rail"—played center, Jackson and Harold Patton were the forwards, and James Chandler and Kenneth Shaw manned the guard positions. EHS stormed through the Alton Regional and the sectionals at Wood River, advancing to Champaign and its "gigantic" (capacity 6,900) Huff Gym. The Tigers easily disposed of Oak Park in the semifinal, 88-61, but then was matched against powerful Rockford West in the championship game.
Twenty-eight points from Vaughn and 21 more from Jackson kept the game close, but Rockford finally prevailed, 67-65. After the trophy presentations, Gov and Mannie got a special invitation from former Edwardsville star Don Ohl to go to Illini coach Harry Combes' office.
"I remember Harry saying to Mannie and me, 'We'd love to have you here and we want to offer you a scholarship,'" Vaughn said. "Well, my mouth dropped open. This was Champaign-Urbana, the University of Illinois, and I just couldn't believe it."
More scholarship offers followed, including overtures from Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin, Marquette and the local team, St. Louis University.
"I almost went to St. Louis to play for Coach Eddie Hickey," Vaughn said. "He showed us a good time that weekend at the Cardinals game, where we got to visit with Harry Caray and Joe Garagiola in their booth."
Still, the offer from his home state university was too tempting.
"Coach Lucco was a U of I grad and he was encouraging Mannie and I to go there," Vaughn remembered. "And my oldest brother was at Illinois State, about 50 miles away, so, about midsummer, I decided to attend U of I. Honestly, I never thought I was capable enough to play at Illinois."
Vaughn and Jackson were only the second and third African American players at Illinois and the first to ultimately earn varsity letters, but Govoner didn't consider that to be a big deal.
"Yes, Mannie and I were the first to break the color barrier as far as making the varsity team," Vaughn said, "but, for one reason or another, it never struck me as being something so different. I just thought that a talent is a talent. I never had one bit of trouble at Illinois, either in the classroom or on the floor."
It wasn't until Vaughn's senior season, on a trip to Louisville, Kentucky to play Adolph Rupp's legendary Wildcats, that racism raised its ugly head.
"It was my first trip south," Vaughn said. "We were able to stay in the same hotel with our white teammates, but the thing I remember most was Mannie and I going to a movie with other members of the team. The lady at the ticket window said to Mannie and me, the two of you can't go in."
In Jackson's 2012 autobiography, Boxcar to Board Rooms, Gov's friend wrote, "Immediately, several teammates offered to leave with us, including our team's student manager, Dennis Swanson, who raised holy hell with the theater manager and staff and threatened to shut the place down. But since Gov and I had had these experiences several years earlier, we knew our time would come on the basketball court."
The next evening, with police stationed behind the Illini bench, Illinois played competitively with UK. Just seconds remained when Vaughn launched a routine 18-footer for the potential game winner.
"Unfortunately, my shot bounced off the rim and we lost by one," said Vaughn. "I remember a couple of fans afterwards saying 'You'd better be glad that shot didn't go in.' It occurred to me then that I might have been physically harmed."
Vaughn wound up being named Illinois's team MVP in 1960, averaging 17.9 points and 8.2 rebounds. Though he had an education degree from the U of I firmly in hand, the 22-year-old yearned to continue his basketball career. Unforeseen roadblocks would lie ahead.
"At that time, the NBA was a color thing," he said. "More or less, each team had its quota. I did everything but beg, borrow and steal, talking to the manager of the St. Louis Hawks. But he told me, no dice."
Industrial league ball was very popular at the time, with the Phillips 66ers, the New York Tuck Tapers, Peoria Caterpillars, etc. comprising the league. Vaughn and Jackson decided that they were going to play with the Caterpillars, not too far from Champaign.
"But just before we graduated, Peoria stopped its basketball program," Vaughn said.
A few weeks later, Vaughn was introduced to (UI grad) Abe Saperstein, the owner of the famed Harlem Globetrotters. He was flown to Chicago for a tryout and made the team, joining a lineup that included such stars as Meadowlark Lemon, Tex Harrison, Marcus Haynes, and Goose Tatum.
"I wasn't a ball handler as much as I was a player," Vaughn said. "I didn't have many tricks to do with the ball. I would go in one quarter to play straight ball and pad the lead against the Washington Generals."
After one year with the Trotters, Vaughn went on to play for the Long Beach Chiefs for two additional seasons. He then put his degree to work, teaching middle school math, science and social studies in the Chicago Public Schools system. A job opportunity from the Ford Motor Company in the summer of 1966 sent him to Detroit. Vaughn then because a business analyst for Detroit Edison and lived in the Motor City for the next thirty-four years. When Jackson purchased the Globetrotters in 2010, he brought Vaughn back to serve as the team's director of alumni relations. Two years ago, Vaughn moved back to Detroit with his wife, Loretta, to be closer to his children and grandchildren.
In 2008, nearly half a century after he'd made his mark at Illinois, Govoner Vaughn returned to Champaign-Urbana to see a banner with his name and number raised to the rafters at the State Farm Center.
"To be included with the other players who were honored, it was an unbelievable moment for me," Vaughn said. "I wouldn't trade my time at the University of Illinois for anything."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/2/26/mens-basketball-govoner-vaughn-illinois-groundbreaking-star.aspx
Morris Virgil
The Education of Morris Virgil
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
February is Black History Month and in celebration of the month, FightingIllini.com will be featuring a storytelling series of influential and impactful stories of African American student-athletes and coaches.
For fourteen years, only two classes stood between him and a cherished bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois.
It's oddly prophetic that one of those classes—Philosophy 102: Logic and Reasoning—aptly defines the challenging, yet inspiring life of 36-year-old Morris Jamal Virgil.
Last December, upon finishing two difficult online classes, the second recipient of the Henry Dale and Betty Smith Family Scholars Program degree completion scholarship officially became a college graduate. It's one of his greatest accomplishments.
"Going back to school was just something that I felt like I had to get done," Virgil said. "I've been through a lot in my life, so there were some things that I wanted to accomplish before my kids start getting older. I've got to do what I've got to do to reach my goals in life."
Admittedly, education has been demanding for Virgil from day one. The middle child of twelve was taken away from his mother at the age of five. Morris bounced from foster home to foster home and from school to school, attending four different middle schools in three years.
"I never got the base (education) when I was younger," he said, "so once I got to high school everything was extremely hard."
Born into a world of poverty and abuse in Chicago, Virgil finally got his life's big break in 1993. His case worker told him, "We found somebody that we think you're going to love," but the ten-year-old was understandably skeptical about the man who would eventually adopt him.
"My thought process was 'OK, here we go again,'" Virgil said. "I was thinking to myself, 'Another home?' But when I first met (Lloyd Winston of Urbana), he just treated me like I was everything. He was so giving. He made me feel like I had a father. That had always been a void in my life. I needed structure and I needed male bonding. Lloyd let me be a kid and showed me that I wasn't down and out, and that I had a lot of life to live."
Virgil was a gifted athlete and excelled at Urbana High School in his first five games as a freshman. Then came yet another roadblock: ineligibility due to poor grades.
"I had become the starting quarterback," Virgil said. "I had to prove to my coach that I would get good grades and not let my team down again. Finally, something clicked in my mind. If I'm going to do what I want to do, I've got to start focusing on my classes."
Virgil went on to set a plethora of records at Urbana in both football and track and field, earning consensus all-state honors. When he was recruited in 2001 by Illini head coach Ron Turner, Virgil's grades were in order but his test scores fell a bit short. There were no doubts about his athletic ability, but the question still remained: could he cut it academically at the University of Illinois? Thankfully, the UI freshman had UI academic advisor Kristin Kane on his side that first year.
"She was a big inspiration in making sure that we did what we were supposed to do," Virgil said. "I learned that going to class was half the battle. If you missed a class, you had two more hours tacked onto your study hall, so there was definitely an incentive to go to class. Kristin (now Associate Athletics Director for Academic Services and Student Development at Northwestern) always gave me the support that I needed and that was a key for me."
Virgil played running back during his first two seasons with the Illini, highlighted by a 131-yard rushing performance with three touchdowns against Arkansas State in his collegiate debut (2002).
He was moved to defense in 2004 and started 11 games at strong safety, ranking third on the team and twentieth among Big Ten players with 78 tackles. Virgil got five more starts his senior year.
After college, he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chicago Bears, then took his talents north of the border for three years with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.
Virgil started his career as a fitness professional about 12 years ago and founded VFit Athlete in March of 2011. Today, his gym in Brownsburg, Indiana serves more than three hundred clients.
"My goal has been helping people to achieve a healthy lifestyle," he said. "I'm a people person and I connect well with them."
Morris and his wife, Jodi, have three children—sons Martez (9) and Marcus (6), and daughter Journey (1).
"I've told my sons that I made a lot of mistakes," Virgil said. "I'm not asking them to be perfect … just to do their best. I'm trying to instill some values into my boys that were instilled into me by Lloyd. There are a lot of things in life that a person has to manage."
With his sports management degree finally in hand, Virgil is now exploring a potential career as a high school football coach. He's positive that he can make a difference in young athletes' lives.
"For an athlete today—especially with all of the things they go through with social media—it's really hard to manage everything that has to get done. They need to know that they can make a difference in their communities."
For Morris Virgil, he'll never forget how the University of Illinois stood by him through good times and bad.
"I'm proud of what the University has helped me to become," he said. "It taught me how to be selfless, how to work hard, and it taught me perseverance. There was no such word as 'quit' at the University of Illinois. You worked your butt off, and when you got knocked down, you got right back up and went to work. I'll forever be grateful."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/2/23/football-the-education-of-morris-virgil.aspx
Jonelle Polk McCloud
Jonelle Polk McCloud: Teaching Life Lessons Through Basketball
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
February is Black History Month and in celebration of the month, FightingIllini.com will be featuring a storytelling series of influential and impactful stories of African American student-athletes and coaches.
Former Fighting Illini star Jonelle Polk McCloud will forever be grateful to the game of basketball. Without that bouncy orange sphere, she says her life may not have led her on a journey where today she's able to make a genuine impact in shaping the lives of young girls.
"To me, if you're good at it, basketball is a means of getting what you want," McCloud said. "The game has provided me with so many wonderful opportunities. It has taken me to some amazing places around the world and it provided me with a free education."
As the manager of Peoria's Proctor Recreation Center for the past 12 years, McCloud coordinates an after-school program that services more than 50 kids every day.
Statistics reveal that a sizeable number of children are most vulnerable and unsupervised from 3-to-6 p.m., the period between when they arrive home from school and their parents come home from work.
"My goal at Proctor is to provide a safe after-school place for young people that's filled with recreational activities and even a place to do their homework," McCloud said.
Through the urging of parents, she began the Journey to Empowerment through Motivation and Self-Esteem basketball program in 2006, better known by its acronym J.E.M.S. Along with fellow coaches Holly Nelson, Darren Thompson and Roosevelt Owens, McCloud's efforts go well beyond the 3,000-square-foot borders of the court.
"Our goal is to empower young ladies by using basketball," she said. "We're trying to motivate young girls to become better women as they grown up."
J.E.M.S. has ultimately produced a number of college basketball players, including Kourtney Crane and Maary Lakes of Chicago State, and Colby Hughes of Wiley College in Marshall Texas.
"When you're into basketball, you're in it, but it's really for afterwards," McCloud said. "When you're learning about discipline and getting a job and getting up and going to work every day, that's what sports teaches you."
McCloud inherited her 6-foot-3-inch frame from her parents, James and Patricia Polk. By the age of eight, she was already taller than her teacher.
"Because I was tall, people expected me to play basketball," McCloud said. "There was a girl in the sixth grade who wrote in my book, 'You're no good in basketball, but good luck anyway.' I wish I could see her now."
As a 6-1 freshman at Peoria Manual High School, she admits that she was trying not to play basketball just because she was tall. But when Coach Dennis Brown spotted her in the hallway, he shouted six words in her direction: "I'll see you at practice tonight."
"At that point," McCloud said, "I had no choice."
Jonelle went on to rewrite major portions of Manual High's record book, averaging 23 points and 12 rebounds in four seasons with the Rams. Her mailbox bulged with college recruiting letters and, in the end, she melted her choices to DePaul, Arizona and Illinois. At the urging of then Illini assistant coach Cheryl Burnett, the high school star decided on the Orange and Blue.
Wearing jersey No. 24, McCloud made her mark at Illinois, setting Illini career records for points (1,984) and rebounds (933). The math and economics major loved her experience in Champaign-Urbana.
"They treated us like royalty, as far as I was concerned," McCloud said. "Dr. Karol Kahrs, who was a real advocate for women's athletes, was ahead of her time. Some of the things that we received I thought everyone was receiving at other schools. But when I went to coach at other schools, I found out that wasn't the case."
McCloud played professionally in Europe before beginning her coaching career back in the states. She served as a graduate assistant at Northern Illinois and earned a master's degree in physical education. During a stint at Florida State, she met her eventual husband, Daniel. They then moved back to Jonelle's home in Peoria where she became an assistant at Bradley University.
The couple has two daughters. Jonae is a senior at Missouri, studying graphic design and IT. She's currently interning with the Mizzou football team where she helps with their graphic design. In November, Jaida, the McCloud's youngest daughter, received a basketball scholarship from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
McCloud, a member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, embraces her parents for their steadfast support and direction.
"I know they're not famous, but I've been so blessed that they were able to raise my sister and I the right way," she said. "They're the backbone of where I come from."
Follow Jonelle Polk McCloud on Twitter @JemsBasketball
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/2/19/womens-basketball-legacy-jonelle-polk-mccloud-teaching-life-lessons-through-basketball.aspx
Preston Pearson
Preston Pearson: From Freeport to the Super Bowl
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
February is Black History Month and in celebration of the month, FightingIllini.com will be featuring a storytelling series of influential and impactful stories of African American student-athletes and coaches.
A former Fighting Illini basketball player is the answer to an intriguing sports trivia question.
Which National Football League star never played college football, yet participated in five Super Bowls?
As fascinating a story as that is, the tale of how Illini hoopster Preston Pearson eventually made it to the University of Illinois and then to the NFL is equally interesting. Young Preston's introduction to sports in Freeport, Illinois was simple and certainly unsophisticated.
"I can remember playing all kinds of sports in our neighborhood," said the former Freeport native who celebrated his 75th birthday on January 17th. "Most of the time we had to make do with whatever we could find. I remember putting up a backboard and hoop on a U.S. Postal Service pole in my front yard. We rolled up socks just to have something that resembled a basketball. I recall us playing golf. We went out and carved up some sticks that had a little hook on it and used rolled up socks (as the ball). We dug a hole somewhere nearby and called it playing golf. We called our team the Third Ward Gang—and the word gang doesn't mean what it does today. It just meant a group of guys in the neighborhood. Shuffleboard, marbles, you name it, we played it."
At Freeport High School, Preston and his older brother, Rufus Jr., were, for most their careers, the only African American student-athletes. Rufus was so talented that then Illini coach Pete Elliott recruited him to play football. Preston tagged along on the recruiting trip down to Champaign-Urbana. Unfortunately, Rufus's grades weren't good enough for entry into the University of Illinois, so he eventually ended up at Southern Illinois University.
A handful of scholarship offers came Pearson's way—including one from Bowling Green who featured Nate Thurmond and Howard Komives—but, alas, not one inquiry came from the Illini. Finally, in an act of desperation to get noticed by Illinois basketball coach Harry Combes, Pearson sent a letter to Champaign and hoped that he'd get a response. A couple of weeks later, his prayers were answered.
"The letter said something to the effect of 'come on down and sit down with us,'" Pearson said. "'We'll see about possibly getting you a half scholarship.' I really wasn't sure what that meant. I got room and board and maybe something else, but I knew it wouldn't be enough."
Totally focused and determined, Preston hit the streets and landed multiple odd jobs.
"I had paper routes, I shoveled snow, and I had a job in the Freeport Park system," he remembered. "I just worked my butt off to make ends meet, but it still wasn't enough."
Occasionally, Illini basketball practices would go long, and the cafeterias would close before Pearson could have his dinner. He frequently found himself going hungry. Understandably, that caused some hard feelings between he and his head coach, sentiments that he still harbors today.
"I was working hard and trying to stay in school but I was starving, and, honestly, I resented that," Pearson said.
On the basketball court, the 6-1, 193-pound defensive specialist embraced his role as the team's 'stopper'. Week after week, game after game, No. 25 was assigned to guard the Illini opponent's top offensive player. Michigan's Cazzie Russell. Purdue's Rick Mount. Indiana's Van Arsdale twins.
But it was a play against UCLA superstar Lew Alcindor (aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in January of 1967 at old Chicago Stadium that would ultimately provide Preston Pearson with his biggest break.
"It was a few games after the scandal came down (in December of 1966)," he said. "Rich Jones and Ron Dunlap and Steve Kuberski were taken away and that crippled our team. Dave Scholz was 6-7 and he was trying to play Kareem from behind. For some reason or another, I just decided that I was going to block one of Kareem's famous hook shots. I'm not sure if I blocked it slightly from behind, but the bottom line is that I got it!"
Noticing Pearson's amazing jumping ability, an NFL scout's attention decided that the Illini senior's athleticism and toughness might make him a good candidate to play professional football. A few weeks later, Coach Don Shula's Baltimore Colts surprised Pearson by making him their 12th-round pick in the NFL Draft. In pre-season practices, he now had to prove to the Colts that they'd made a wise choice.
"I was scared to death," chuckled Pearson, who hadn't strapped on football pads since his senior year at Freeport High. "Let me tell you, there's a big difference between playing high school football and playing pro football. Anyone who says there isn't a difference is full of $#%!. However, I felt that my athleticism compared to anybody. I was a damn good athlete in any sport I played. If you teach me how to play it, give me some time to practice, I always felt that I could contend with anybody."
Pearson made the Colts' roster initially as a defensive back, but coaches took notice of his massive hands and transformed him into a pass-catching running back and kick returner.
Among the players on the star-laden roster that included future Hall of Famers Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore and John Mackey, Pearson said he learned the most from legendary receiver Raymond Berry.
"Raymond was meticulous in everything he did," he said. "He worked on his routes before practice, during practice, and after practice. I caught on to that and did the same thing as I went into my career. He didn't have the greatest physical gifts, but the guy was always into the play book. He put in the work before, during and after practices. He was always taking notes in his playbook. Raymond really set the tone for me. Every once in a while, he would write something in the palm of his hand. He wrote the letters W-B-I-H. I thought it was the call letters for a radio station or something. Later, he told me W-B-I-H stood for Watch Ball Into Hands."
During a 14-year NFL career that included stops with the Colts (1967-69), the Pittsburgh Steelers (1970-74) and Dallas Cowboys, and that saw him gain 3,609 yards as a runner, 3,095 as a receiver and 2,801 as a returner, Pearson joined a truly exclusive club by playing in an incredible five Super Bowls. He won championships rings in Super Bowls IX and X with Pittsburgh, and in Super Bowl XII with Dallas.
"I'm very proud to be the first player in NFL history to play with three different teams in a total of five Super Bowls," Pearson said. "And I played for three of the best coaches (Shula, Chuck Noll with the Steelers, and Tom Landry with the Cowboys). No one else can claim that."
His catch against the Minnesota Vikings in 1976 made the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Following his retirement from the NFL in 1980, Pearson partnered with promoter Janie Tilford to form Pro-Style Associates, an organization that matched celebrity athletes with corporate events.
In May of 2017, he was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
"That really stoked me," Pearson said. "For me, that's better than being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame."
With his business career now in the rearview mirror, the longtime Dallas resident cherishes the company of his two sons and four grandchildren.
"They're gifted with good looks and great brains," he smiled.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/2/17/general-nfl-great-preston-pearson-starts-with-humble-beginnings.aspx?path=general
Tyra Perry
Tyra Perry: Small-Town Girl Makes Big Contribution to Illini Softball
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
February is Black History Month and in celebration of the month, FightingIllini.com will be featuring a storytelling series of influential and impactful stories of African American student-athletes and coaches.
From the time she was a young child growing up in Zachary, Louisiana, Tyra Perry had one career objective. Her dream profession had more to do with thermometers, needles and blood pressure cuffs than it did with bats, balls and gloves.
The small city in East Baton Rouge Parish—residence to actress Donna "Elly May Clampett" Douglas, and Super Bowl quarterback Doug Williams—also was the home for dozens of Perry family members.
"It was a great childhood from the standpoint that all of my aunts and uncles knew each other," Perry said. "When you see pictures of birthday parties and different events, both sides of the family are in attendance. They've known each other for a really long time."
Around 1970, Perry's parents—Vincent and Paula—were members of the first class to integrate Zachary High School. Tyra and all of her younger siblings—Bryant, Taryn and Brittney (13 years younger than Tyra)—all followed in their footsteps. They also inherited their dad's athletic talent and starred in Zachary's athletic arenas.
It may be surprising to learn that the sport in which the University of Illinois's fifth-year coach now specializes wasn't the favorite of the three in which she competed. Volleyball was her first love.
She admits now, though "I just wasn't quite tall enough to make the sort of impact that I would have wanted to make."
Tyra's most natural sport was softball, helping lead the Zachary Broncos to a pair of Louisiana state championships.
"I felt I had more opportunity with softball and it was a better fit," said the 2007 Zachary High School Hall of Famer. "I joke around and say I played the outfield so that I could hit."
Attracted by Nicholl State University's nursing curriculum, Perry signed to play with the Colonels in Thibodaux, just an hour-and-a-half south of Zachary. She sparkled as a freshman, hitting .402 during her rookie year. NSU won conference championships twice, drawing attention from other schools to Colonels coach Cathy Compton.
After returning from competition in the 1995 NCAA Tournament, Compton made an announcement to her team that she had been hired to start a softball program at Louisiana State University.
"She asked me and another sophomore to go with her," said Perry. "At first, I said no. I was in nursing and I was just a class away from completing my pre-reqs. LSU's nursing school was in New Orleans (not Baton Rouge). Meanwhile, my dad was in my ear the whole time, 'Are you sure about this? Are you sure about this?'"
Perry decided to take a summer class at LSU and she gradually became more comfortable with the idea of transferring.
After sitting out one season, Perry lettered in both 1997 and '98, where she was joined on the team by her sister, Taryn. During her first campaign with the Tigers, Tyra led the team in multiple hitting categories, including a .345 average and 11 home runs.
Still focused on becoming a nurse, Perry graduated from LSU with a degree in kinesiology. She also was able to earn a master's degree in sports administration, yet, to accomplish her original objective, she faced five more years of school.
LSU approached Perry about staying on with a department position in compliance, but she hesitated.
"I know it's not fair to say that compliance is anti-sports, but it was a completely different mindset for me," Perry said. "I figured out in a hurry that I didn't like dressing up and wearing stockings and dress shoes."
With the lure of athletics tugging at her heartstrings, Tyra visited her brother, Bryant, at a Joe Dean basketball camp. She introduced herself to Joe, who had just been hired as the athletic director at Birmingham Southern College, a small private school in Alabama. Eventually, Dean asked Tyra if she would have an interest in coaching the softball program the school was starting.
"So I'm 23, first time moving away from my family, out of state," Perry said. "I was pretty excited, but I knew it was going to be tough."
In Perry's fifth year at Birmingham Southern, a new president took over.
"He didn't like Division I sports and proposed to cut athletics to Division III," she said. "A lot of my athletes left and I knew I had to find something else."
In 2008, Perry took over as head coach at Western Kentucky University. In season six, she led the Hilltoppers to a Sun Belt Conference title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Ball State hired Perry in 2014 and in her two seasons in Muncie the Cardinals won a pair of Mid-American Conference championships.
Then, in June of 2015, came a call from then Illini athletic director Mike Thomas. Success followed quickly, with Illinois qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in each of Perry's first two seasons. A third trip to the nationals occurred this past spring.
As the Big Ten's only African American softball coach, Tyra Perry admits that being a pioneer for her race in the sport brings certain responsibilities to add others.
"I make sure that, whenever we're out on the road recruiting, I try to connect with as many of the minority coaches as possible," Perry said. "I'm very determined to work toward being on the biggest stage at the college World Series. It would mean a lot to have an African American there. You have to have more African American kids playing to have more African Americans coaching. I think that's starting to happen."
Perry is confident that her Illini program is heading in the right direction.
"My staff and I are focused on consistently finishing at the top of the Big Ten," she said. "We have some of the most storied coaches in the sport right here in the Big Ten. I'm excited about that and proud of that. (Illini athletics director) Josh Whitman is helping us get on a level playing field in terms of resources, so we're going to do our part in using those resources to win."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/2/11/general-tyra-perry-big-tens-only-african-american-softball-coach.aspx?path=softball
Tab Bennett
Tab Bennett: Trailblazer on Gridiron and With Media
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
February is Black History Month and in celebration of the month, FightingIllini.com will be featuring a storytelling series of influential and impactful stories of African American student-athletes and coaches.
To opposing quarterbacks of the early 1970s, Illinois' No. 75 was a menacing defensive end who kept them scrambling.
To newspaper reporters and broadcasters, he was a creative, gracious and cooperative publicist.
And to legions of others around the nation, including hundreds of Champaign-Urbana youngsters for whom he volunteered, Theodore Anthony Bennett was an affable, gregarious and loyal friend who they simply knew as "Tab".
Tab Bennett held yet another prestigious moniker but, because of his humble nature, it was a title that he rarely acknowledged. As the Big Ten Conference's very first African American sports information director, he blazed a trail that today is significantly more commonplace in intercollegiate athletics.
Recruited to play football at the University of Illinois from his native Miami, Florida in 1969, the multi-talented Bennett nearly focused upon becoming a musician. In a January 19, 1975 story published by the Urbana Courier, the youngest of six children told reporter Nina Rubel the tales of his youth. He'd often rub shoulders with touring black jazz musicians who visited Miami.
"At that time, the black musicians could perform in Miami Beach but were not allowed to stay (in the hotels)," Bennett said. "My aunt had a spacious house in Miami, and jazz greats like Duke Ellington, Errol Gardner and Cab Calloway would often stay at her place. They attracted other musicians who held jam sessions on her porch and slept on the floor, if necessary."
"Because the brothers closest to my age were musicians, I almost didn't end up playing football. I toyed with the drums and was tempted to become a professional musician."
Bennett credited his father, William, and his mother, Martha, for dreaming about a world that wouldn't exclude African Americans.
"At my house, there was always a feeling of hope, of blossoming, of this (racist attitude) being temporary," Bennett said. "We were made to feel that life was a matter of deciding where to head, then making it happen."
Ultimately, a 13-year-old Tab turned to athletics, joining Dorsey Junior High's eighth-grade volleyball team and helping it win the state championship in 1962.
"I was six feet tall, weighed 140, and was all arms," he said.
In high school, the gangly freshman quit football on the initial day of practice at Miami's Northwestern High School, choosing to instead throw the shot and run on the 440-yard relay team. As a sophomore, at the suggestion of friends, he returned to football, playing as a 160-pound linebacker. Coaches shifted him to defensive end his junior and senior seasons, though the team won only one game.
Percy Oliver, a 1950s football letter winner at Illinois and the husband of Tab's English teacher, approached his old teammate and then UI's assistant coach, J.C. Caroline, and encouraged him to take a look at the athletically gifted youngster. In the Fall of 1969, Bennett journeyed up to East Central Illinois, joining an Illini freshman class that included future stars Mike Wells, Larry Allen and Jim Rucks.
Bennett eventually grew to 240 pounds and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors as a junior. He led the Illini in tackles for loss (11) and finished second in tackles with 91 stops, a total especially notable for a lineman.
As an undergraduate athlete, Bennett was a tireless volunteer in the community for underprivileged kids. He and teammates sponsored a free youth football clinic called "Start for Stardom."
"We were able to show how athletics can help kids, especially the black kids," Bennett was quoted in a 1972 story. "I wanted to be someone that they could identify with."
Despite an injury plagued senior season in '72, Bennett finished his Illini career as a second-team All-American. His 231 tackles ranked second in Illinois' record book only to Dick Butkus at the time. Bennett was selected in the ninth round of the 1973 National Football League Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He survived cuts in rookie camp, but team physicians recommended that he sit out the year after he incurred a significant ankle injury just days before the season began.
Instead, the UI advertising graduate abruptly ended his football career and returned to campus, serving an internship with Illini SID Norm Sheya. When Sheya returned to his alma mater at the University of Utah, then UI athletic director Cecil Coleman offered the position to the 24-year-old Bennett.
Employing the curricula he'd studied at Illinois, Bennett's innovative style proved to be groundbreaking in collegiate sports public relations. He immediately enlisted local artist Jack Davis to fashion an award-winning football poster for Red Grange's Golden Anniversary season. Illinois' once-bland football program covers changed from bland, industry-standard campus photos into colorful original artwork.
Fellow Big Ten SIDs admired Bennett's imaginative style.
"I will always remember Tab as a contemporary and as a true professional," said longtime Purdue University publicist Jim Vruggink. "He was one of a kind."
Veteran sportswriter Mike Imrem, now retired from the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights, recalled Bennett for always going the extra mile for him and his fellow media members.
"Tab was one of the few athletes who had the personality to slip smoothly into the world of public relations," Imrem said. "I never met anyone in Champaign-Urbana who didn't know him and didn't like him. He would go out of his way to provide reporters with what they needed, whether it be historical details or interviews with players and coaches, or even getting hotel rooms when they were scarce on a football weekend."
Former UI sports information director Dave Johnson recalled that Bennett was especially sensitive to young people who were seeking careers in media.
"When I was a student reporter at the Daily Illini and WILL Radio, Tab was a larger than life figure who gave me his time and provided me with a helpful word of encouragement," Johnson said. "He put me at ease and became a major factor in my decision to pursue a career in public relations."
Bennett served as an Illini administrator until 1989 when he was seriously injured in an automobile accident. He died in March of 1994 at the tender age of 42, but his legacy as a visionary endures today.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/2/10/general-tab-bennett-trailblazer-on-gridiron-and-media.aspx?path=general
"Papa Bear"
Turning 125: The Story of George "Papa Bear" Halas
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
On February 2—Super Bowl Sunday—we celebrate the 125th anniversary of the birth of one of the founders of the National Football League. George Halas, an Illini Hall of Fame three-sport athlete and a 1918 graduate of the University of Illinois, was born on this date in 1895. Many little-known facts about his life and career are uncovered in our profile about the man who would come to be known as "Papa Bear."
A sweeping array of words and titles that span the spectrum might be offered to describe the life of George Stanley Halas.
Passionate. Tough. Intimidating.
Leader. Visionary. Survivalist.
Halas ruled with an iron fist on the gridiron, but under that tough exterior was an individual who possessed unique warmth and sensitivity. He was a man of principal, of integrity, of optimism, of compassion, and a man of wit and charm.
Still, the question remains: who and what shaped the character of the man who would become an icon for professional football?
Halas's hometown of Chicago was experiencing extraordinary growth in the 1890s, increasing by 600,000 during the decade to a population of 1.7 million. The youngest of four surviving children (four others died as infants), George lived with his parents, Frank and Barbara, on Ashland Avenue, about two miles southwest of downtown.
His dad was multi-talented, serving initially as a reporter on a Bohemian-language newspaper, then becoming a tailor, and then the owner of a grocery store and dairy. Each week, young George would hitch the family horse ("Lucy") to the wagon and drive his father to the South Water Street market to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.
In his 1979 autobiography, "Halas by Halas", George wrote about his parents' dream for his brothers (Frank and Walter) and his sister (Lillian).
"Almost daily, Mother or Father would speak of the importance of a good education," he said. "The family dream was a university degree."
Despite weighing only 110 pounds when he entered Crane Technical High School in 1909, young George feasted on sports, participating in football, baseball and track. Baseball was his best game, helping the Cougars defeat Lane Tech for the city championship his senior year while serving as the team captain.
When George's father died on Christmas Eve of 1910, the family moved to a flat on 23rd Place and Washtenaw. Still, achieving a college education remained his mother's most important objective for her children.
After George graduated from Crane, he had intended to immediately enroll at the University of Illinois where brother Walter was completing his second year studying architectural engineering. Oldest brother Frank, however, urged him to work for a year before going to college, so George joined the payroll department at Western Electric Company in Cicero.
Finally, in the Fall of 1914, Halas packed three shirts, three pairs of socks, and three sets of underwear and headed south to Champaign-Urbana. Budgeting himself $25 per month, the civil engineering major joined Tau Kappa Epsilon.
On the athletic fields, the now 140-pound Halas went out for Coach Bob Zuppke's football team and Ralph Jones' Illini baseball club, but spent most of his time as a reserve.
Halas returned home to Chicago in the summer for his job at Western Electric. It was on July 24, 1915, the date of the company's big summer picnic, when Halas had a serious brush with fate.
The company had chartered five Great Lakes passenger steamers to take several thousand of its employees across Lake Michigan to Michigan City, Indiana. Anxious to arrive early at the picnic, travelers began to board the first departing ship, the S.S. Eastland, at 6:30 a.m. By 7:10, the ship had reached its capacity of 2,572 passengers. With many of them standing on the open upper decks, several rushed to the port side as the ship departed, causing the vessel to roll completely over on its side. Many other passengers were below deck and were among the 844 passengers and crew who ultimately perished. The 20-year-old Halas was thought to have been one of them, being listed among the victims in the afternoon newspapers. He told his story in the book.
"The payroll department had a (baseball) team and we were due to play in a game (at the picnic). It so happened that I was delayed at home and so I missed the first boat. I was going to catch the second. Lo and behold, when I arrived at the dock (on the Chicago River near La Salle Street), there was the (S.S.) Eastland turned over on its side. I was originally scheduled for that particular boat."
Halas returned to classes at the U of I in the Fall of 1915. During the summer, he'd put on another 20 pounds and now tipped the scale at 160. Because of his speed and shiftiness, Halas tried out to play halfback, but he couldn't dislodge two-year veteran Harold Pogue. Instead, Zup and assistant coach Justa Lindgren instead made him an end.
During one of the early season practices, Halas broke his jaw when tackling Pogue. He recovered and in the Spring of 1916 he became a star for Huff's baseball club, played all the outfield positions, and batted .350 for the Big Ten champs.
Halas broke his leg in the Fall of '16, sidelining him yet again from gridiron competition, but by January he'd recovered. Knowing that George was eager for any type of competition, Ralph Jones encouraged him to play basketball. Joining standout brothers Ralf and Ray Woods, the gritty guard helped the Illini win a share of the Big Ten title. So impressive was George's leadership that Jones appointed Halas as captain for the 1917-18 season. When the season ended, George shed his sneakers for spikes and joined his brother Walt, a pitcher, leading the Huff "9" to the conference crown.
In Fall of 1917, George finally avoided injury and won his first varsity letter in football. World War I began to crowd sports from his mind and, in January of 1918, against the mother's wishes, George decided to enlist in the United States Navy at age 22. Navy made him a carpenter's mate second class, assigning him to the sports program at Great Lakes. And though he was six hours short of his degree, the U of I issued Halas his degree in June.
At Great Lakes, George was joined by football All-Americans Paddy Driscoll of Northwestern, Charlie Bachman of Notre Dame, and Jimmy Conzelman of Washington University. Buoyed by that talented contingent, the Bluejackets from North Chicago rolled to a 6-0-2 record in 1918, including a 7-0 victory over Halas's alma mater at Illinois Field. Great Lakes was invited to play in the 1919 Rose Bowl game against the Mare Island Marines and emerged from Pasadena as the champs, winning 17-0. Halas sparkled in the game, catching a 32-yard touchdown pass from Driscoll and returning an interception for 77 yards. His performance earned him Most Valuable Player honors.
It would turn out to be only the beginning of a magical journey for George Halas.
Following his escape without injury during his sterling performance in the 1919 Rose Bowl, George Halas returned to Chicago and reassured his worried mother that "football was over for me."
"I (told her) I still loved the sport, but would devote my athletic efforts henceforth to baseball," he wrote in his 1979 autobiography entitled Halas by Halas.
Initially, Halas lived up to the vow he'd made to his mother. He tried out for manager Miller Huggins' Yankees, impressing the club so much with his speed, arm and eagerness that he earned a position on New York's 1919 big league roster. His contract called for him to receive $400 a month and a $500 signing bonus. Unfortunately, a hip injury limited Halas's career to just two singles in 12 games. By the time he had fully recovered from his injury, the Yankees had signed Babe Ruth, "so that left me out and turned out to be a very fortunate thing for me."
From baseball, Halas found a job in the bridge design department of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. Still, his heart ached for the excitement of athletic competition. Disappointing his mother, Halas joined a semi-professional football team in Hammond. Though it deepened his love for the game, Halas assumed that his future was in the railroad business.
In March of 1920, Halas received a call from the general superintendent of Decatur's A.E. Staley Company. He was offered the opportunity to not only "learn the starch business", but also to play on Staley's baseball team and manage and coach the company's football squad. Once on board, Halas began to recruit players, including his old buddy Jimmy Conzelman, All-American Guy Chamberlain from Nebraska, plus Edward "Dutch" Sternaman and Burt Ingwersen from his alma mater. Halas eagerly devised plays he'd learned from Bob Zuppke in Champaign.
Next, Halas needed to assemble a schedule of Midwest competition. A meeting was called at Ralph Hay's automobile showroom in Canton, Ohio.
"There were only a few chairs, so we had to sit on the running boards of the automobiles (in the showroom)," Halas wrote in his book.
Within two hours, the American Professional Football Association was created. Olympic gold medalist and football and baseball star Jim Thorpe was elected the APFA's president.
Fan turnout was sparse in Decatur during that inaugural season, so Staley suggested to Halas that he move the team to Chicago's Cubs Park (now Wrigley Field) to improve attendance. The crowds did grow a bit in year two when the Staleys won the league championship, but the team's profit margin was minuscule. The total season's profit was a mere $1,476.92.
Halas's obligation to the Staley Company ended following the 1921 season and he and co-owner Sternaman established the Chicago Bears Football Club with capital stock of $15,000. The team's nickname was a tribute to baseball's Chicago Cubs.
In February of 1922, Halas married Wilhelmina Bushing, who he called "Min". The new Mrs. Halas quit her job in the grain brokerage business and plunged into Bears' administrative affairs. Their first child—Virginia Marion Halas—arrived on January 5, 1923. In 2020, ninety-seven-year-old Virginia McCaskey serves as the Bears' principal owner.
Gate receipts for the newly named National Football League climbed ever so slowly over the next three seasons, but exploded on Thanksgiving Day of 1925 when University of Illinois star and Wheaton native Red Grange made his professional debut for the Bears against the Chicago Cardinals.
Said Halas, "We sold all 36,000 tickets that day and could have sold 30,000 more. I knew then and there that pro football was destined to be a big-time sport."
A week later, despite a major snowstorm, 28,000 fans came to Cubs Park for the season finale, then Grange and the Bears set off on a barnstorming tour that included 19 games in 66 days. The highlight was a December 6 game against the New York Giants that drew 70,000 fans to the Polo Grounds.
When the Great Depression began in 1929, it took its toll on the NFL, melting its twenty-two clubs in 1926 to just eight teams in 1932. In the summer of '31, co-partner Dutch Sternaman, facing bankruptcy, asked for and received a $38,000 buyout from Halas.
By 1933, behind legends Grange and Bronko Nagurski, the Bears were back on top, marking Halas's first title team in a dozen years.
Halas left coaching in 1942 to enter the Navy during World War II. He served for 39 months, was awarded the Bronze Star, and was released from duty in 1946 with the rank of captain.
The Monsters of the Midway dominated the NFL from 1933 thru 1950, winning an astounding seventy-five percent of their games. NFL championships were recorded in 1940 (73-0 over Washington), '41 (37-9 over New York) and '46 (24-14 over New York) behind stars like Sid Luckman, Clyde "Bulldog" Turner and George Connor.
Halas's '50s and early '60s Bears (minus 1956 and '57, when he handed the coaching reigns to Paddy Driscoll) had mixed results, but the magic returned in 1963 when the Orange and Blue defeated the Giants for Halas's final NFL Championship. Chicago drafted college superstars Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers in 1965, but they failed to yield championship success.
Following the 1967 season, the 72-year-old Halas retired as coach of the Chicago Bears. He continued as the team's principal owner until his death from pancreatic cancer at age 88 on October 31, 1983.
***
GEORGE HALAS: BY THE NUMBERS
7 ... Jersey number retired by the Bears in Halas's honor
8 ... NFL titles won by Halas-coached teams
40 ... Years as a head coach
63 ... Years as the Bears owner
104 ... Games played in the NFL
324 ... Coaching victories (stood as an NFL record for nearly three decades)
1963 ... Year inducted as a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
2016 ... Year inducted into the University of Illinois Engineering Hall of Fame
2017 ... Year inducted into the Illini Athletics Hall of Fame
###
Red Grange: "When I joined the Bears, Halas was everything. He played right end. He was coach. He was in charge of the tickets. He was in charge of the ground crew. He put out the publicity. I've always said that if anybody ever made a dime out of football, George Halas is the one guy that deserves it more than anybody that ever lived because he put his whole life in it."
Doug Atkins: "Halas would do anything to distract the other team. I wouldn't put anything past him."
Gale Sayers: "Some say Coach Halas is tough or cheap, but I know better. He was a very warm person. You can't help but like George Halas."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/2/2/general-the-story-of-papa-bear-george-halas.aspx
Petra Holešínská
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, ILLINI SHARPSHOOTER HOLEŠÍNSKÁ IS HARD TO “CZECH”
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Had Petr Holešínská's original plans for his daughter's sports career ultimately played out, Fighting Illini fans might never have known the young woman who currently holds the unofficial title as Illinois basketball's leading scorer.
Yes, instead of 94-foot courts of hard maple wood, there was a time when Petra Holešínská's earliest childhood athletic escapades were displayed on courts of clay, grass and other surfaces.
"I began in tennis because my dad played tennis," said the personable redshirt junior from Vracov in the Czech Republic. "One day, a teacher at our school was encouraging us kids to play basketball, so I asked my dad if I could play. And he said, 'Yeah, that's not happening; you're playing tennis!'"
Still, Holešínská was fascinated by the game that featured the bouncy orange ball.
"I really loved it, she said. "Eventually, my dad got over it, I guess. I played tennis for a little bit longer, but I honestly hated it. I guess it was mostly the fact that tennis was me by myself. I enjoy team sports and being around people."
During her high school years at Sportovni Gzmnazium Ludvika Danka, Holešínská's exceptional skills as a shooter caught the eye of scouts from the Czech Republic National Basketball Team. She would go on to help her squad win three National Championships and place second at the European Champion's Cup. Individually, Holešínská was named Most Valuable Player of the 2014 U-17 World Championship club and later earned all-tournament team honors at the 2016 European U-20 competition.
It was in 2014 when former Illini coach Matt Bollant noticed the 5-9, sharp-shooting dynamo. About a year later, Holešínská and her father made their first trip to the United States for a recruiting visit to the University of Illinois campus.
"I was definitely impressed by the facilities and the way people care about sports and academics," she said. "At home, it's really hard to play basketball and study at the same time, but Illinois gave me the opportunity to do that."
Holešínská's transition to American basketball was difficult at times.
"Because I was playing for my national team, I wasn't able to come to campus for my first season until just a couple of weeks before school started," she said. "I came from a high school where I was the star, but when I got here everyone was good. I especially struggled defensively, so I just had to work on my game every day to get better."
When an Illini starter was sidelined by an injury early in the 2016-17 season, Bollant inserted his talented freshman into the starting lineup. Holešínská finished her rookie campaign averaging a respectable 10.5 points per game.
However, when Nancy Fahey became Illinois's coach in March of 2017, Holešínská was forced to prove herself to the new staff. Adding even more complexity to the transition was an ankle fracture in June that put her in a cast for the entire summer.
"Coach changed everything," she continued. "Her main thing was to change the culture of the team. Everything was different. The defensive principles, the offense, everything. I didn't shoot the ball as well as I wanted to, so it made sense that I didn't play as much that second season."
Holešínská's statistics dipped dramatically, averaging just 6.7 points per game in 22 minutes of play.
Things got even worse for her a week before the start of the 2018-19 campaign when she suffered a major knee injury. But being on the sideline wasn't going to stop Holešínská from contributing.
"I wanted to help my team win," she said, "so I did everything I could, from talking to my teammates to helping the coaches. I worked on my shot a lot and I got better mentally. School is important to me, so I definitely wanted to work on that, too."
Does she consider her injury to be a blessing in disguise?
"Definitely," Holešínská said. "If that hadn't happened, I wouldn't be playing as well as I am right now. I learned how to be patient and work harder, so that injury definitely helped me in my career."
She received extra encouragement and rebounding assistance from a person she calls her "best friend." Illini fans know her buddy for his success as a running back on Illinois's football team, Reggie Corbin.
"When I got hurt, Reggie knew that I was struggling mentally," Holešínská said. "He said, 'Alright, we're going to the gym.' He was just pushing me to get better and to work on my shot. He definitely played a huge role in me coming back, so I'm super grateful for that. Reggie is a very caring individual to the people around him. I'm just super grateful to have him in my life. I've told him many times that, without him, I would not be where I am today."
And now we fast forward to this season where No. 13 is what Czechs would say "horící"—"on fire"—leading the team with her 14.1 points per game average through the first 14 contests.
In the season opener against Chicago State, Holešínská exploded for a career-high 29 points.
"I was really excited to be back on the court with my teammates," she said.
In two recent games, Holešínská has scored 25 and 22 points, respectively, in back-to-back victories over Evansville and at Missouri. She was 17-for-30 from the field, including a spectacular 11-for-20 from three-point land.
Holešínská is particularly excited for the Big Ten portion of Illinois's season to begin.
"We have a good combination of experienced players plus some talented new people," she said. "I think that we can do really well in conference play."
As for her teammates, Holešínská has a special place in her heart for them.
"I look at them as my sisters and I'm grateful for every single one of them," she said. "I love them all and feel so blessed to be on this team."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/1/8/womens-basketball-no-doubt-about-it-illini-sharpshooter-hole-nsk-is-hard-to-czech.aspx
Illini Defensive Player of the Decade Whitney Mercilus
ILLINOIS’ ALL-DECADE DEFENSE LED BY MERCILUS, SPECIAL TEAMS BY HAYES
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Possessing as appropriate a surname as any defensive player in Fighting Illini football history and matching it with a gawdy list of individual honors, Whitney Mercilus adds yet another compliment to his storied career: University of Illinois football's Defensive Player of the Decade.
The consensus All-America defensive end from Akron, Ohio, compiled staggering statistics for Illinois as a junior in 2011, including 22.5 tackles for loss (first in Big Ten, second in NCAA), 16 quarterback sacks (led Big Ten and NCAA), and nine forced fumbles (first in NCAA).
Yet, as understandable a choice as Mercilus is, he remained humbled by his newly bestowed distinction.
"It makes me feel awesome and I'm truly honored," said the eight-year veteran of the AFC South leading Houston Texans. "I've worked my butt off playing this game. We all fight for accolades and recognition, so it's really a blessing and an honor to be recognized like that. At the end of the day, Illinois is my alma mater. Going through classes and playing football, the University has a special place in my heart, for sure."
While Mercilus might be the headliner of the Illini Defensive All-Decade Team, two other players—cornerback Tavon Wilson and 2019 Big Ten Punter of the Year Blake Hayes—also garnered unanimity from the All-Decade balloters. In addition, Hayes accounted for all but one vote as Illinois's Special Teams Player of the Decade.
Joining Mercilus on UI's four-man All-Decade defensive line are current team member Bobby Roundtree, 2008-10 defensive tackle Corey Liuget, and 2013-16 defensive end Dawuane Smoot. Liuget now plays for the playoff-bound Buffalo Bills, while Smoot is a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Roundtree is recovering from a spinal injury he incurred during a swimming accident in May.
Illinois's All-Decade linebacker trio includes current star Dele Harding, 2007-10 standout Martez Wilson, plus 2010-13 standout Jonathan Brown. Harding was named First-Team All-Big Ten and the UI's 2019 Defensive Most Valuable Player earlier this month, accumulating 147 tackles, three interceptions (including two for touchdowns) and three forced fumbles. Wilson notched a team-leading 112 stops as a senior, then played three seasons in the NFL with New Orleans, Oakland and Dallas. Brown was Illinois's top tackler in 2011 and ranks third on the Illini career list with 45.5 tackles for loss.
The Illini's All-Decade defensive secondary is led by Wilson. Though he only won honorable mention All-Big Ten acclaim as a collegian, Wilson is now in his eighth NFL season, four with the New England Patriots and the last four with the Detroit Lions. Clayton Fejedelem, originally a walk-on at Illinois, was a near unanimous All-Decade Team pick. He's in his fourth year with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he has become a core special teams player. Terry Hawthorne was the Defensive MVP of the 2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. Illini senior safety Stanley Green is one of five current stars who made either the first-team offense, defense or special team All-Decade squads. Entering UI's December 30 Redbox Bowl game, Green leads all 2019 collegians in fumble recoveries with four.
Current Illini punter Blake Hayes' name was included on every All-Decade ballot. The junior from Melbourne, Australia, also was the overwhelming choice as Special Teams Player of the Decade. Thus far in 2019, when he was named the Big Ten Punter of the Year, Hayes has averaged 44.8 yards per punt, ranking second in the Big Ten and eighteenth nationally. Thirteen of his kicks have been downed inside the 10-yard line. Return specialist V'Angelo Bentley was also named unanimous choice as the top punt returner during the decade. A starting cornerback, he was named the 2015 Illini Special Teams Player of the Year. He's the only player in UI history to score touchdowns via kick returns, punt returns, interceptions and fumbles.
ILLINI DEFENSIVE ALL-DECADE TEAM (2010-19)
Illini Defensive Player of the Decade – Whitney Mercilus*
Illini Special Teams Player of the Decade – Blake Hayes
Lineman – Whitney Mercilus* (first-team All-America; Hendricks Award winner in 2011)
Lineman – Cory Liuget (second-team All-Big Ten in 2010)
Lineman – Dawuane Smoot (third-team All-Big Ten in 2016)
Lineman – Bobby Roundtree (honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2018)
Linebacker – Dele Harding (first-team All-Big Ten; third-team All-America in 2019)
Linebacker – Martez Wilson (first-team All-Big Ten in 2010)
Linebacker – Jonathan Brown (second-team All-Big Ten in 2011 & '13)
Back – Tavon Wilson* (honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2010 & '11)
Back – Clayton Fejedelem (second-team All-Big Ten in 2015)
Back – Terry Hawthorne (honorable mention in 2011 & '12)
Back – Stanley Green (honorable mention in 2017 & '19)
Punter – Blake Hayes* (Big Ten Punter of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten in 2019)
Punt Returner – V'Angelo Bentley* (honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2014 & '15)
*unanimous selection
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2019/12/23/football-illinois-all-decade-defense-led-by-mercilus-special-teams-by-hayes.aspx?path=football
Illini Offensive Player of the Decade Nate Scheelhaase
SCHEELHAASE HEADLINES ILLINOIS’S ALL-DECADE OFFENSE
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
During a portion of the last ten seasons, it can be truthfully reported that former Fighting Illini quarterback Nate Scheelhaase was a really offensive guy.
Now, that's not to say that the personable Missourian was difficult to be around, but he was a totally exasperating figure for opponent defenders to control on the football field.
From 2010 through '13, Scheelhaase accounted for a near-record 8,568 yards through the air for the Illini and an additional 2,066 yards as a ball carrier. His 3,543 total yards as a senior in 2013 gave him 10,634 for his career, breaking Juice Williams' previous UI mark by 40 yards.
In balloting for Illinois' All-Decade Team (2010-19), Scheelhaase was the unanimous pick as the All-Decade QB and Offensive Player of the Decade. The humble signal-caller was surprised when told about his honor.
"(Being named Player of the Decade) is incredible," Scheelhaase said, "because we've had some really good individual players in this decade. If Mikel Leshoure would have come back for another season, he for sure would have been (Offensive Player of the Decade). That's quite the honor, especially among that list of names. We didn't accumulate as many wins as I would have hoped, but I played with a lot of good people. When you play quarterback, you rely on a lot of other folks for your statistics … to catch the ball and run into the endzone and block. I was fortunate to have played with a lot of good guys that would allow for an honor like this to happen. My hope is that whoever's up for Player of the Decade this next decade is moving in even a better direction. I might have been a decent player, but hopefully the next guy to be honored will be a whole lot better."
Joining Scheelhaase in the offensive backfield are two players who shined at opposite ends of the decade: Leshoure and current Illini star Reggie Corbin. Leshoure led Illinois in rushing in back-to-back seasons (734 yards in 2009 and 1,697 yards in 2010), but it was his performance as a junior that dominates the Illini record book. Against Northwestern at Wrigley Field, he piled up a school-record 330 yards that ultimately resulted in the school's all-time individual season mark. Corbin will be remembered primarily for his 2018 effort that saw him average 8.5 yards per rushing attempt (1,085 total rushing yards), including four runs of 70-plus yards.
Balloters selected the trio of A.J. Jenkins, Mike Dudek and Geronimo Allison as the Illini's All-Decade receivers. Jenkins twice led Illinois in pass catching (2010 and '11) and finished his career in third place on UI's list for receptions (167) and receiving yardage (2,432). He'll best be remembered for his 12-catch, 268-yard performance against Northwestern in 2011. A fan favorite during his career, Dudek's years at Illinois were marked by tragic injuries. His freshman campaign in 2014 was clearly tops (76 catches for 1,038 yards). Geronimo, now a star for the Green Bay Packers, paced Illini receivers in 2015 with 65 receptions for 882 yards.
Comprising UI's five-man All-Decade offensive line are Jeff Allen, Nick Allegretti and Ted Karras—all consensus choices—plus Hugh Thornton and Graham Pocic. Every one of the five eventually played or is currently playing professionally. Allen became a second-round NFL Draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012 and now is playing in season eight. Karras, an every-game starter with New England in 2019, has thus far won two Super Bowl rings with the Patriots. Allegretti is now a first-year member of the Chiefs. Thornton eventually became a third-round selection of the Indianapolis Colts and Pocic wound up on the squads of the St. Louis Rams, Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Placekicker Chase McLaughlin was unanimous choice by Illini All-Decade balloters. McLaughlin, the 2018 winner of the Big Ten Kicker of the Year award, has played 10 games in the NFL this season and currently is a member of the Indianapolis Colts. He has kicked a pair of 50-yard field goals this season in the NFL after kicking four during his Illini career. Selected as Illinois's All-Decade kickoff returner is current senior Dre Brown who has averaged 25 yards per runback during his career.
ILLINI OFFENSE ALL-DECADE TEAM (2010-19)
Illini Offensive Player of the Decade – Nathan Scheelhaase*
Quarterback – Nathan Scheelhaase* (second-team All-Big Ten in 2013)
Running Back – Mikel Leshoure* (second-team All-America in 2010)
Running Back – Reggie Corbin (third-team All-Big Ten in 2018 & '19)
Receiver – A.J. Jenkins* (first-team All-Big Ten in 2011)
Receiver – Mike Dudek (second-team All-Big Ten in 2014)
Receiver – Geronimo Allison (honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2015)
Lineman – Jeff Allen* (second-team All-Big Ten in 2010 & '11)
Lineman – Nick Allegretti* (second-team All-Big Ten in 2018)
Lineman – Ted Karras* (third-team All-Big Ten in 2015)
Lineman – Hugh Thornton (second-team All-Big Ten in 2012)
Lineman – Graham Pocic (honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2010 & '12)
Placekicker – Chase McLaughlin* (Big Ten Kicker of the Year; first-team All-Big Ten in 2018)
Kickoff Returner – Dre Brown (third-team All-Big Ten in 2019)
*unanimous selection
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2019/12/22/football-scheelhaase-headlines-illinoiss-all-decade-offense.aspx?path=football
2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl MVP Mikel Leshoure
BOWL GAME FLASHBACK: 2011 KRAFT FIGHT HUNGER BOWL
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
A distinctively unorthodox season ended in an equally unconventional way when the University of Illinois met UCLA at the 2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.
Set on a picture-perfect, sixty-degree New Year's Eve day in San Francisco, the game pitted the 6-6 Fighting Illini against the 6-7 UCLA Bruins. Both teams were in the unenviable transition of coaching staff changes, so interim head coaches Vic Koenning of the Illini and Mike Johnson of the Bruins employed "anything goes" attitudes.
Illinois had won its first six games of 2011, consecutively dispatching Arkansas State, South Dakota State, Arizona State, Western Michigan, Northwestern and Indiana. Its best start since 1951 enabled the Illini to rise to No. 16 in the college football rankings.
However, Illinois' second half-dozen games ended in diametrically opposite fashion, bowing competitively to Ohio State, Purdue, Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. When head coach Ron Zook was terminated on Nov. 27, Koenning, UI's defensive coordinator, was assigned to lead the Illini in its bowl game.
"Coach Vic had a lot of respect from the players for who he was and what he stood for," said former Illini quarterback Nate Scheelhaase, now an assistant coach at Iowa State. "For the coaches who were left, we definitely had a good feel for them and they had a good feel for us. There wasn't any doubt that we were going to play hard for those guys."
Junior defensive end Whitney Mercilus agreed with his former teammate.
"When Vic was named, it definitely eased the transition from Coach Zook, especially for the defense," Mercilus said. "Like Coach Zook, Vic was very much a players' coach and he cared a lot for his guys."
A second assistant coach who had a particularly positive influence upon Scheelhaase was quarterbacks coach Jeff Brohm, now the head man at Purdue.
"Knowing his track record now," Scheelhaase said, "it's no surprise that Coach Brohm had a good pulse on what was going on and what we needed."
Illinois had significant goals to achieve going into its battle versus UCLA, highlighted by the opportunity to win bowl games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history.
Playing for the first time in 35 days, both teams' first half performance was largely unproductive. Koenning felt fortunate that his Illini were able to narrow their halftime deficit to 7-3 when Derek Dimke connected on a 36-yard field goal as time expired.
The third quarter was similarly lackluster, but momentum crept onto the Illini's side late in the period when cornerback Terry Hawthorne stepped in front of a Kevin Prince pass intended for Shaq Evans and took the ball 39 yards into the end zone for a pick-six. That put Illinois up 10-7 heading into the fourth and final quarter.
Said Hawthorne, the Defensive MVP of the Game, to reporters about his interception, "For me, it was all gas, no brakes. Once I catch it, I'm gone."
Echoed linebacker Jonathan Brown, "T's play was big. Big players make big plays in big-time situations, and that changed the whole complexion of the game."
On Illinois' very next possession, a weaving 37-yard run by Scheelhaase set up Dimke for a second field goal, extending the Illini lead to 13-7.
"Going into the game, we had a lot of plays that were designed for quarterback runs," said Scheelhaase, who wound up with a game-high 110 rushing yards on 22 carries. "Shoot, anytime there's a bowl game, the quarterback should always feel like he can run because there aren't any games left to play."
After a Tavon Wilson sack forced UCLA to punt with nine minutes remaining, Illinois mounted a potential game-clinching drive from its own 26. Consecutive runs by Troy Pollard, two by Scheelhaase, and a fourth by Donovonn Young got the Orange and Blue to the 40-yard line. On third-down-and-eight, Scheelhaase dropped three steps back and fired a strike to senior wide receiver A.J. Jenkins who was slanting from left to right. No. 8 glided untouched into the end zone to ice the game.
A meaningless UCLA touchdown in the last sixty seconds was the final score in Illinois' 20-14 victory.
Perhaps the biggest impact in the game was made by Illinois' relentless defensive unit. Led by All-America end Whitney Mercilus, the Illini recorded quarterback five sacks and notched six other tackles for loss. That helped limit the Bruins to just 14 first downs, 18 rushing yards and 219 total yards.
"UCLA probably wasn't the stud team that they usually were," said Mercilus. "We played well that day and it was a great game for our defense to show our stuff."
Afterwards, Koenning praised his team's effort to the media.
"Our guys were winners," he said. "They were winning in everything they did. (Vince) Lombardi said it better than anybody could ever say it, 'Winning isn't a sometime thing. It's an all the time thing. And the winning attitude that our players brought into the game translated into victory today."
On December 30th, Illinois goes "bear hunting" again in San Francisco, this time against the Golden Bears of California. And while there'll be no taxidermy trophy to be hung on the wall of the Smith Family Performance Center, Coach Lovie Smith would love to bag an unexpected seventh victory for his ever-improving program.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2019/12/19/football-2011-kraft-fight-hunger-bowl.aspx?path=football
Justice Williams
Justice is Served
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
The polite young man from Frisco, Texas, absolutely beamed after scoring his first collegiate touchdown in the 2019 season opener.
"I was just cheesin' ear to ear," he told the media after Illinois's 42-3 victory over Akron back on Aug. 31. "It was a pretty surreal moment."
After four years of toiling unceremoniously in practice, learning multiple positions just for an opportunity to play, assisting needy kids in the community, whilst also laboring in the classroom to earn both bachelors and masters degrees, that one nine-yard touchdown from Brandon Peters seemed to be just a perfect way to cap his career as a Fighting Illini.
For the senior tight end, one might say that justice had deservedly been served.
Absolutely everyone was genuinely happy that Justice Williams had been rewarded with a moment in the spotlight, including his head coach.
"Justice does everything right!" said Lovie Smith. "He's been that way since I got here on campus. You want guys like that to have success."
The 6-3, 225-pound Williams was a talented three-sport star for Frisco, twice earning All-District honors as an outside linebacker and wide receiver. When the Illini called on him in the north Dallas suburbs, he immediately turned to Google.
"Growing up in Texas, I knew all of the Big 12 schools and the SEC," Williams said. "All I knew about the Big Ten schools was that they were in cold places. I had wanted to venture out a little bit and get away from home. When Illinois called me, I made sure to do my research and discovered that it would be a great place to be."
Redshirting as a true freshman in 2015, Williams played primarily on special teams as a second-year Illini, though he did collect six tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass break-up in his only start as a linebacker (vs. Iowa). More special teams action came in 2017, then he transitioned to wide receiver in 2018 after he impressed on the scout team when numbers were depleted by injuries at the position.
Entering his fifth and final season, Williams yearned to be a regular. His move to tight end occurred this past summer when news reports surfaced about Luke Ford not getting immediate eligibility granted.
"Our numbers at tight end were low, so I just did anything I could to offer my assistance," he said. "I've played a lot on special teams, but I haven't gotten a whole lot of big-time minutes otherwise. I was willing to do anything I could to really contribute to the team and get on the field."
Tight ends coach Cory Patterson says Williams was a welcome addition to his troops.
"Justice was in the mode of just wanting an opportunity," Patterson said. "He's a smart player who makes good decisions and he creates mismatches with his size-speed ratio. He's a guy that fits what we do at the tight end position. I'm more than happy to have him over here."
It's been a few years, but Williams was familiar with playing the position.
"Playing linebacker—just running into big guys—is more or less the same thing," he said. "Moving to tight end, I just had to get the linebacker mindset back … go back to my roots and get nasty."
Williams' transition was smooth and his contributions increased. He played in all 12 regular season games, starting four, making 13 catches for 114 yards and one touchdown. A diving, highlight-reel catch at Michigan State on Nov. 9 played a part in one of the program's most memorable games of all time, a 37-34 victory after trailing by 25 points to secure bowl eligibility for the first time since 2014.
"Not even my craziest dreams I thought I'd be playing three positions in college," Williams told 247Sports' Jeremy Werner. "But this last one has been fun. I'm really enjoying tight end. I'm just happy and grateful that I can get on the field and contribute."
Williams credits his father, Kevin, for his perseverance.
"Dad used to tell me 'When your coach asks you to do something, whether you agree with it or not, say 'yes, sir' and then go get it done,'" he said. "I've just continued doing that for the last 17 years."
When you meet Williams, your eye is naturally attracted by multiple tattoos that cover his right arm and leg.
"I first got one with my brother (Kevin Jr.) when I was in high school," he said. "Then that whole 'tattoos are addicting' thing happened. I just went overboard from there. Literally, my whole right half. No rhyme or reason behind it."
Personality-wise, Illinois's No. 10 has a special place in his heart for kids, volunteering as a coach in the community.
"Reggie (Corbin) approached me a couple of years ago when they asked him if he'd be interested in helping," Williams said. "We've done that the past two years and we've really enjoyed helping out the kids."
In what path will Williams' life take once he's done at Illinois? A bachelor's degree in business management and a master's in business administration might indicate that he's headed for a career in the corporate world. Currently, he's seeking a second bachelor's in Spanish. He earned the team's Scholar-Athlete Award at the post-season banquet for his success in the classroom.
"I really want to travel with my work when I get older, so international management has been kind of a focus," Williams said. "Spanish is one of the world's most powerful languages, so I figured I'd follow that to help me out."
How did he acquire his unusual but highly distinctive first name? Williams isn't really sure.
"I asked Mom that question, but she didn't give me a straight answer," he said. "She just said that whether I was a boy or a girl my name would be Justice. She never gave me an actual reason as to why she chose Justice.
Mom, can you clarify for us, please?
"As many couples do," explained Joy Williams, "you have challenges getting pregnant. That's the best present we ever got. The Lord gave us Justice because he was a complete surprise."
Mom is plenty proud of her baby boy, calling him her "silent storm."
"Justice will get down and he will grind," she said. "He's always been one to set a bar and achieves his goals. He makes his mind up and just sticks with it. Justice is quiet, but we are unbelievably proud of him."
Now with one game left in his career – the 2019 Redbox Bowl against California on Dec. 30, Williams is proud to have left his mark on the program.
"Obviously when we came in here, we expected to go to a bowl game every year," Williams told Werner. "Clearly, that isn't what happened. All the things coach has said, 'Hey, man, you guys have laid the foundation now for those guys who are going to come in.' Actually, now being able to see it and experience it our last time, it feels really good to know we really were the foundation of what this program is going to lead into."
It's abundantly clear now that Joy Williams choose a very appropriate name for her son.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2019/12/15/football-justice-is-served.aspx
Celebrating a Big Ten title
Celebrating Thanksgiving 2001 with a Championship
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Coach Ron Turner's University of Illinois football family hosted Illini fans for an extra special Thanksgiving Day celebration in 2001, but instead of serving turkey and all the fixings the guys dressed in orange and blue dished up a tasty slice of Big Ten Championship pie.
The Thanksgiving Day matchup wasn't originally on the 2001 schedule, but the devastating events at the Twin Towers in New York on Sept. 11, 2001 college football postponed all games played that following weekend. In 1999, Memorial Stadium became the home of the IHSA football playoffs, so Thanksgiving Thursday was the best date for the season finale rivalry with the Northwestern Wildcats.
Heading into the 2001 campaign, an air of optimism floated around Illinois's program. Forty-seven letterwinners, including 13 starters, were returning from a 5-6 squad. One of them, then senior middle linebacker Jerry Schumacher, was especially hopeful about his team's prospects.
"Absolutely, we felt confident," Schumacher said. "With Coach Turner, we felt like we could win any game. We had a whole corps of guys coming back. It was a group that all got along and bought into the system."
On the offensive side of the ball, receiver Brandon Lloyd eagerly anticipated 2001, but it was more so for personal reasons. He'd had to sit out the 2000 season with a broken femur and he was itching to get back on the field.
"We had beaten Michigan and Ohio State, so the team had a lot of confidence after the '99 season (8-4 record)" Lloyd said. "In 2000, I'm out that year, but the team was very competitive. Coming into the 2001 season, we were still the very overconfident kids from 1999. I recall that the younger athletes that came to Illinois were wondering 'Is Brandon Lloyd really as good as he thinks he is?' That was always my motivation, so I was just chomping at the bit. I was about ready to spontaneously combust in anticipation to get out on the field."
Lloyd had a sensational game in the '01 season opener at Cal, catching eight passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Illini convincingly beat the Golden Bears. The team continued to roll in games two and three against Northern Illinois and 25th-ranked Louisville.
Game four was at Michigan against the No. 10 Wolverines, but the Illini stumbled to their first and what would turn out to be their only loss of the regular season.
In the fifth game, Illinois topped Minnesota, 25-14, and momentum began to build. Next came a 21-point victory at Indiana, then a dramatic 42-35 win over Wisconsin when quarterback Kurt Kittner hit Lloyd with a game-winning 22-yard touchdown pass late in the game.
Lloyd remembers he and his QB having a very unique relationship.
"Kurt was always the great neutralizer between how I was going to behave and how I was going to stay focused on the task at hand," Lloyd said. "We lived together. Kurt knew me very, very well, and that's what it came down to. Saying we were best friends isn't what I'm getting at, because we weren't. He knew me well and I knew him well. On the field, we knew what we were good at and not good at, and we got along. We were nice to one another, and that was a big step in our relationship."
Illinois had significant victories in games eight, nine and 10, winning 38-13 at No. 15 Purdue, slipping by Penn State at home (33-28) on Rocky Harvey's last-minute TD, then beating No. 25 Ohio State (34-22) at Columbus.
Now came the season finale at Memorial Stadium against Northwestern. Though the Wildcats were only 4-6 and in the midst of a five-game losing streak, Schumacher knew it wouldn't be easy.
"We had played terribly against Northwestern the year before," said Schumacher, referring to a 61-23 defeat in 2000. "They had Zac Kustok. He was a senior quarterback so we were quite familiar with him. Though they had a losing record, Northwestern was putting points on the board. They wanted to knock us out of a Big Ten championship."
Thanks to Kittner's TD passes to Brian Hodges and Walter Young, the Illini led the Wildcats 17-13 at halftime. It was all Illinois in the third quarter, scoring seventeen unanswered points to take a 34-13 lead.
In the fourth quarter, Kustok led a Northwestern charge with touchdown passes of 25 and 41 yards to close the margin to six. Schumacher, who'd notched 15 tackles against the Wildcats, knew what was on the line.
"We were like okay, now it's time to buckle down," he said. "Let's get our offense the ball so that they can run the clock out and be done."
On Northwestern's final possession, Illini defensive lineman Brandon Moore's QB pressure and smothering coverage by Christian Morton, Eugene Wilson and Muhammad Abdullah caused four straight incomplete passes, resulting in a 34-28 victory and a share of the Big Ten championship for Illinois.
"That was the first time I had won at anything in a team sport," said Lloyd, "so that was a special moment for me."
No. 6 was especially happy for the Illini senior class that celebrated on the stage that was set up at midfield.
"It was the best bunch of leaders a young player could ask for," Lloyd said. "They were so mature. There was Luke Butkus and the family legacy he was representing. Kurt Kittner and the way he was raised with a single mother. Bobby Jackson, the oldest son and a very talented leader. That's just to name a few, but those three were the most important individuals that shaped my underclass days. Their life experiences carried over into the way they led off the field. These guys were true student-athletes. That's what was so special about those guys."
Schumacher idolized his seniors, too.
"Seeing Luke, Kurt, Bobby, all of them up on the stage holding that trophy, knowing what they'd gone through made it all worthwhile," he said.
To win the conference title outright, though, Illinois would need some help from Ohio State two days later in the Buckeyes' Saturday contest at Michigan. It turned out to be a particularly unusual viewing party at the Schumacher household.
"My dad (Jerry Sr.) played at Michigan, so we were a big Michigan family," Schumacher said. "I remember that's the only time we ever rooted for Ohio State as a family. We hate Ohio State, no matter what, so it's the only time my dad ever cheered for Ohio State."
The Buckeyes' 26-20 victory provided Illinois with the absolute title, but because the Bowl Championship Series had tabbed the Rose Bowl to be the sight for the national championship game the Illini were instead selected for the Sugar Bowl. For one, Schumacher was disappointed that he wasn't going to Pasadena.
"Since my dad played in two Rose Bowls, I thought it would be nice for me to play in one," he said. "As a kid, nearly every January 1st we would have a Rose Bowl party because Michigan almost always was in it. Personally, I wanted to play in the Rose Bowl more than anything."
Where they are today:
Brandon Lloyd lives in Denver and works in medical device sales for Zimmer Biomet. He has two sons.
Jerry Schumacher resides in Chicago and is a sales representative for an HVAC mechanical company. He and his wife have two daughters.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2019/11/26/football-celebrating-2001-thanksgiving-with-a-championship.aspx?path=football
1981 Illinois-Iowa game program
1981 Illini Outplay Stingy Hawkeye Defense
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Defeating Top 25 teams had been a tough assignment for the University of Illinois football program during the late 1960s and '70s. In the midst of a 17-game losing streak against nationally ranked clubs, Coach Mike White's squad played host to a Halloween Day 1981 game against Coach Hayden Fry's No. 16 Iowa Hawkeyes.
Statistics indicated that this would be a match-up of differing styles. It featured White's high-powered passing game, triggered by quarterback Tony Eason, against Fry's stingy defense, bolstered by all-stars Andre Tippett (DE), Mark Bortz (DT), Pat Dean (NG), Mel Cole (LB) and Lou King (CB). In addition, the Hawkeyes' roster included the nation's top punter in Reggie Roby.
Iowa, the Big Ten's leaders in every defensive category, were so miserly that on the two previous Saturdays their opponents—Michigan and Minnesota—hadn't once penetrated the end zone. Could Illinois change that script? If any team could, it would be the Illini. After all, its signal caller was on a streak of five straight Big Ten games with 300 or more passing yards.
Hazy skies, 68 degrees and an eight mile-an-hour breeze out of the southeast greeted the capacity crowd at Memorial Stadium. Of the 66,877 spectators, a good portion traveled from Rock Island, Moline and East Moline in Illinois and from Davenport and Bettendorf in Southeastern Iowa for a special Quad Cities recognition at the stadium.
In the game's early action, defensive coordinator Max McCartney's underrated Illini defense proved to be formidable, forcing Roby to punt at the end of each of its first four offensive possessions. For the most part, Illinois's offense was stymied as well, though it did manage to put itself in position for a 27-yard field goal by Illinois junior placekicker Mike Bass that put the Illini up 3-0 after one period.
An Illinois offensive series that extended early into the second quarter ended with a Chris Sigourney punt that was downed by Joe Miles at the Hawkeye two-yard line. With Iowa pinned deep in its own territory, Illini linebacker Ron Ferrari blitzed on second down. His pressure caused Hawkeye QB Bob Gales to fumble the ball and it was recovered for a touchdown by fellow outside 'backer Pete Burgard.
"I got in free on the blitz," Ferrari told a reporter after the game, "and I tried to knock the ball out as I hit the quarterback. We're taught to do that. I knew the ball was free but when I went down I didn't know where it was. I assumed it would be a safety."
Two plays after Illinois kicked the ball back to Iowa, the Illini caused yet another turnover. Illinois cornerback Charles Armstead picked off Gales' bomb at the Illini 19, bringing its offense back on the field. On third-and-two from its own 44, Eason faked a reverse to Mike Martin, fooling the Hawkeye defense. No. 3 then floated a picture-perfect spiral to a sprinting Oliver Williams. The 56-yard aerial boosted Illinois's lead to 17-0.
Iowa cut the margin to 17-7 just before halftime on a nine-play, 94-yard drive, but those were the only points the Hawkeyes would score all afternoon.
A four-yard touchdown pass to Williams early in the fourth quarter provided Illinois with its 24-7 final margin.
Even though the Hawkeyes outgained the Illini, 354 yards to Illinois's 307, and held Eason to less than 300 passing yards (263), it was turnovers—four fumbles and two interceptions—that ultimately buried Iowa.
In addition, eight Illini defensive tackles for loss—one each by Ferrari, Burgard, Don Thorp, Willie Young, Kelvin Atkins, Mark Butkus, John Janata and Jack Squirek—resulted in 41 negative yards for Hawkeye backs.
After the game, White was ecstatic.
"Let's say it the way it is," he said. "Since I've been here, that was the best defensive game we've had. Our defense controlled the game and really played their hearts out. We had more blitzes and we got more aggressive on defense than we've done in the past."
"Max (McCartney) deserves a lot of credit," White continued. "Our defense constantly pressured their quarterbacks with blitzes, fake blitzes and different stunts."
Iowa would bounce back from the loss in Champaign to win its last three regular-season games and tie Ohio State for the Big Ten title, then represent the Conference in the Rose Bowl.
Illinois would go on to win four of its last five to finish at 7-4, its first winning record in seven years.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2019/11/20/football-throwback-thursday-1981-illini-best-stingy-hawkeye-defense.aspx?path=football
Bobby Roundtree
#97Strong
- Playing for Bobby
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
#97Strong GoFundMe
The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics spearheaded a fundraising effort to assist with Bobby Roundtree's current and future health care expenses. DIA has created a GoFundMe account, called #97Strong: Fight for Bobby Roundtree, with all donations directed into an irrevocable trust established by Head Football Coach Lovie Smith for Roundtree's care.
Big Ten officiating crews haven't noticed, but Coach Lovie Smith's Fighting Illini defensive unit has been playing with an extra man this season. And though Bobby Rountree hasn't personally recorded any quarterback sacks in 2019, his indomitable spirit has every one of his teammates playing with a supernatural purpose.
Emerging from drills last spring, the talented junior was tabbed to be a shoo-in first-team All-Big Ten defensive end this fall. However, on May 18, Roundtree suffered a several spinal injury in a swimming accident near his home in Largo, Fla. He's been rehabilitating at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago. Roundtree's Illini teammates and coaches have been in regular contact with the personable 21-year-old they call their "brother."
"We try to talk to him as much as possible," said junior defensive end Ayo Shogbonyo. "Sometimes we'll call him during our D line meeting and we try to call him after every game because we know he's watching. He's like, 'Hey, Ayo, you missed that sack, blah, blah, blah. You're better than that.' I'm like, 'Yeah, Bob, I know. I'll get that one next time. Don't worry.' He's just the same guy this year that he was last year and that he'll forever be. That's just Bobby."
Another frequent Roundtree "FaceTimer" is junior linebacker Jake Hansen.
"It's really cool getting to talk to him after the games, especially after wins," Hansen said. "Whether it's a win or a loss, we know he's going to have a positive attitude. When we can bring a smile to his face, we know that we're making his day."
Shogbonyo smiles when recalling his introduction to Roundtree three years ago.
"Meeting Bobby for the first time was like meeting a Little League kid," he said. "He was ready to play, ready to go out and show what he could do, and just ball out and have some fun. He was like 'Come on … I want to play … let's go, let's go, let's go!' Bobby's a very high energy kind of guy. I was like, oh yeah, this is a guy that's going to be something (special)."
Shogbonyo especially admired Rountree's unique personality and drive.
"There are very few things that can stop Bobby Roundtree," he said. "If he's in the meeting room, he's like 'I've gotta work on this' or when a coach tried to get on him about doing something wrong, it was always 'Okay, Coach, I'm gonna fix that.' Bobby has this hard-headed personality and that's what I really love about him. You just can't tell him no. He's a fighter. We're the Fighting Illini and he fights. That's what's great about him."
After Shogbonyo's first career sack last season against Purdue, it was difficult to figure out who was more fired up, Ayo or Bobby.
"Of course, I was super excited, but when he came over he was so excited for me that he almost tackled me," Shogbonyo laughed. "He's a very unselfish guy who was like 'Man, I'm so happy for Ayo that he got his first sack'. It was crazy that he had more energy than I did!"
Hansen admires Roundtree's remarkable ability to be upbeat in difficult situations.
"We struggled a lot last season," Hansen said, "but Bobby was able to be happy and bring great vibes to the program. Now, when I see him in the hospital, he still has a great energy about him. Even with all he's been going through, he's been able to smile through it and be happy."
"That's the type of dude he is," Hansen continued. "He's going to influence others to do better no matter what he's doing and, despite his circumstances, he's still doing that. It's truly inspiring and amazing to see."
And though No. 97 hasn't been able to physically play, Roundtree's example is clearly omnipresent to his teammates.
"Bobby is our motivation," Hansen said. "We're playing for him. We've got to do it for him now. It's way deeper than doing it for ourselves. It's doing it for someone who can't be there. I've never been a part of something like this. He can't do a lot of things that I and other players can do now. We know that if Bobby was here, he'd be doing it 10 times harder than all of us, so we've got to step it up a notch."
Shogbonyo make it crystal clear that Roundtree was "that guy" on Illinois's defensive line.
"We all know that Bobby was the guy who was going to give you maximum effort and make plays," he said. "He's just a freak of nature on the field. Without him, we knew that we had to step it up. We've got to do the things that Bobby would do. He would make this play, so we've got to get together and work harder. We've got to hit the sled more and we've got to lift harder and we've got to run harder."
Hansen and Shogbonyo are especially grateful that Illini fans have stepped up to meet and far exceed the original $97,000 goal in an ongoing GoFundMe effort called #97Strong to support Roundtree's current and future health care expenses. The goal has now been extended to $197,000 for expenses that are expected to reach the high six figure annually.
"Honestly, I'm not surprised by the support that's been shown," Hansen said. "For a guy like Bobby, I can't imagine why someone wouldn't want to donate. He's a dude that's always been so inspirational and positive."
Shogbonyo has a personal message for his good buddy.
"The success that I've had personally this season is really all of Bobby's work," he said. "Every tackle, every sack, every TFL, every recognition that I've gotten has all been Bobby. Without him, I don't think that I would be able to do what I'm doing right now."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2019/11/13/football-97strong-playing-for-bobby.aspx
"I'm just happy that I could help change the program."
Illini Seniors Add to Their Scrapbooks
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Before this year, the scrapbooks of 12 Fighting Illini seniors haven't contained many tangible memories in terms of milestone victories, but that all has changed in the past four weeks.
For Reggie Corbin, Stanley Green, Dele Harding, Justice Williams, Caleb Reams, Trenard Davis, Dre Brown, Jamal Milan, Bobby Walker, Kenyon Jackson, Tymir Oliver and Nolan Bernat (plus graduate transfer Richie Petitbon), the previous three seasons have been devoid of major team accomplishments. Three team victories in 2016, two in '17 and four in '18 all were certainly appreciated, but Saturday's thrilling 37-34 triumph over Michigan State will be just a bit extra special because it opens the opportunity to spend a portion of the upcoming holiday season at a post-season bowl game.
"I'm just excited to see this come full circle," said fourth-year junior offensive center Doug Kramer after the game. "We've been saying all year that we want to get this for the seniors. I came in with all those guys. Those are like my brothers. I'd die for them out on that field. It means a ton to get this for them."
For East St. Louis senior safety Stanley Green, the contributor of an interception and 10 tackles against the Spartans, he describes it as "a feeling that I've never had before."
"This will be my first time going to a bowl game," said the former East St. Louis High School star. "I'm just happy that I could help change the program. We've worked hard for four years, day in and day out. People don't see what we doing behind the scenes. There have been lots of ups and downs. Then to come out like this, it feels good."
Nate Hobbs, who shared a starring role in the Illini secondary and recorded two tackles for loss among his four total stops against Michigan State, gave major props to Green and fellow cornerback Sydney Brown.
"Those picks by Stan and Sydney (Brown) were really pivotal plays," said Hobbs. "I'm proud of our whole team, but especially those two guys. A win like this means a lot to the seniors. They motivate the rest of the team and keep everybody's emotions right, so we just go out there and ball for them."
Senior linebacker Dele Harding, who assumed extra responsibilities due to the absence of injured junior LB Jake Hansen and the early exit of Milo Eifler, continued racking up significant stats. His 14 tackles against the Spartans once again led his team.
"I'm proud of the guys (Dawson DeGroot and Khalan Tolson) who stepped in and filled their roles," said Harding. "They didn't have much playing time during the season, but when their number was called they played well enough to get the win."
Harding was especially pleased by the overall effort of his teammates.
"The fight that the guys put up, I couldn't have asked for more," he said. "We were down by a lot going into the second half, but our guys kept fighting. It's the mentality of the whole team. I credit a lot of that to (strength) Coach Lou (Hernandez), coming in and changing the mentality of the team. We could have quit, but positive thoughts created positive energy and a positive outcome as well."
A reporter asked Harding what was going through his mind when the game ended.
"I was like 'It's about time!'" Harding said as he clutched an orange and white bowling ball that represented Illinois's probable bowl game bid. "In recent years, the program hasn't been where we wanted it to be. But this year we've definitely made a turnaround and a change. I'm proud of the guys. With it being our last year, we seniors know that we need to be the leaders. We're just honing in and getting everybody riled up before the game, then focusing during the game. I can't ask for anything more. Guys like Tymir (Oliver), Kenyon (Jackson), Jamal (Milan) … everybody in my class is contributing."
Senior running back Reggie Corbin, who scored an important touchdown in Illinois's decisive fourth quarter, called Saturday's win over the Spartans "huge."
"It's been a long time coming," Corbin said. "but it was all worth it. We wouldn't change anything. We need to just keep playing good team ball and keep fighting. Everything we've done and have been through is finally paying off."
Junior wide receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe, who transferred from Southern California last summer and who had four catches for 178 yards and two king-sized touchdowns against MSU, admits that he doesn't truly comprehend what becoming bowl eligible means to his senior Illini teammates.
"But just to see their smiles and to see their energy and their spirits lifted," he says, "I feel awesome playing part of that."
Illini head coach Lovie Smith emphasized that winning programs always share one common trait.
"It's always about character," Smith said. "It's what you do and what you say when no one is looking, so I'd say we definitely have character. This is a special group. These guys have been through an awful lot. A lot of them have stayed (through difficult times). We have a special senior group and we have five captains that really lead by example and do it the right way. There are so many guys. Some people deserve to win, and we have a bunch of guys that deserve to win."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2019/11/10/football-we-re-goin-bowling.aspx?path=football
With its sixth win of the season, Illinois assured itself of bowl eligibility for the first time in five years.
Those Three Little Words: "We're Goin' Bowling!"
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Lovie Smith stepped into the postgame interview room and prefaced his remarks to the media with those three little words Fighting Illini football fans have waited five years to hear: "We're going bowling."
Illinois' improbable come-from-behind 37-34 victory at Spartan Stadium against Michigan State gave Smith's club its sixth "W" of the season, assuring itself of bowl eligibility for the first time in five years.
Battling back from a first-half, 25-point deficit and outscoring its hosts 27-3 in the fourth quarter, the fourth-year Illini head coach absolutely beamed when talking about his team's accomplishment.
"To some programs, getting to a bowl game may not be that big of a deal," Smith said. "But for our program—where we are right now—we needed to cross this hurdle to be able to take some more big steps."
Though there were several individual heroes, nearly everyone on Illinois's travel squad can personally claim a portion of the credit for the football program's biggest comeback in history. Whether they scored the winning touchdown (Daniel Barker), led the team in tackles (Dele Harding), picked off game-changing opponent passes (Sydney Brown and Stanley Green), recovered a crucial fumble (Khalan Tolson), or compiled record-setting receiving yardage (Josh Imatorbhebhe), the list of Illini supermen seems never-ending. Some stepped in for ailing teammates who were unable to make the trip to East Lansing.
"Defensively, Jake Hansen and Oluwole Betiku Jr. are back in Champaign," Smith said. "Milo Eifler went out the first couple of plays, but those young guys just stepped up. Dawson DeGroot. Khalan Tolson … guys that you don't know an awful lot about. Sydney Brown getting his first touchdown. All of those plays were big."
Smith's quarterback, Brandon Peters, stepped forward with a personal career-best effort, passing for 369 yards, the most by a Michigan State opponent at Spartan Stadium in a dozen years.
"It's coach talk," Smith said, "but it's always about how you finish. Brandon would be the first guy to tell you that he'd like to have that (interception) ball back, but he got another opportunity to do something special. That's what you judge quarterbacks on. How do they play when the game is on the line, when you're down and you have to make plays? He's just been outstanding."
Trailing 28-10 at halftime, the Illini coaching staff preached a message similar to the one it had shared with its troops in previous games against Michigan, Wisconsin and Rutgers.
"Experience teaches you an awful lot and we've been in that situation before," Smith said. "They don't crown the champion after one half of ball, so we went over the things that we did wrong and we made the corrections that we needed to make. We were down at halftime in the biggest game of our lives and we didn't play our best ball. But we were all thankful that we had another half of football. We knew if we came back out and played ball, we would have a chance. We talked about making the next play, putting good plays together, and that's what we were able to do."
Heading into the fourth quarter, Illinois trailed 31-10 and prospects for winning a fourth straight game appeared to be remote. But that's when the storybook comeback began.
At 14:48, Peters connected with Imatorbhebhe on an 83-yard touchdown pass to trim the lead to 31-17. The Illini defense held MSU's offense to three-and-out, then staged a five-play, 53-yard touchdown drive that was capped by Reggie Corbin's six-yard score. Now, the Illini deficit was seven points. When Sydney Brown intercepted a Brian Lewerke pass and ran it back 76 yards for a touchdown, Illinois drew to within one point.
Following a Spartan field goal with 3:17 left that increased MSU's lead to 34-30, the Illini had one final opportunity for a miracle. Stared down by a fourth-and-17 dilemma, Peters dialed up a 37-yard completion to Imatorbhebhe, putting the Illini back in business. On fourth-and-four, MSU bailed out Illinois again by committing pass interference in the end zone. Then, as the clock ticked down to the final seconds, Peters hooked up with Barker for the winning score.
"I'll say it again," said Smith. "It's how you finish. You just have to keep fighting. It's always about the next play. There were a lot of disappointing moments in that game, but you don't have time to harp on them. You have to move onto the next play. As it turned out, we didn't give them the opportunity to get the ball back, so it all worked out the way we needed it to."
"It's hard for me to talk about personal things that I'm feeling right now," Smith continued. "I'm so pumped up for our team. We're all really feeling good right now. This is how we envisioned it. How does it feel for me? I'm overjoyed."
Offensive coordinator Rod Smith was especially pleased that his boss could be rewarded with a historic victory.
"It feels good because Lovie is not just a great coach, he's an even better person," he said. "Every player and every coach wants to win for him."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2019/11/10/football-we-re-goin-bowling.aspx?path=football
Under unusual circumstances, Illinois and Michigan State played in 1963 for the Big Ten Championship
A 1963 Thanksgiving Day Classic
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
For Illini football fans in the 60s, one game is paramount to all others. But as important as the 1963 Illinois-Michigan State gridiron battle was, it paled in comparison to the events that had transpired the weekend before.
Pete Elliott's eighth-ranked Fighting Illini and Duffy Daugherty's fourth-rated Spartans entered the regular-season finale on top of the Big Ten standings with identical 4-1-1 records. The winner would advance on to Pasadena and a berth in the 1964 Rose Bowl against Washington.
On Friday, November 22, 1963, shortly after noon central time, 39 Illini players and seven coaches climbed aboard their charter flight at Willard Airport. Upon their arrival some 90 minutes later at Lansing's Capital City Airport, they were apprised of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy's assassination.
"Hearing about President Kennedy was a deep, emotional blow to all our players," Elliott recalled in author Lon Eubanks' book entitled The Fighting Illini. "I can't think of anything that would even be comparable."
Like all of his teammates, Illini fullback Jim Grabowski was devastated.
"Like the rest of America, there was silence and disbelief and shock," Grabowski said. "I couldn't believe that something like this could happen in the United States."
He and his teammates were confident that they could beat the Spartans, but the news put everything into its proper perspective.
"We were ready to play," Grabowski said. "We knew it was the biggest game of our career. Illinois had not been to the Rose Bowl in 12 years, so we were excited. But after receiving that news, I don't think that I could have played. All of a sudden, there were more important things than football."
University of Illinois President David Dodds Henry and Michigan State University President John Hannah spoke on the phone, weighing the options of whether or not the Saturday game should be postponed. Somewhat surprisingly, they agreed that the game would be played as scheduled. However, according to Duffy Daugherty's 1974 autobiography, Michigan Governor George Romney felt otherwise and applied political pressure to move the game to the following Thursday, Thanksgiving Day.
On Saturday morning at 10 a.m., as the Illini team members were getting taped for the game at their hotel, word came that they would be returning to Champaign. Illini linebacker Dick Butkus who had originally hoped to play ultimately changed his opinion.
"On the flight home, it started sinking in what history had been made and by all rights we shouldn't play," Butkus said. "Then the following day with Oswald, I was like 'Wow, this is unbelievable.'"
According to Grabowski, the extra practice time proved to boost Illinois's self-assurance even more.
"When we came to Spartan Stadium that Thanksgiving Day," Grabowski said, "we were all very, very confident that we could win the football game and go on to the Rose Bowl. The President had been buried and we all felt that now we have to concentrate on what's important in our lives."
The game matched Michigan State's "80 yards and a cloud of dust" offense—a reference to MSU's ground attack led by All-America halfback Sherman Lewis—against a stingy Illini defense that hadn't allowed any of its previous eight opponents more than 21 points. The talented combination of linebackers Butkus and Don Hansen, linemen Archie Sutton and Ed Washington, and defensive backs Jim Warren and George Donnelly made scoring touchdowns a difficult proposition for their opponents.
Sunny skies and 50 degrees greeted the sellout crowd of 74,342 and a defensive struggle ensued.
In Grabowski's mind, the battle boiled down to the performances of two men: Lewis and Butkus.
"Sherman Lewis was a great running back, but we had a great person to counteract that with the finest linebacker to ever play the game," he said.
A pair of Jim Plankenhorn field goals (22 and 34 yards) staked the Illini to a 6-0 halftime lead. Two minutes into the second half, following Washington's recovery of a Spartan fumble, Grabowski rambled 14 yards into the end zone to make it 13-0. That would turn out to be the game's final score.
Lewis, who had notched five touchdowns of 80 yards or more, never got untracked, gaining only 58 yards on 13 carries. The rest of MSU's vaunted offense was stymied as well, having four passes intercepted—two by Ron Fearn—fumbling three times, and accumulating only 215 total yards all afternoon.
"Our defense was superb," Elliott said years later. "We never gave them any room to run and when they tried to throw the ball, we were all over them."
Wrote Daugherty in his book, "We got our ears pinned back. Illinois went on to the Rose Bowl and I watched it on television in disgust."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
https://fightingillini.com/news/2019/11/7/football-a-thanksgiving-day-battle-1963-illinois-msu-throwback.aspx?path=football
E.B. Halsey dived in for a touchdown that sent the game to overtime.
Remembering Illinois's 2005 Overtime Victory over Rutgers
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Unlike most of its other Big Ten Conference foes, the Fighting Illini football team's series against Rutgers University doesn't date back to the 19th or even to the 20th century.
In fact, one needs only to be a teenager today to remember when Illinois and the Scarlet Knights first met on the gridiron. The initial battle in 2005 is one of only seven overtime contests in which the Illini have ever participated.
The 2005 season followed a year when Illini basketball fans were on an emotional high, stemming from a 37-2 ride that took them all the way to the NCAA's Championship Game. Four other Illini teams—baseball, women's track and field, men's tennis and wrestling—also held distinction as defending Big Ten champs. In football, UI Director of Athletics Ron Guenther had just made a coaching change.
Guenther persuaded former Florida head coach Ron Zook to take the reins of Illinois's football program. As Zook began his Illini coaching career only 42 of the 100 men on the '05 roster had actual game experience. Restructuring the program, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, was a necessity. And for a team that had won only four times in its previous 23 games, Zook would also have to bolster Illinois's confidence.
Zook's debut game—September 3, 2005—against Rutgers was labeled as a toss-up by the oddsmakers, but it certainly didn't appear that way in a raucous second quarter that saw the Scarlet Knights tally 17 unanswered points to take a 20-7 halftime lead.
"In the first half, we were awful," Zook admitted. "Our field position was awful. There were a lot of second-and-long situations. We were killing ourselves on first downs."
Illini quarterback Tim Brasic, who was making his starting debut, struggled mightily from opening-game jitters and his first-half statistics (just 38 total passing yards and two interceptions) reflected his uneasiness. Thankfully, Brasic's coaching staff was there to pull him out of the dregs of a dreadful first 30 minutes.
"Rutgers had some great blitzes and the game seemed so fast early on," Brasic said. "I can't say enough about Coach Zook and (quarterbacks) Coach (Ed) Zaunbracher. Every time I came off the field, the coaches were like 'Tim, you're OK. Keep your head up.' Finally, in the third quarter, everything started slowing down and I really started getting a good feel for what I needed to do."
When Rutgers' Brian Leonard set sail on an 83-yard touchdown gallop less than five minutes into the second half to extend RU's lead to 27-7, things appeared hopeless to everyone except Zook and his Illini. But instead of collapsing, Illinois' coaches and players gathered themselves and things eventually began to click on both sides of the ball.
Trailing 27-10 going into the fourth quarter, Jason Reda stroked a 32-yard field goal, his second of the game. A six-yard pass from Brasic to Kendrick Jones with 8:40 left narrowed the margin to seven points, 27-20, and providing positive momentum on Illinois's sideline.
Coach Greg Schiano's Knights relied on the running skills of Leonard and Ray Rice on a fourth-quarter drive that set up a 43-yard field goal attempt. However, Illini defensive tackle Chris Norwell got a fingertip on the ball as the football began its ascent, transferring possession to Brasic and the Illini offense at its own 35-yard line.
An effective combination of runs by Pierre Thomas and E.B. Halsey plus Brasic pass completions to Thomas, Halsey, Franklin Payne and Jody Ellis set up a first-and-10 situation at the Rutgers 13-yard line. That's where Brasic spotted Halsey at the sideline for a diving touchdown, tying the game at 27-all with 1:13 left in regulation.
Illinois's defense stood strong on Rutgers' next possession, giving the ball back to its offensive unit with 0:28 remaining. Three Brasic pass completions set up a 52-yard field goal try by Reda, but it sailed wide right as regulation time expired.
In overtime, the Scarlet Knights got the ball first and their drive resulted in a 40-yard field goal.
Now it was Illinois's turn. Starting at the 25, Brasic began the possession with an eight-yard run. After a false start penalty, the Illini quickly retrieved those five yards and 15 more when Brasic connected on a pass with Halsey down to the two-yard line. That's where Thomas took it in for the game-winning TD, providing Illinois with a 33-30 victory.
Said Zook to the media afterwards, "It wasn't very pretty, but we kept believing. All week long we talked about facing adversity and today we came back."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Illinois's Bo Batchelder (left, #85) swipes the ball from Purdue quarterback Bob Griese.
Upstaging Bob Griese
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
The Big Ten was absolutely loaded with great football teams in 1965.
Duffy Daugherty's eventual national champion Michigan State Spartans had a quartet of All-America players in Bubba Smith, George Webster, Gene Washington and Clinton Jones.
Bump Elliott's Michigan Wolverines climbed to as high as No. 4 in the rankings with Jack Clancy, Bill Yearby and Rich Volk.
Woody Hayes's Ohio State Buckeyes made it up to No 10 in the polls with Doug Van Horn and Ike Kelly.
And Purdue, Illinois's seventh opponent in '65, was stacked with talent as well, led by All-America quarterback Bob Griese. The Boilermakers easily qualified as one of the nation's best. After shutting out Miami of Ohio in the season opener, Coach Jack Mollenkopf's squad dispatched top-ranked Notre Dame (25-21) in West Lafayette, tied Coach Hayden Fry's SMU squad at the Cotton Bowl, then beat both Iowa (17-14) and Michigan (17-15) on the road.
Still very much in the Rose Bowl hunt, sixth-ranked Purdue now came to Champaign to play the Fighting Illini on Dad's Day. Just a week earlier, the Boilers had battled No. 2 MSU on nearly equal terms before bowing at home by just four points. Bob Griese had been carving up opposing defenses, while tackle Jerry Shay was leading Purdue's stifling defense.
Illinois, captained by Jim Grabowski and Don Hansen, was on a two-game winning streak coming into the contest. Many questioned whether or not Coach Pete Elliott's troops could stay with powerful Purdue in the game staged at Memorial Stadium before a rare national television audience.
Midway through the first quarter, the sizable Dads Day crowd began receiving optimistic signs. Following a Boilermaker punt, Illini quarterback Fred Custardo methodically moved his offensive unit down the field on a 71-yard touchdown drive. Powerful running from Grabowski, Sam Price and Ron Bess, plus the pass-catching talents of John Wright got Illinois on the board with just :57 left in the first stanza.
A punting battle ensued during most of the second quarter, including a superb boot by Griese that pinned the Illini down on their own 5-yard line. A 35-yard gain around right end by Grabo gave Illinois some breathing room and that's where Custardo and Wright went to work, connecting on a 44-yard gainer. With only 20 seconds left in the half but poised on the end zone's doorstep, Custardo overthrew Bess in the right flat. That stopped the clock for one final try.
Despite heavy defensive pressure from Purdue, Custardo targeted Bess again on the very same pattern. This time the Bloomington sophomore made a marvelous diving catch just inches into the end zone. Though Custardo's extra point attempt banged off the upright, the Illini were happy with a 13-0 lead at intermission.
The second half could have easily been subtitled "The Bo Batchelder Show." The 213-pound Illini junior defensive end from Peoria Heights admits it was a day he says he'll never forget.
"The night before a big game, I always dreamed about a day when something goes right," Batchelder recalled recently from his home in North Carolina. "If you're a defensive end, you're thinking about picking off a pass and heading in the other direction. It happened to come true for me that day."
First, he recovered a Randy Minniear fumble after Hansen knocked the ball loose from the Purdue fullback's grasp. Unfortunately, an offside penalty ruined Illinois's great scoring opportunity.
Next Batchelder intercepted a Griese pass on the Boilermaker 30 and returned it to the 11-yard line. Once again, however, an offensive penalty intervened and Custardo missed a chip-shot field goal from the 25.
Finally, midway through the fourth quarter, Batchelder made the signature play of his career.
"I do remember that one pretty well," he said. "We were down on the 8-yard line. Griese came out and around the end and he had all the options. He could pitch it, he could throw it, or he could run it. So he and I were by ourselves as he was coming around my side, and he began to pump the ball. I'm bearing down on him and I grabbed his wrist, bent his arm behind him, took the ball from him, pushed him out of bounds, and started heading down toward our end zone. It was a long way away."
Despite a bum knee, strapped up with a brace, Batchelder plodded south for 55 yards.
"I ran to the 25-yard line and got tackled from behind," he said. "Guess who tackled me? Bob Griese. I'm totally out of breath at this point. I get up and begin to walk across the field, then Sam Price runs and jumps on me, so now I'm carrying his 210 pounds, too. While the crowd is still standing and cheering, on the very next play, Fred immediately throws a 25-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Wright. So people seem to never remember that I didn't make it all the way. They always give me an additional 25 yards credit for which I don't deserve."
A couple of days after Illinois's 21-0 upset victory, Batchelder received an honorary "Triple Gold Star Award". It came in the form of a page-and-a-half long letter from Illini assistant coach Gene Stauber. The final paragraph read as follows:
"Thus Bo Batchelder did distinguish himself before the multitudes in one of the most amazing performances ever seen at Memorial Stadium. (He) enters the Illinois Hall of Fame as an 'Ace' pass defender along with other great aces such as George Donnelly, Mike Dundy, Dick Butkus and Don Hansen. Yes, October 30 was a "Go-Go" with "Bo-Bo" in a game for men only."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
(left to right) Mike Hatfield, Al Martindale and Andy Dixon
The Three Amigos
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
The Honorary Varsity "I" award is given to those who have proven to be instrumental to the success of its student-athletes. This weekend, Andy Dixon, Mike Hatfield and Al Martindale joined the prestigious ranks when they were presented Honorary I awards from the Varsity I Association.
These three Illini warriors impacted Illinois student-athletes in nearly every support service for three decades, and a combined 89 years, and it would only be fitting that the trio of great friends would earn this award together.
It's a trio that made contributions in a variety of ways and during virtually the same period of time. Dixon spent 29 years (1981-2010) with the DIA in his role as an equipment manager. Hatfield filled multiple roles in his 29 years (1981-2010) at Illinois, first as an academic counselor, then as a ticket manager, and finally as a fundraiser. Martindale served his time (1983-2014), 31 years as the Illini's head athletic trainer.
The Andy Dixon Story
A national speed skating champion and a News-Gazette all-state football player at Champaign Central High School, Dixon dreamed about becoming an Illini athlete. As a youngster, he'd spent years with his buddies attending games, sometimes sneaking in through unattended gates and other times paying a buck for a 'knothole' ticket at Memorial Stadium.
As a senior, Coach (Bob) Blackman's staff hosted Dixon and several others one weekend on campus. But his visit with the Illini head coach at the end of the weekend didn't go as he had hoped it would. He remembers the conversation, word for word.
"Coach Blackman told me 'We think you're a little slow, we think you're a little small, and we think you're a little short. Other than that, we like you. In a year or two, you might have a chance to earn a scholarship,'" Dixon recalled. "I shook his hand and said thank you, but I was so disappointed."
Fortunately, the teenager had a handful of other scholarship honors, including one from the University of Wyoming.
"One of the Wyoming coaches, John Easterbrook, had played at Illinois, and a guy who I'd played with in high school was a walk-on at UW," Dixon said. "I had a terrific recruiting trip and committed before I came home."
Dixon enjoyed a successful career with the Cowboys, leading the team in rushing and scoring. Upon his graduation, the twenty-something who had married his high school sweetheart (Cheryl) after his freshman year at Wyoming, became a teacher and a coach in nearby Cheyenne. A few years later a friend took a head job in Las Vegas and the Dixons headed off to "Sin City."
"Cheryl and I thought that if we were every going to do something stupid, now's the time," he remembered. "We liked Las Vegas, but didn't think we'd want to raise a family there, so we moved home in June of '81."
A month or so later, Dixon spotted an ad in the paper for an assistant equipment manager.
"Honestly, my first thought was that I didn't want to be the guy spraying water into guy's faces," he said. "I was a former athlete, so I felt that I should be on the field, not taking care of the guys. One of the things that was appealing was that Brownie (then head equipment manager Marion Brownfield) had already been there thirty-five years. If I got my foot in the door with the athletic department, who knows where it could lead. Once I got in there and did it a while, I thought it was a pretty good damn job. And for thirty years, it was a great job."
The Mike Hatfield Story
Likewise, Hatfield had been raised as an Illini fan.
"When I was growing up in the '60s in Hoopeston, you were either an Illini fan or a Purdue fan," he said. "Purdue was 40 miles away and Illinois was an hour away. I had an uncle that had season tickets at both places. Fifty-three years ago, I went to my first Illinois game and watched the Stanford Indians play the Fighting Illini."
Hatfield's athletic expertise was as a distance runner. He eventually competed at Parkland College before continuing at Eastern Illinois University where he was a member of the Panthers' 1977 national championship cross country team and a 1979 All-America performer in the steeplechase. The eventual Athletics Hall of Fame member at EIU, Parkland and Hoopeston High School was initially hired at Illinois as a member of Ed Swartz's academic unit. The former UI assistant athletics director remains as one of the people to whom Hatfield is most indebted.
"I had a front row seat with Ed and watched him unravel countless dilemmas that guys found themselves in off the field," Hatfield said. "He taught me every one of his moves by always putting the student-athlete first. That sometimes inconvenienced staffers, whether it was sports info guys or equipment guys or trainers. But Ed always did what was best for the kid and that became the way I handled different issues."
Hatfield's mental Illini scrapbook is filled with special memories, including UI's unforgettable 1983 football season.
"To go undefeated against every team in the conference was never done before and never been done since," he said. Hatfield also gave special mention to John Mackovic's 1990 Big Ten championship team.
"Everyone remembers the '05 basketball Regional up in Chicago against Arizona. I would have left that game early, but I wasn't on an aisle and I couldn't get out," he joked.
But just as much as games and events, Hatfield remembers the people with whom he had the privilege to spend time. The legendary Dike Eddleman and former track and field coach Bob Wright were two of those unique individuals.
"I was fortunate my first few years of driving Dike and Coach Wright to Illini golf outings," Hatfield said. "The stories that they had from their days were just phenomenal. Everybody's got the memories about the big games and the big play and the last shot, but riding with those two guys to Belleville and Edwardsville was incredible."
The Al Martindale Story
Martindale, a native of Postville, Iowa, officially arrived at the U of I in July of 1983 after spending six years at the University of Hawaii.
"I was thrown directly into the fire with Mike White," Martindale chuckled. "Back then, we were going four hours a practice, twice a day."
He vividly recalls standing on the sideline with Rod Cardinal during Illinois's legendary 16-6 victory over Michigan in '83.
"We had 76,000 fans at Memorial Stadium and the place was just rocking," Martindale said. "After Thomas Rooks' game-winning touchdown, I looked up at the upper deck on the East side and noticed that the whole thing was just swaying. I turned to Rod and said, 'That doesn't look too safe.'
A particularly momentous time for Martindale occurred during Illinois basketball's incredible 2005 run to the NCAA championship game. Luther Head had incurred a hamstring injury during UI's victory over Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Martindale was charged with getting him healthy for the Arizona game.
"I basically did what Rod had done with Kenny Battle in '89," Martindale remembered. "I was up almost all night long, going to Luther's room and doing stuff with him. I had him up at 7 o'clock down in the swimming pool. We limited him in practice and I worked with him all the way to the Arizona game. (Coach) Bruce (Weber) came to me and asked 'What are you thinking, Al?' I said, 'Coach, if you're going to play Luther, you've got to play him right away. Once you play him, just keep playing him until he can't go anymore.' It was amazing what Luther did. I'll never forget him intercepting the ball near the end of the game and sprinting down court and dunking it. I'm thinking, 'Don't hurt yourself Luther because we need you down the line.'"
It's only fitting they would be inducted together
Dixon, Hatfield and Martindale all admit that receiving an Honorary I is one of their lives' major highlights.
"I feel totally honored," Dixon said. "For many years, I was on the committee that gave nominations. To me, this is proof that we did something right in our profession. It's confirmation of a job well done."
"I'm personally thrilled," echoed Hatfield. "We've seen that award given out over the years to folks that were mentors to us and colleagues of ours. It's made us all feel really good and proud about the time that we'd put in."
"When I found out, I was kind of flabbergasted that I would be receiving an Honorary I," Martindale said. "The Varsity I is an organization of all our former student-athletes and now I'm a part of that group. It's a privilege to be in a group with many of the athletes who I'd spent countless hours with. I put my heart and soul into getting them ready to play."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Mike Bass lines up for his game-winning field vs. Wisconsin in 1982
A Kick of a Lifetime
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Every individual's life is highlighted by certain dates. For Illini football alum Mike Bass, the date that is branded on his brain is October 23, 1982. That was the day that his University of Illinois football team beat the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison, a game in which he had a special hand … or rather a foot.
For more than a century, UW's Camp Randall Stadium had been regarded as a battleground. Once a Civil War training site where Union troops were enrolled and injured Confederate soldiers were detained, in 1917 it became the site known as the home for Badger football games.
On the day, 37 years ago, the place was literally rocking. Coach Dave McClain's Badgers were on a four-game winning streak and stood 3-1 in the Big Ten standings. Likewise, the 4-1 Illini, also had Rose Bowl aspirations.
The capacity crowd of 78,406 first became raucous at the 10:15 mark of the first quarter when UW took a 7-0 lead.
One individual who wasn't cheering for the hometown team was Bass's father, then San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator Tom Bass. Because of the historic National Football League strike, Bass was able to see his son play in person for the very first time as a collegian.
"It was fantastic that he was able to be there," Bass said. "Almost like a dream come true. My dad (who passed on July 27, 2019) was a hero of mine. He withstood a lot of slings and arrows in his life."
Inspired by his dad's presence, Bass notched field goals of 19 and 21 yards to draw the Illini within one point by halftime.
A third Bass field goal (30 yards) and an eight-yard touchdown pass from Tony Eason to Oliver Williams countered two Wisconsin TDs in the third quarter to pull Illinois within five points, 20-15. That set up a wild and wooly final 15 minutes that fans from both teams wouldn't soon forget.
Illinois struck first with 10:03 remaining in the final stanza on a one-yard touchdown run by Joe Curtis and a two-point PAT pass from Eason to Williams, giving the Illini their first lead of the game, 23-20. A fourth Bass field goal just six minutes later, this time from 44 yards, extended Illinois's advantage to 26-20.
Following a touchback on the ensuing kickoff, Badger quarterback Randy Wright thrilled Camp Randall's faithful by connecting on a 42-yard bomb to Al Toon. However, three plays later, Illini defensive back Charles Armstead intercepted Wright on the Badgers' next-to-last possession.
On Illinois' offensive drive, three consecutive carries by Richard Ryles only netted eight yards, forcing Chris Sigourney into a punting situation. Instead, Illini head coach Mike White strategically instructed his punter to run precious seconds off the clock and scramble into the end zone for a safety. That narrowed UI's lead to 26-22.
Sigourney's free kick to the Badgers was returned to the UW 46-yard line, but now just more than a minute was left. Wright advanced the Badgers to the Illinois 40. Quietly, McClain apprised game officials of a trick he had up his sleeve, so on second down and 10, Wright skipped a bounce pass to Toon behind the line of scrimmage. Thinking it was an incomplete pass, the Illini defense relaxed, but the play was still very much alive. Toon then connected with Jeff Nault on a 40-yard TD pass and the euphoric Wisconsin crowd caused the ancient stadium to shake.
"We all thought the play was over," confessed Illini safety Craig Swoope after the game.
With Wisconsin now up 28-26, Badger placekicker Wendell Gladem entered for the almost-always automatic PAT. Amazingly, his kick bounced off the upright, yielding just a glint of hope that the Illini could win the game on its final possession.
Eason and his offensive unit took over at its own 20, but they had only 52 seconds with which to work.
Instead of loosening up his leg for a Big Ten record-tying fifth field goal, Bass remembers watching the drama unfold as his QB guided the Orange and Blue down the field.
"Hey, I'm a football brat, right," said Bass, "so I'm screaming on the sideline. I'm not back there worrying about what could happen, though I know there might be that opportunity. Right then, I was as much of a fan of football as anyone else."
Eason's pass completions of 22 yards to Williams and 23 yards to tight end Tim Brewster suddenly had Illinois all the way down to the Badger 29.
Bass hurried onto the field with just three seconds left. However, in an effort to freeze the Illini kicker, Wisconsin called a timeout. That didn't faze Bass one bit.
"Everybody else went to the sideline," he said, " but I stayed out in the middle of the field."
Perfection for the 46-yard game-winning attempt was required from the Illini triumvirate of long snapper Adam Lingner, holder Tim Damron and Bass.
"The unit is what is really important," Bass said. "Adam was a fantastic snapper and did it in the NFL for years. Tim Damron was the holder and he had these huge mitts. I'd already hit four (field goals), so I was confident."
Finally, came the moment of truth. Only one thing kept running through No. 48's mind: "Don't miss it!"
Relying on Linger and Damron to perform as they'd done so many times before, the near-sighted Bass approached the ball and connected solidly with his bare right foot.
"I could see my kicks on the trajectory from about 20 yards out," he said, "but the only time I really got to see it go through was watching it on replay. I knew by the sound that it was a good kick. This one stayed true and went right through the uprights."
Within a couple of seconds, Bass was squashed on the Camp Randall turf by his celebrating teammates.
"It's a fun feeling, but it's scary," Bass said. "I was trying to get out, but everyone was going crazy. You can play football for a long time and never have that kind of experience."
Final score: Illinois 29, Wisconsin 28.
Mike Bass is now 37 years removed from the football field. Today, he's executive leader of UI's Office of Business and Financial Services, kicking around numbers as the University's Senior Associate Vice President and Deputy Comptroller.
"I've always told people that anything I've been able to accomplish in my life has a great deal to do with the time that I came to Illinois to learn and especially play football," Bass said. "I'm honored to be able to sit in a position where we can make this institution the best that it can be."
He and his wife of nearly 25 years, Mona, reside in Mahomet, and his 19-year-old son, Tucker, attends Parkland College.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Rocky Harvey vaults himself into the end zone
Comeback at the Big House
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Had the so-called "experts" and odds makers been entrusted to determine whether or not the 1999 Illinois-Michigan game should have actually been played, traveling Illini fans en route to Ann Arbor might have received a discouraging email that read something like this …
Illini fans: Your team has lost its last three in a row, including last week's game by thirty points. You're a 24½-point underdog to the No. 9 team in the nation. Michigan's players include Tom Brady, Anthony Thomas and Dhani Jones. Save yourself some gas money. Turn your car around and head back to Champaign-Urbana.
Illini head coach Ron Turner, though, was eager to take on the challenge.
"You get to go into one of the best stadiums in the country and play a school with as much football tradition as anybody in the country," said Illinois's third-year coach to reporters at his Monday press conference. "It's an outstanding program, an outstanding coach, an outstanding coaching staff, and some of the elite athletes in America. If you can't get excited about going in there and playing a team that is ranked in the Top 10, there's something wrong with you. I'm very excited about it and I'm sure our players are, too."
"We go into games with the intention of winning," Turner continued to tell reporters that week. "The one thing we need to regain now is our fight, our competitive spirit, and the ability to come out and play hard for 60 minutes, every play, not matter what happens, no matter what the scoreboard says."
Michigan had two other motivating factors going into that October 23rd contest. Two weeks earlier, the Wolverines had lost a 34-31 heartbreaker at rival Michigan State and, with a bye week in between, had 13 days to prepare for Illinois.
"I think this team has great pride," Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr said. "There is a sting that comes with losing and a certain amount of misery associated with losing. Along those lines, I think there is a resolve to play better with a great intensity and focus. I believe we will bounce back and play with a great intensity."
Carr appeared to be a prophet in the first half as Michigan led by 13 points at the intermission. Though Illinois got on the board first when Kurt Kittner's six-yard pass to Jameel Cook connected for a touchdown, the Wolverines countered with three consecutive tallies on two TD passes by Brady and Anthony Thomas's 25-yard TD. That opened up Michigan's lead to 20-7.
When Thomas rushed for his second touchdown with 6:01 left in the third quarter, Illinois's 20-point deficit seemed insurmountable to everyone except the Illini players and coaches. After all, in Michigan's 1,084-game history, only two other schools (Penn in 1912 and UCLA in 1982) had rallied to beat the Maize and Blue after falling 20 behind.
"Nobody—and I do mean nobody—believed that this could happen except for our guys," Turner said after the game.
Illinois's stunning turnaround began when quarterback Kurt Kittner transformed a 4th-and-3 situation into a 31-yard touchdown toss to wide receiver Walter Young. Then, UI's sophomore signal caller led his club on a 7-minute, 20-play drive that climaxed with a three-yard TD pass to tight end Brian Hodges. That made the score Michigan 27, Illinois 21.
The Illini defense stepped up on Michigan's next possession, forcing the Wolverines to punt. Following two Rocky Harvey rushes, Kittner called on No. 23 a third time on third-down-and-four. Illinois's offensive line provided their QB just enough time to toss a safety valve pass over the middle to his five-foot-nine halfback. Harvey split a pair of Michigan defenders and dashed the remaining 45 yards, accentuating his run by launching himself into the right corner of the end zone. Now, Illinois was on top, 28-27, and only 2:49 was left.
Defensive coordinator Tim Kish's Illini troops bent but didn't break as Brady marched the Wolverines down to the Illinois 28. Michigan's momentum was crushed when U-M center Steve Frazier got distracted by UI's oncoming blitzers and snapped the ball over his quarterback's head for a 25-yard loss. That set up a fourth-and-30 challenge for Brady, necessitating a lengthy pass. Illinois's Trayvon Waller stepped in front of intended receiver to intercept Brady's pass with just 1:13 left.
Illinois now needed just one first down to run out the clock and clinch the improbable comeback. But Harvey wanted more, racing up the middle for a 54-yard touchdown to raise UI's lead to 35-27.
Harvey's touchdown could have backfired on the Illini as 59 seconds remained. Trailing by eight points, Michigan still had a chance to tie the game with a touchdown and a two-point conversion. Methodically, Brady marched the Wolverines down the field, completing four of his first five passes and advancing Michigan to the Illinois 16.
But on 3rd-and-10, UI's Tony Francis snatched Brady's second interception throw of the game. Francis fumbled the ball in the end zone, but Muhammad Abdullah fell on it, causing a safety and reducing Illinois's lead to 35-29 with nine seconds left. Neil Rackers kicked to Michigan on the ensuing play and U-M returned the ball six yards to its own 41-yard line. Fortunately for the Illini, Brady's last-gasp heave fell incomplete and victory belonged to the Orange and Blue.
Said Brady afterwards, "We usually don't lose games like these."
Fourth-year Illini defensive end Fred Wakefield, who had first-half blocks of an extra point and a field goal, was ecstatic.
"Coming into the Big House and stealing one from them," exclaimed an almost unbelieving Wakefield. "We came in and took it away from them. That's something not a whole lot of teams do."
Linebacker Danny Clark credited his head coach in the postgame locker room, citing a spirited address the evening before.
"Coach was a great motivator Friday night," he said, recalling how Turner had told the team about his former Stanford team's upset of No. 1 Notre Dame. "It's about believing. And really, every guy on this team believed we could do it."
"It's eerie how similar things were between that game and this one," a smiling Turner told reporters, admitting that he might have exaggerated the facts a bit to inspire his team. "I didn't intentionally lie. It was all correct, to the best of my knowledge."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
the 1916 Illini-Gopher battle
Illinois Shocks Minnesota's "Perfect" 1916 Team
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
It was 16 years into the 20th century and life in America had a wide variety of challenges and opportunities.
In March of 1916, Mexican revolutionist Pancho Villa shocked Southwesterners by leading 500 raiders in an attack against Columbus, New Mexico, and slaughtering a dozen U.S. soldiers.
A month later, Manager Joe Tinker's Chicago Cubs played their first game at what would come to be known as Wrigley Field. And President Woodrow Wilson was re-elected for a second term.
At the University of Illinois, Coach Bob Zuppke's 1916 Fighting Illini headed into a November 4 battle at Minnesota. The football campaign had been largely undistinguished thus far, particularly when compared to its co-championship campaign of the year before. Zup's troops hadn't come close to reaching their pre-season expectations.
The season had begun on a positive note, dispatching a weak Kansas squad in the opener, 30-0, but Illinois performed poorly in games two and three, losing to Colgate and Ohio State. A 14-7 victory on October 28 at Purdue evened UI's record at 2-2, but now came the Illini's biggest test: the mighty Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Just how dominant were Coach Henry Williams' Gophers at that time? Well, in the 13 games that led up to the match, Minnesota had compiled an impressive 12-0-1 record. The only blemish had been a 6-6 tie at Illinois the previous season, resulting in a conference co-championship for the two rivals in 1915.
In their first four games of '16, the Gophers had steam-rolled their foes, mauling South Dakota State, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa in succession.
Such a mismatch would the Illinois-Minnesota game be Chicago Tribune columnist Ring Lardner suggested tongue-in-cheek that Zup "would be wise to stay over in Chicago and go to the theater instead of continuing his trip to Minneapolis."
Even Walter Camp, the American football coaching legend turned sportswriter, made the 1,000-mile trip to Minneapolis from his home on the East Coast to see this Gopher juggernaut. University officials constructed a special vantage point for "Mr. Football" so that he could properly observe this "Marvel of all Gridiron Marvels."
Author Lon Eubanks, in his 1976 book entitled "The Fighting Illini", described Illinois's week of preparation for its trip to Minnesota.
"Throughout the week of pregame practice," Eubanks wrote, "Zuppke built up the Gophers to his own players as if they were a team of super-humans, a team that no foe could expect to beat—least of all this less-than-mighty group of Illini.
"'If they laugh at us,' Zuppke supposedly told his squad, 'we'll just laugh, too.'"
Early Friday morning, Zuppke, his three-person staff, and 30 players boarded the train bound for the Twin Cities. Upon arrival, Zup surprisingly suspended team training rules, allowing players to return to their rooms at the Rogers Hotel after midnight.
"If you guys are going to the slaughter and get murdered tomorrow," Zuppke said, "we might as well break training and have a good time tonight."
Illinois arrived early at Northrop Field on Saturday, taking the field well before their hosts. When the purportedly invincible Gophers came out, Eubanks wrote that "every Illini eye swiveled in its socket."
"Hey, Lindy," sophomore Dutch Sternaman yelled at line coach Justa Lindgren, "they don't look so big."
"Yea," said another. "They don't look like anything that couldn't be handled."
Penned Eubanks, "The remarks touched off Zuppke's psychological time bomb that he had been wiring all week."
Upon arrival back in the locker room just before kickoff, Zup's optimism began to perk. He felt his players were physically ready and that they'd been well drilled.
Borrowing a line that the King of France had uttered more than a century before during the French Revolution, Zup's first words to his team broke the ice.
"I am Louis and Fifteenth, and, after us, the deluge!"
Zuppke assured his boys that the Gophers could be had. Based on scouting reports that had been meticulously outlined by his assistants, the little Dutchman predicted that Minnesota's first three plays would be successive running attempts. Zup implored his defenders to forget everyone else and key on these men during that first series of plays. He alone would bear the responsibility if any Gopher carried out of turn and ran for a touchdown. As for Illinois's first offensive position, Zup continued, quarterback Bart Macomber was to pass on first down to Sternaman—a ploy virtually unheard of at the time.
Minnesota won the coin toss and got the ball first. As Zuppke had predicted, UM's first three offensive attempts were stopped in their tracks, forcing the Maroon and Gold to punt.
Then, right on cue, Macomber completed a long pass to Sternaman, triggering a methodical 45-yard Illini touchdown drive down the field.
Illinois's defense stood tall again on UM's second possession, highlighted by Reynold Kraft's 55-yard return of an interception for a touchdown. Now, the Illini led Minnesota's "perfect team" by a count of 14-0.
It wasn't until the second half that the Gophers finally got on the scoreboard, tallying a five-yard touchdown run by Joe Sprafka, then adding a late safety. However, time literally ran out on Minnesota, shockingly losing to Illinois by a score of 14-9.
The evening edition of the Chicago Tribune relayed the astonishing results to Illini fans who hadn't made the journey northward.
Screamed the over-sized headline, "WAIT TILL YOU READ THIS!"
The Minneapolis Evening Tribune was equally praiseworthy of the Illini effort.
"Illinois walked all over the much-touted Minnesota team, bewildering the Gophers by her open play."
Despite its ignominious defeat at the hands of Illinois, the Gophers rebounded with a vengeance in their final two games, annihilating Wisconsin (54-0) and Chicago (49-0) to finish the season 6-1. Other than its lone defeat to the Illini, the final season tally showed Minnesota outscoring their opponents by a whopping 339 to 14.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Chris Robinson
Robinson Introduces Canadian Baseball Teenagers to His Second Home
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
When two busloads of 40 Canadian teenagers arrive in Champaign-Urbana next Monday for an exhibition baseball game against the Fighting Illini, they may not have a clue just how great a collegiate player one of their coaches actually was for the opponent they're about to face.
Let's share some statistics. Your coach—Chris Robinson—was an all-star … a stud! During the three years he wore Orange and Blue from 2003-05, hitting .347, the 14th-best career average ever at Illinois. During the season he helped the Illini win the Big Ten championship (2005), your guy batted .353 with eight home runs and 37 RBI. And, as a defensive performer, he was equally impressive. How about notching seven pick-offs while throwing out nearly half of the players who tried to steal against him?
But the best part of the story about the now 35-year-old coach of the Great Lake Canadians is who he was out of uniform. Allow one of his mentors, Illini head coach Dan Hartleb, to tell you what kind of a young man Chris Robinson was and still is today.
"To this day, Chris is one of the guys who I most respect coming out of our program," said Hartleb. "He's an unbelievable individual. He's a great father and a great husband. There's not one negative thing I can say about him. Except, maybe, he says 'eh' too much."
So how did the young man from Dorchester, Ontario, actually wind up at the University of Illinois? Hartleb and fellow assistant Eric Snider desperately needed a catcher to replace Pat Arlis, an Illini player who would eventually be chosen in the 11th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft. Their boss, then Illini head coach Itch Jones, got a tip from baseball scout Dick Groch who told him about a talented prospect from nearby London, Ontario. Good hitter and good hands, Groch told Itch. The Illini staff was willing to go anywhere to find their new backstop. "Anywhere" turned out to be Melville, Saskatchewan, a city of 4,000 that's located 145 kilometres (90 miles) northeast of the provincial capital of Regina.
"I think we flew into Ottawa, then made that long drive to Saskatchewan," Hartleb said. "I just remember that it was in the middle of nowhere."
Robinson had been voted Ontario Player of the Year and the country's best catching candidate, so it was worth the trip. And, since both dad (Don) and mom (Kathie) were teachers, Chris also was an excellent student. A recruiting trip was quickly arranged for Robinson to visit Champaign-Urbana. First, though, he would follow through with an already arranged visit to Winthrop University in South Carolina.
"At the time, Winthrop was a Top 25 program," Robinson said. "I remember leaving that campus with my dad saying that I thought this was where I was going to school. Then I visited Illinois the following week and said 'No, this is where I'm going to school.' I always wanted to be a part of something where there was always stuff going on. Once I saw what Illinois offered, that's where I wanted to go."
Hartleb remembers his young catcher getting a bit homesick that first year.
"Chris's family drove down nearly every weekend for games," he said. "Chris fought through that homesickness and now some of his best friends are his Illini teammates. Every conversation we've had always comes back to his time here. Regardless of what the topic is, it always comes back to how much he enjoyed and appreciated his experience at Illinois."
The highlight of Robinson's Illini career was the school's Big Ten title in '05. It was a talented squad that included a bevy of all-stars, including first-team All-Big Ten players like Dusty Bensko, Drew Davidson, Ryan Rogowski and Brian Blomquist. But the guy who pulled the team together, Hartleb says, was Robinson.
"Chris was very vocal and had great leadership ability," he said. "He's always had a presence to him. He was very well respected by his teammates because of who he was, but also by the way he went about his business. He was just one of those guys who fit in."
Hartleb recalled a moment during an early-season series at Texas-Arlington that got 2005 headed in a positive direction for the Illini.
"We're in the game with a chance to beat a really good team," Hartleb said. "We had a one- or two-run lead in the last inning, got a couple of quick outs and all of a sudden, they get a walk, infield hit, hit a guy. You could just see that everybody was tight. I ran out to the mound and everybody comes in. I just wanted them to relax and I said, 'Hey, are there any hot girls in the stands?' And they're looking at me like 'Did Coach really just say that?' I'll never forget this. Chris Robinson kind of slaps me on the butt with his glove and as he's running away, he goes 'Coach, it's your wife sitting up there.' Everybody just started dying laughing. Then another pitch or two, it's like, 'boom, game over.' That just showed good leadership. Chris wasn't being disrespectful. This was a moment when he told his teammates, 'Hey, let's go win this game.' He had a great feel for timing and to me that just showed great leadership."
Robinson eventually earned focused attention from the big league scouts and was chosen by the Detroit Tigers in the third round of the 2005 MLB Draft. He traversed the minor league circuits with the Tigers, Cubs, Rangers and Orioles. Robinson also played internationally for the Canadian National Baseball Team, competing in the 2006, '09 and '13 World Baseball Classics as well as the 2015 Pan American Games.
Robinson got his big break late in 2013 when the San Diego Padres called him up to the majors. On September 25, he hit a pinch-hit, three-run home run in the eighth inning against Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Eury De La Rosa to record both his first major league hit and home run. Five days later, he was designated for assignment, retiring shortly afterwards and returning to his family in Canada.
Today, the husband and father of three is Director of Baseball Operations for Centrefield Sports, an indoor training facility located in his hometown of London, built by longtime friend and former big leaguer Adam Stern.
"Adam and I had talked a long time about starting youth teams, so it was a really easy transition for me," he said. "Seven years later, we've gone from two teams to six this year. We've had the opportunity to have kids drafted (ten since 2015) and help almost a hundred get to play college baseball down in the U.S. People know who we are now, so it's a pretty cool thing to know that we've done it in such a short time. It's been a great experience."
On Monday at 4 p.m., Robinson's baseball career comes full circle when his "kids" play an exhibition game at Illinois Field against his alma mater.
"I'm really excited to come back," he said. "It's going to be a pretty proud moment for me to be able to bring our guys and show them where I spent some of the best years of my life."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Hall of Famer Eddie Johnson
Illini Hall of Famers Happy To Be Home
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Though each of their comments contained uniquely distinctive messages, the consensus theme delivered by the 12 Fighting Illini legends who attended Friday night's third Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremonies was primarily the same—"We don't get anywhere by ourselves."
Representing six different decades and sports, and traveling from seven states and Europe, the talented group gathered at the State Farm Center to share two-and-a-half hours of Illini memories and to express their appreciation to teammates, coaches, administrators and family members.
"To be successful, you need a team of people," said track and field star Angela Bizzarri Pflugrath, who now resides with her husband in Vallejo, Calif. "My teammates were next to me when things went well and they were next to me when I was struggling."
Illini basketball standout Eddie Johnson, who lives in Paradise Valley, Ariz., described himself as "a result".
"That's all I am," he said. "People took time to get me where I am today. I recall a simple quote from (President) Barack Obama who said, 'No one can do it for you, but you can't do it alone.' I had help … tremendous help!"
Deon Thomas, who broke Johnson's Illini hoops scoring record, echoed his fellow honorees' sentiments.
"We definitely don't end up as Hall of Famers without everyone being involved," Thomas said.
Illini tennis star Amer Delic, who travelled to the ceremony from his home in Austin, Texas, said that returning to Champaign-Urbana sparked a multitude of memories.
"Memories of incredible teammates … memories of being coached by some of the best in the world … memories of having the best professors," Delic said. "Back in 2003, when we won our national championship, I still remember the day in Athens, Georgia, running down to court six to cheer on Chris Martin to win the deciding match. For us to win a national title—a school out of the Midwest in the middle of the corn fields—was unheard of, but we did it."
Don Freeman, an Illini basketball star from the 1960s who resides in Omaha, Neb., admitted that it was a pair of 1950s UI standouts who ultimately convinced him to attend Illinois.
"I wanted to be an Illini because of (1950s stars) Govoner Vaughn and Mannie Jackson," said Freeman. "When I was growing up, they played at the playground across the street from me. I had an opportunity to go to other schools, but my mom wouldn't let me go anywhere except where Mannie and Govoner went."
Jenna Hall, the first softball star to be inducted into the Hall, still bears proof of her allegiance to the Illini.
"In 2007, I decided to get a tattoo," said the new University of Pittsburgh coaching assistant. "But it's not just any tattoo. I got the block I with the word 'Loyalty' underneath it. Loyalty is an intangible thing that I've really held close to my heart since I left Champaign. Loyalty to my friends, loyalty to my family, and loyalty to the University of Illinois."
Like Hall, women's tennis star Lindsey Nimmo Bristow, is the initial member from her sport to be inducted. She's now a partner at Chicago's Price Waterhouse Coopers accounting firm and says that her time as an Illini student-athlete provided her with valuable business skills.
"I learned about the importance of patience and hard work, the ability to handle stress, and to learn what it truly means to be a team player," she said.
Football legend Simeon Rice, now based in Phoenix, Ariz., called his years at the University of Illinois "the best time of my life".
"What I'm feeling today is similar to a father saying 'Job well done,'" said Rice, who brought his two young nephews to the stage with him. "I went on to win the Super Bowl and to play with some of the greatest players to ever play the game. But I'm telling you, the foundation was set back from 1992 to 1996. It was something special and something unique. It was a time in my life of humility, of finding myself, and of building. I told my nephews today, if you put your mind to something and you put your heart in it, anything is possible."
Ashley Berggren, the first Illini women's basketball player to be inducted, said she has special memories of Theresa Grentz being hired as her new coach.
"She said 'I will have All-Americans here at the University of Illinois and we will be Big Ten champions,'" said Berggren, who now lives with her spouse in London, England. "I turned to (teammate) Nicole Vasey and said 'This woman is crazy! Doesn't she know that we were 11th in the Big Ten Conference?' But at that moment, to see someone be so bold and courageous and audacious, I made a commitment to be that first All-American for her and help to transform the Illinois program. I credit her for igniting that passion and desire, and believing in me and my teammates."
David Williams, an All-America receiver for Illinois' 1983 Big Ten championship football team, called Friday night's induction ceremony especially meaningful.
"I'm in three other Halls of Fame (college football, Canadian Football League, and junior college football)," he said, "but this is the one that means the most."
Wrestler Bob Norman, the NCAA heavyweight wrestling titlist in 1957 and '58, described his feelings as succinctly as any of the 2019 inductees.
"I went to the greatest university that ever existed," he said.
Nineteen-seventies runner Rich Brooks spoke for Hall of Fame track and field coach Gary Wieneke. Afterwards, artist and former Illini star Rob Mango presented his mentor with a pair of beautiful portraitures, including one that will hang at the new Demirjian Park facility.
Also honored on Friday was UI football and track star Bobby Mitchell, whose health prohibited him from making the trip, and three deceased Illini stars: football's J.C. Caroline, gymnastics' Joe Giallombardo, and swimming's Joe Hunsaker.
Said UI Director of Athletics Josh Whitman, "Our Hall of Famers are the most elite Orange and Blue fraternity that exists."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Quarterback Wes Lunt
Illini Resolve Keyed Rally Vs. Nebraska in 2015
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Sometimes the word "resolve" is one that's used too easily or too frequently. However, in the case of the Fighting Illini football team's 2015 effort against Nebraska, it perfectly describes why Illinois prevailed that October afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
For the entire week leading up to the Big Ten opener, the media and the odds makers didn't give Illinois any chance of starting 1-0 in the conference. The Illini were a multiple-point underdog, having directly lost a 34-point home decision to North Carolina seven days before. After all, the experts reminded fans, Illinois football hadn't beaten the Cornhuskers since the days of Red Grange.
And with Nebraska's defense throwing a perfect 13-0 shutout after three quarters, it certainly appeared that their prediction would be correct on this day.
The Illini "D" had given a solid effort through 45 minutes of play, yielding only one touchdown, a pair of field goals and a respectable 205 total yards to a Husker offense triggered by quarterback Tommy Armstrong.
A defensive line that featured Jihad Ward, Chunky Clements and Dawaune Smoot dominated play up front, allowing linebackers T.J. Neal and Mason Monheim and free safety Clayton Fejedelem generally unobstructed paths to make tackles.
Offensively, other than a 48-yard run by Josh Ferguson on Illinois's third possession, the Illini sputtered at times through the first three periods, missing a pair of scoring opportunities on field goal attempts that sailed wide right.
That lack of continuity didn't give Illini fans any reason to be optimistic when Illinois began its 12th drive of the day at its own 25-yard line. UI's first- and second-down plays gained only mediocre yardage, but Illini quarterback Wes Lunt came up big on the team's third-down plays, converting consecutive passes to Desmond Cain (17 yards), Geronimo Allison (11 yards) and Malik Turner (8 yards) to keep the crucial drive alive.
On first-and-10, at Nebraska's 22, Lunt dropped back five steps and tossed a picture-perfect touchdown pass to a wide-open Marchie Murdock in the left corner of the south end zone. A successful PAT from Taylor Zalewski narrowed the Husker lead to 13-7 with 13:21 left on the clock.
The teams exchanged punts on each of the next three possessions, but Nebraska appeared poised to score points on its last full drive that began at its own 38-yard line. Armstrong and the Huskers chipped their way down to the Illini 27, but Illinois's Eric Finney and James Crawford pressured Nebraska's QB on his last two pass attempts and turned the ball back over to the Illini offense.
Ward, who accounted for five tackles and a quarterback hurry, didn't doubt that his defensive unit would withstand Nebraska's final drive.
"We knew we were going to get the ball back for Wes," he said. "A lot of people thought we were going to give up, but we didn't. We never doubted ourselves. We just kept pushing and stayed strong."
Though only 51 seconds were left and 73 yards separated Illinois from a necessary touchdown, that didn't worry Lunt.
"I was excited that we had 51 seconds," he said. "That extra 20 seconds was crucial for us."
The Illini quarterback began with a 15-yard pass completion to Sam Mays. On the very next play, Lunt lofted a perfect ball down the middle to Malik Turner, advancing the ball 50 yards, all the way down to the Husker 7-yard line.
A pair of Nebraska pass interference penalties placed the ball at the one, but now only 15 seconds remained in regulation. With Lunt in shotgun formation, two Illini receivers were flanked to the left and Geronimo Allison was split to the right. Lunt decided to throw to Allison who curled back to catch a low toss for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown.
"I was blessed to be able to have the opportunity to be in that play," said Allison. "It was a simple fade route. I knew that Wes was going to throw it back shoulder. He threw it that way, low and away from the DB. I just went down and made the play."
With the score now tied at 13-all, Zalewski calmly kicked the PAT to give Illinois a 14-13 lead. The Illini crowd shook the foundation of Memorial Stadium with jubilation.
However, the Illini defense still had to withstand one last desperation heave by Armstrong. With eight defenders guarding against a deep throw, Armstrong instead tossed a short ball, but it fell incomplete. An unexpected victory, the first over Nebraska since 1924, belonged to the Illini.
Said Lunt, who ended the game completing 23-of-45 passes for 251 yards, "It had been instilled in us to fight through adversity. It was a complete team game. The defense really put in in a position to win that game. To be able to win it in that fashion was pretty special."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Shawn Wax's one-handed catch tied the score at 17-17
The Day the Illini Got Revenge
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
To tell the complete story about Illinois's massive upset against eventual national champion Colorado in 1990, one must turn the dial back to one year before.
Labeled by the local media as the biggest game at Colorado in a decade, odds makers labeled the '89 battle at Boulder's Folsom Field as a "pick 'em" match-up between Coach John Mackovic's 10th-ranked Fighting Illini (1-0) and Coach Bill McCartney's No. 8 Buffaloes (2-0). It turned out to be anything but even. With teammate Sal Aunese sitting in a private box, just one week away from dying from terminal stomach cancer, the talented and spirited Colorado squad scored early and often, running away from the Illini with a 38-7 victory.
"We were warming up and some of the (Colorado) fans were throwing oranges down on the field," remembered Illini wide receiver Shawn Wax. "Of course, back then, the Big Eight winner would always play in the Orange Bowl. Then they brought out the dang Buffalo ("Ralphie") and that was intimidating. Then they ran a trick play early and just never let up. And whenever they had a big play, the P.A. announcer would announce the player's name. 'That was a 63-yard pass to J.J. Flannigan!' And the whole crowd would yell 'J.J. Flannigan!' Afterwards, we had nightmares hearing some of those names."
Mackovic remembered the Buffalo fans for a completely different reason.
"It was early in the game. We had the ball and we were moving down around the 10 or 15 yard line," Mackovic said. "We were right in front of their student section and they started making all this loud noise. Jeff (George) looked over at me and I just shook my head no. He knew what I meant; don't go to the line of scrimmage. The referee went to Jeff and said, 'just go up there and call a play and they'll quiet down.'
"He looked over to me and I said no. So the referee came over to me and said 'you need to tell your quarterback to just run a play.' I said 'no, I'm not telling him that. You tell the crowd to quiet down so that he can call the play.' He said "I can't make them do that.' I said 'well, you need to because we have a right to run the play.' He said 'I'm not going to do that.' So he penalized us for delay of game. Now the crowd is really fired up. Jeff looked over at me and I shook my head no. Finally, the referee stepped in and waved his hands like 'will you please quiet down a little?'
Fast forward to September 15, 1990. This time Champaign's Memorial Stadium was the scene. Brent Musburger and Dick Vermeil were in the ABC-TV booth and revenge was on the minds of the Illini players.
"The '89 Colorado game left a sour taste in our mouth," said linebacker Darrick Brownlow. "They absolutely beat us down in Colorado. It was just one of those games that you really wanted to win. (Tailbacks Eric) Bienemy and (J.J.) Flanigan and (quarterback Darian) Hagan, Kanavis McGhee and Alfred Williams, and all those guys. They were good guys, but we wanted to beat 'em. They had star power. This time they were coming to Champaign and it was our shot. From day one in the summer, we were working and gearing toward this game."
Like his teammate, Wax also had the Colorado game circled in his mind.
"We wanted revenge," Wax said. "We felt we were a better team than how we showed up out in Colorado."
Verduzco and Mackovic
The No. 11 Buffaloes, however, had other plans, building a 14-point lead (17-3) through the first 17 minutes. Late in the second period, quarterback Jason Verduzco finally built a fire under the Illini offense. UI's 71-yard scoring drive was highlighted by a huge 17-yard reception on fourth-and-15 by Wax, then was capped by an eight-yard touchdown pass to Elbert Turner. That narrowed the halftime margin to 17-10.
Ten minutes into the second half, Illini linebacker Romero Brice blocked Colorado's 43-yard field goal attempt, giving the ball back to Illinois. Howard Griffith burst off left tackle for 45 yards, then Verduzco hit tight end Jeff Finke for a 12-yard gainer.
When Wax made a sensational one-handed catch in the left corner of the south end zone to tie the score, the 64,000-plus Illini fans felt the momentum shifting in Illinois's favor. Wax admitted that he couldn't contain his enthusiasm.
"I jumped up on the restraining wall and kind of led the crowd like I was conducting an orchestra," Wax recalled. "Nowadays, you'd get a 15-yard penalty and maybe be thrown out of the game."
Colorado bounced back quickly, taking advantage of a 65-yard punt to the UI 1 by All-America punter Tom Rouen. On second down, blitzing CU linebacker Greg Biekert corralled Griffith in the end zone for a safety. A second Buffalo field goal built CU's lead to 22-17 with just 12:44 remaining in the game.
Both teams punted on their next two possessions. That's when Illinois took over on its own 37 with just 3:59 left. A combination of runs by Griffith and Wagner Lester, plus a series of short completions by Verduzco to Jeff Finke, Steve Mueller, Griffith and Lester, set up a first-and goal for Illinois. Griffith dove over left tackle for the go-ahead touchdown, but a failed two-point PAT left Illinois ahead by just one point, 23-22, with a minute and 18 second left on the clock.
Brownlow, Moe Gardner, Henry Jones and the rest of the Illini defensive unit stymied Colorado on its last-gas attempt and victory belonged to the Illini.
"As far as revenge games go," said Wax, "that was the best one I ever participated in. That was awesome."
"We put our money where our mouth was and laid it all out on the line," echoed Brownlow.
It turned out to be the only time Colorado would lose all season. After falling at Illinois, the Buffaloes notched nine consecutive regular-season victories, including a 29-22 win at No. 22 Texas, a 20-14 victory versus No. 12 Washington, a controversial "fifth down" triumph at Missouri, a 32-23 win against No. 22 Oklahoma, and a 27-12 victory at No. 3 Nebraska. Following a 10-9 win over No. 5 Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, pollsters handed Colorado its first national championship.
"That was a pretty special game for our guys," Mackovic said. "We knew Colorado had a great team. Turns out they had a national championship team."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Sportswriter Grantland Rice's legendary poem about Red Grange
"... and one of them's a shadow ... and one of them is Grange."
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
The collegiate brand of football was born in the East—New Brunswick, New Jersey, to be exact—150 years ago this year when Rutgers and New Jersey (later know as Princeton) played before an assemblage of about 100 curious onlookers.
Not so surprisingly, Eastern teams dominated the sport in those early days, winning or sharing more than 90 percent of the first 50 consensus mythical national championships.
So, at the end of the 1924 season, Eastern sportswriters clamored for a match-up between the 1924 champion Penn Quakers and Bob Zuppke's '23 champion Fighting Illini. The celebrated Eastern sportswriters were anxious to see how the phenom from the Land of Lincoln—Illinois's Harold "'Red" Grange—would fare against "legitimate" competition.
Coach Louis Young's Quakers had rolled through their opponents in 1924, posting a 9-1-1 record, with seven of the victories coming by shutout. Illinois had been on a roll, too, claiming a shiny 14-1-1 record over its previous two seasons.
The contest was arranged by UI athletic director George Huff and Penn officials, with Illinois receiving 50 percent of the gate. Saturday, Halloween Day—Oct. 31, 1925—was chosen as the date for the clash at Philadelphia's venerable Franklin Field, a massive 60,000-seat stadium that had opened 30 years before.
According to business manager Everett Wells' report, the round trip expenses—including rail transportation, accommodations at Philadelphia's Manufacturers Country Club, meals, taxis and tips—were just more than $5,000 for the 34 UI players and an official party of six. The University's share of the game revenue would bear $67,129, so a sizable percentage of the profits were applied to the debt the Athletic Association had incurred from building Memorial Stadium.
Coach Louis Young's Quakers entered the contest with a 5-0 record, including impressive victories over Yale and Chicago, respective defending champs of the East and the Western Conference. With a bevy of talented players, led by All-America end George Thayer at end and back Jesse Douglass, Illinois's star running back would be hard-pressed to gain significant yardage.
The 1925 season began uncharacteristically poorly for an Illini team that had only known success in recent times. Other than seniors Grange and Earl Britton, Zuppke's starting 11 featured seven sophomores and two juniors.
"You can readily see that I have a very young team," Zup admitted.
Illinois dropped its season opener to a strong Nebraska team, 14-0, then snuck by Butler in game two (16-13). Narrow losses at Iowa (12-10) and at home to Michigan (3-0) left the Illini with a 1-3 record as they boarded the Illinois Central train bound for the city nearly 800 miles away.
A cold autumn snow greeted the team as they arrived at Franklin Field on Saturday, muddying the playing surface inside. It hastened an Associated Press reporter to predict that the slow footing would greatly hamper Illinois's famed running back.
"On a wet field," he proclaimed, "I would say Grange is not to be feared."
Responded another, "Santa Claus himself would experience difficulty making ground over this neighborhood."
Referee Walter Eckersall called the captains to midfield for the coin toss, Joe Wilson for Penn and Grange for Illinois. The Illini would receive the ball first.
Penn kicked to Grange and No. 77 returned the ball to his own 36, but the drive stalled as the Quaker defense stiffened. Illinois's "D" was equally stingy and it got the ball back quickly. The pigskin was handed to Grange and he streaked through Penn's line for a 55-yard touchdown.
Wrote author Gary Andrew Poole in his 2008 book The Galloping Ghost: Red Grange, An American Football Legend, "The crowd was watching something that they could not quite comprehend. Grange seemed to be conquering nature itself."
On the next kickoff, Grange ran the ball back from his own 20 to Penn's 25-yard line, a 55-yard return. A Britton plunge into the end zone a few plays later made it 12-0 Illinois as the first quarter ended.
Midway through the second quarter, players on both teams were now totally covered in mud, making it impossible for fans to distinguish one from the other.
Penn was able to close the gap slightly in the second half when it blocked Britton's punt for a safety, but Illinois extended its lead to 18-2 late in the quarter on another Grange touchdown, this one on a 12-yard gallop.
The A.P. play-by-play report noted that Grange was, at this time, taken out of the game and replaced by Urbana's Ray Gallivan.
"The redhead, covered with mud from head to foot, was accorded a deafening ovation as he trotted to the sideline," the report said.
During the halftime intermission, Illinois players changed out of their mud-soaked uniforms and came onto the field for the third period "wearing clean suits and jerseys."
On its first series of the third quarter, Grange sparkled yet again, dashing from all directions. On a fake kick, Britton triggered a triple-pass play, first to Chuck Kassell, then to Grange who ran around right end for 20 yards and a third TD.
"(The play) made the spectators dizzy and the Penn players who were duped by it never knew what it was all about," said the Pittsburgh Press.
Afterwards, Zup gave the play a nickname. "I call that the Flea's Flicker," he said.
That touchdown would ultimately end the day's scoring, with the Illini prevailing, 24-2. The final stats showed Grange rushing the ball 28 times for 237 yards, catching two passes for 35 yards and a touchdown, returning a pair of punts for 12 yards, plus two kickoff returns for 79 yards.
The star-studded throng of reporters who'd assembled in the press box had a field day, reporting Grange's escapades in various verse and rhyme.
Damon Runyon, Universal Service:
"This man Red Grange of Illinois is three or four men and a horse rolled into one for football purposes. He is Jack Dempsey, Babe Ruth, Al Jolson, Paavo Nurmi and Man o' War. Put them all together, they spell Grange."
Ford Frick, International News:
"You may bait your trap for the stalwart bear … Or conquer the lion's might … But who can capture the rocket's flare … Or the will o' the wisp at night? … For the glimmer here, and a flicker there … And a gleam, like a rift of dawn … A sudden start, then a twist, a dart … And the will o' the wisp is gone!"
Grantland Rice, New York Tribune:
"There are two shapes now moving … Two ghosts that drift and glide … And which of them to tackle … Each rival must decide … They shift with spectral swiftness … Across the swarded range … And one of them's a shadow … And one of them is Grange."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Lovie Smith insists that defense is about discipline
"D" is for Defense ... and Discipline
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Saturday's Illini football victory over Akron was brought to you by the letter "D" and the number "3". That's "D" as in Defense and "3" as in the number of points Illinois allowed the Zips in its season-opening triumph.
But, according to head football coach Lovie Smith, there's another important word that begins with the fourth letter of the alphabet, and it's instrumental to his team's defensive success.
"Defense is about discipline; taking care of your responsibility and being in your gap," he said. "We're a gap control defense. Once you stop the run, it gives you an opportunity to rush the passer."
Akron's offense moved the ball much more effectively than Smith had hoped it would during its opening possession, accounting for 50 total yards and ultimately scoring on a 42-yard field goal. That forced Illinois's defensive staff to make some first-quarter adjustments.
The "fixes" definitely worked, because on Akron's last 12 offensive possessions (55 plays) the Zips were "zipped" on the scoreboard, punted seven times, turned the ball over twice, and missed a field goal on their only other scoring opportunity. Other than that first drive, Akron gained just 142 yards the rest of the way, averaging only 2.6 yards per play.
"The defense needed to step up," Smith said. "After that first series, they took care of business."
For the day, Illini defenders accumulated six quarterback sacks totaling minus 37 yards, notching six other tackles for loss, hurrying Akron's QB three times, and breaking up four passes.
Illinois's defensive line—featuring starters Oluwole Betiku, Jamal Milan, Jamal Wood and Ayo Shogbonyo, and subs Owen Carney, Tymir Oliver, Keith Randolph, Lere Oladipo, Kenyon Jackson and Isaiah Gay—got especially high grades from Smith on Saturday.
"When you talk about a good defensive line, you ask how many sacks did they have," Smith said. "What did they do rushing the passer? We played a lot of guys. Going into the year, our plan is to play as many people as possible."
And though injured defensive end Bobby Roundtree wasn't able to be with his teammates in person, he was with them in spirit.
"We 'FaceTimed' him (Friday) right after our meetings," said Betiku. "He was really excited. He told us we should all ball out. For me, it hurts to not have 97 here because he was my host on my official visit and one of the reasons I came here. Just going out there and playing for him and giving effort, he just means a lot to us. When you know your friend Bobby's out there—my brother—you just have to go out and represent and make him proud of the team."
Betiku more than "represented" in the opener, recording six tackles, three TFLs (including 1.5 sacks) and two QB hurries.
"Wole (Betiku) is a freak of nature," said linebacker Jake Hansen. "He looks the part and he plays the part, so he's going to be a good player for us."
Hansen, who led Illinois with seven tackles and half of a sack, made his biggest headlines with a forced fumble and recovery in the first quarter and an interception in the second. He credited his head coach for inspiring his fumble recovery.
"That's Coach Smith ball right there," Hansen said. "Going after the ball and getting takeaways, that's what we pride ourselves on. I think we put on a show. You're going to see a lot from us this year."
How much of a difference does a pressuring defensive line make?
"It make a huge difference," Hansen said. "The quarterback had a tough time. He was really antsy in the pocket and wasn't comfortable at all."
And how would he rate fellow linebacker Milo Eifler's big hit in the second half?
"A hundred and ten," exclaimed Hansen. "I don't think you can put a number on that. I might quit football if I'd gotten hit like that."
Don't you dare remind Lovie Smith about last year's poor defensive performance because he'll probably ignore you.
"I'm going to stop talking about last year," Smith said. "Now that we have one game under our belt, this is what we're going to be judged by. We set the bar today and we need to go from here."
Fewest Points Allowed by the Illini in a Season Opener (since 1950)
0 points in 1986 (Illinois 23, Louisville 0)
0 points in 1978 (Illinois 0, Northwestern 0)
0 points in 1974 (Illinois 16, Indiana 0)
0 points in 1963 (Illinois 10, California 0)
2 points in 1950 (Illinois 28, Ohio 2)
3 points in 2019 (Illinois 42, Akron 3)
3 points in 2016 (Illinois 52, Murray State 3)
3 points in 2015 (Illinois 52, Kent State 3)
3 points in 1999 (Illinois 41, Arkansas State 3)
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Illinois opened the 1989 season with a stunning victory over Southern Cal
An Unforgettable Season Opener
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Thirty years ago—1989—the University of Illinois's season opener had the potential to be dramatically more exciting than any other in its 100-year history. And while the results turned out to be just that, it was for decidedly different reasons than the original scenario.
Created in 1988 by TV executive Rick Ray, the "Glasnost Bowl" was going to be a made-for TV extravaganza staged not on a college campus but in the unlikely setting of Moscow, USSR. Named after the policy of glasnost ('openness") introduced by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985, it appeared to be a positive step in United State-Soviet relations, particularly in light of the decade's prior American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow and the Soviet-led boycott of the '84 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Moscow's Dynamo Stadium (capacity 50,000) was chosen to be the site of the game and more than 80 percent of the crowd was expected to be Russian. The remainder of the crowd was reserved for fans of each of the participating schools.
Former Illini head coach John Mackovic remembered the unfolding course of events.
"Ron Guenther was the interim director at that time," Mackovic said. "He told me about the possibility of playing USC (University of Southern California) in Russia and said, 'Are you interested?' I said 'Sure, why not.' After the 1988 season, the preparations went forward and we were invited to go to Moscow. So Randy Rodgers and I flew to Moscow with some people from Raycom Sports, but it all fell apart because the Russians really weren't ready to handle something like that. They thought they were, but their idea of putting on a big-time college football game was just not up to what we needed it to be."
When the deal fell apart, Illinois found itself stuck with a game but without a place to play. Then along came ABC Sports.
"They said 'why don't we just put you in our Monday Night Football slot,'" said Mackovic. "'It'll be college instead of NFL.' So both teams said, 'OK, we'll play.' Then they said, 'Oh, by the way, we're going to play in L.A.'"
That change in plans was just fine with the Illini players, according to former wide receiver Shawn Wax.
"We had a really young team in '89 and not everybody on the team was really excited about going to Russia," Wax explained. "But when it got switched from Russia to playing in the Coliseum, that became a big deal to a lot of guys on the team. Just a few years before that, of course, the Olympics were at the Coliseum and a lot hype going into the season was about USC.
"They had a lot of great stars (Junior Seau, Mark Carrier, Ricky Ervins, etc.), but the guy everyone was talking about was the quarterback, Todd Marinovich, because of the way his dad had trained him. It was going to be his unveiling for this Top-5 team. From our perspective, it was Monday Night Football at the Coliseum against an iconic team."
As the teams readied to enter the stadium from the tunnel for the 5 p.m. (Pacific Time) kickoff, sparks were flying, according to standout Illini linebacker Darrick Brownlow.
"Their guys were talking a lot and that motivated our guys," Brownlow said. "We almost got into a little rumble. Their mouths were chirping, then we started talking, and it was just on. It was one of those high-intensity, high-emotion games."
Defense dominated the first half, with the only points being produced by a 37-yard field goal by USC's Quin Rodriguez.
"We focused on stopping their run," Brownlow said. "Ricky Ervins and Leroy Holt were two tough backs, a dynamic duo, and we knew that in order to stop their pass game we had to shut the run down and force them to pass."
In the third quarter, USC safety Marcus Hopkins blocked a Brian Menkhausen punt and dashed 37 yards into the end zone to give the Trojans a 10-0 advantage. A second Rodriguez field goal made it 13-0 USC after three quarters.
With only six minutes remaining in regulation, Mackovic's offense finally got a gigantic break. Illini quarterback Jeff George unleashed one of his patented missile passes in the direction of Mike Bellamy, but that's not where it ultimately landed.
"My role on that play was to clear out the safety," Wax remembered. "That meant I had to run as fast as I could and hope that the safety felt threatened to turn and run with me. Of course, I was so slow that I don't think that either Carrier or Cleveland Colter felt any threat. Luckily, the pass was tipped, and the ball just landed in my hands. One of the safeties tried to tackle me, but I slipped out of that, and we were off to the races (for a 53-yard touchdown). I can remember three of four touchdowns in my career, but that one's right up there. Given the setting and the point we were in the game, that was a big one for me. It sparked the comeback."
The Illini defense, triggered by Brownlow, nose guard Moe Gardner, and an all-star defensive secondary, forced the Trojans to punt, regaining possession of the ball for Illinois at its own 20-yard line with just 4:18 left on the clock.
Short passes from George to Howard Griffith, Steve Williams and Darren Boyer set up a second down and 10 toss to Wax, keeping the drive alive.
"Jeff threw a perfect pass that was high," Wax recalled. "I had to jump for it with my back into the safety and he absolutely drilled me. It cracked my rib, but I hung onto the ball. I was hurt, but I didn't want guys to know, so I stood up and I remember having to walk off like I was Fred Sanford. I was like 'Get me out of here', but I didn't want to let those guys know that I was hurt. I laid down on the bench and was out for three or four plays. When it appeared that we were going to score a touchdown, I wanted to get back in there. Coach Mack told me 'OK, we're going to run 91 step and go.'
"It was a little fake to Stevie Williams," Mackovic said. "Pump fake left, Steve cuts to the sideline, then sprints straight for the end zone. Jeff laid it over top, wide open for the touchdown."
Though Wax says he too was wide open on the play, he couldn't have been happier for his teammate.
"That was exciting because Steve was a California kid and so for him to follow in the footsteps of his older brothers and catch a touchdown pass at the Coliseum against USC to win that game was a huge, huge moment for him and for all the guys on the roster who were from California."
Now, it was time for Brownlow and the Illini defense to step up again and secure the victory.
"On their last two possessions, our defense was trying to bend but don't break, making sure that people stayed in front of us," Brownlow said. "We wanted that clock to run down so that we could get out of there with a victory. That was one of the biggest highlights of my career."
When Marinovich's final pass fell incomplete and the clock hit zeroes, the Coliseum scoreboard showed Illinois victorious, 14-13.
Said Trojan coach Larry Smith in the postgame locker room, "Illinois is a very good team. They controlled the line of scrimmage with their defensive line. That was a key. We just couldn't keep any drives going."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Illini fans of the '80s loved to TailGREAT
"People Got Crazy" - TailGREAT'ing in the 1980s
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
During the decade of the 1980s, University of Illinois fans showed the collegiate football world how to turn an average, cheese-and-crackers type tailgate get-together into a "Gosh, this is FUN!" TailGREAT extravaganza.
After all, as the popular slogan of the day proclaimed, "The 80s Belong to the Illini". It would become readily apparent to all that Illini TailGREAT partiers adapted the catchphrase as a personal challenge.
Though Neale Stoner, then the director of UI's Athletic Association, is generally credited for coming up with the concept of TailGREAT, it was actually his promotions director who originated the idea.
Former Illini wrestling coach Tom Porter was transitioned into promotions work in 1978 by A.D. Cecil Coleman. When Neale Stoner was hired in September of '79, Porter's primary job became filling the empty seats at Illinois football games.
"I grew up as a huge (Chicago) White Sox fan and I really loved the owner, Bill Veeck," Porter said. "I read all of his books ("Veeck as in Wreck" and "The Hustler's Handbook"). During his time with the Sox, Veeck was all about engaging the fans. The White Sox cut holes in the outfield wall at old Comiskey Park and put screens in so that group outings could watch the game and host parties at the same time. "
"Well, we had this great patio space adjacent to the northwest tower (of Memorial Stadium), so I suggested to Stoner that we entertain our donors before and after the game," Porter said. "He just ate that up. We invited four hundred alumni, before and after the game. Mike White would come up after the game to help entertain our best supporters."
Stoner's enthusiasm for Porter's creativity encouraged the now 77-year-old Mahomet resident to generate even more "out of the box" ideas.
"I was nuts and Neale Stoner went along with almost everything we suggested," Porter said.
Porter and his staff surveyed Illini fans for their thoughts and ideas.
"One of the things we found out from the survey was that their parking space was as important to them as their seat location, sometimes more important," he said. "People loved to barbeque and party before the games, so I tried to use that to build fan interest. And that's how TailGREAT was born."
Porter and Stoner chose the 1982 season opener against Northwestern to introduce their new idea and spent several months to plan the affair.
"People got crazy," he said.
There were nearly 100 TailGREAT entries that first year, but none were more creative than Kevin Cramer and Susan Ducey's idea. Spurred on by the grand prize of a trip for eight to Hawaii, the already engaged couple scrapped their original wedding plans and instead exchanged wedding vows on a tennis court adjacent to Memorial Stadium.
Another fan, John Homeier of Springfield, threw a party for about 3,000, flying up live alligators and grilling gator burgers.
Some fans turned their previously passive social gatherings into full-blown musical productions.
"We had a group of local lawyers put on a skit as The Jackson 5," Porter remembered. "People had a lot of fun."
"I think we all were overwhelmed by the success of TailGREAT '82," Stoner told a newspaper reporter. "This is what big-time college football is all about … the excitement and the pageantry."
It was estimated that the original TailGREAT sparked the sales of an additional 15,000 students for the 1982 Illinois-Northwestern game, boosting the attendance to more than 67,000.
TailGREAT grew to epic proportions the following season, encouraging 150 groups to participate. The crowd for the '83 home opener against Stanford drew 72,852 fans, a crowd exceeded in Memorial Stadium history only by the 75,119 that watched UI's 1946 game versus Notre Dame.
The TailGREAT snowball continued to grow in the years that followed.
"Eventually, we put huge corporate tents on the west side of the stadium and that turned into one of the most popular areas," Porter said. "The tents went up and down Florida Avenue. We'd have anywhere from 20 to 30 corporations come to our games. The excitement from TailGREAT started that."
TailGREAT last occurred at Illinois in 1988 but is being brought back in 2019 after a 31-year hiatus.
"In the 15 years I've been associated with Illinois Athletics, there's not a season that goes by where TailGREAT isn't mentioned," Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Fan Engagement Cassie Arner said. "For so many fans the thought of TailGREAT immediately conjures up great memories of Illinois football and their trips to Memorial Stadium. We felt this was a tradition worth reviving."
TailGREAT will return on September 21 as the Illini open the Big Ten Conference season against Nebraska.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
The Chicago skyline
Chicagoland Football Vital to the Success of the Illini
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Just how vital to the University of Illinois football program have Chicagoland high schools been over the years? Consider these stunning facts:
Of the six Fighting Illini players who've achieved Big Ten Player of the Year honors, five have hailed from Chicagoland.
Of the 12 UI athletes in the College Football Hall of Fame, eight are natives of metro Chicago.
And of the 50 Illini football stars who've been accorded first-team All-America acclaim, 24 had roots in Chicagoland.
The list is a virtual "Who's Who" of college football history. Grabowski, Brosky and Thorp. Mendenhall, Rice and Young. Karras, O'Donnell and Carney. Hundreds upon hundreds of Chicago area natives have played at Memorial Stadium.
Three on that impressive ledger—Alex Agase from Evanston, Red Grange from Wheaton, and Dick Butkus from Chicago—were so outstanding that they were included on the exclusive 1989 Walter Camp Foundation All-Century Team.
Another member of UI's Chicagoland alumni is current Illini running backs coach Mike Bellamy. When he was recruited by Mike White's staff in the late 1980s out of Kenwood High School and the College of DuPage, Bellamy says he and other Chicago Public League stars had their eyes focused on the University of Illinois.
"Back in the day, when myself and Howard Griffith, Mel Agee, Frank Hartley, Kameno Bell, John Wachter and Sean Streeter were all playing against each other in high school, whether you were from the city or the suburbs, Illinois was a destination place," Bellamy said. "Our high school coaches were pushing us to go to Champaign. We, as young men, made the decision that we wanted to be a part of something special."
Bellamy says the Illini cannot survive without the support of Illinois high school football coaches and their programs.
"Regardless if it's Lovie Smith or any previous coach," he says, "the University of Illinois is still the Illinois High School Coaches Association's state team."
Today, Bellamy says, prospect camps are extremely crucial to the success of a college football program and getting the very best players to attend those camps is essential.
"I want the same guys that are currently going to the top five teams in the country," he said. "When we were a top program in Illinois and the Big Ten, those were the players we got. The challenge for us is to recruit those types of players and for them to understand that we're just as good as anyone. Academically, we're comparable to any program out there."
A lack of success in recent seasons has undoubtedly made the job of Illinois's staff more challenging, but Bellamy says that they're attacking that battle head on.
"The kids we're recruiting today were eight years old when Illinois was successful," Bellamy said. "They haven't seen Illinois have the success that we always talk about. Their memories only go back two or three years ago. The only Big Ten team I lost to when I was playing was Michigan, but these kids wouldn't believe that. They find it hard to believe that we had a number one NFL Draft pick, a number two pick, a number three pick, and Butkus Award winners. Lately, we've been playing against the same kids that we want to play with."
"I tell the Chicago kids that they can go to Alabama and win the national championship, yet no one would know their name," Bellamy said. "But if you come to Illinois and go to a bowl game, everyone will know who you are. To me, there's nothing better than that. I know the importance of guys who want to be a part of something special."
Offensive coordinator Rod Smith says that it behooves the Illini coaching staff to mend some relationships with coaches and "fix bridges that might have been burned."
"Lovie Smith is a guy who can definitely do that," Smith said. "Are there things we can do better? Absolutely! The longer I'm here, the more I learn. When I listen to the concerns of head coaches up in Chicago, I learn a lot. We take very seriously what they tell us, good and bad. We want to rectify some things that maybe weren't as good last year, then add to the things that they thought we did well. Maybe we need to add more traveling clinics in Chicago and cater to those guys a little bit more. We have to do a little bit extra to fix some of those potholes that were created in the past. Saying that, I think we did a good job this year of identifying kids from Chicagoland, then going after them. We were more proactive than reactive."
Three talented Chicagoland rookies—Montini Catholic running back Nick Fedanzo, Brother Rice offensive lineman Evan Kirts and Phillips' defensive back Joseph Thompson—were on campus this summer working out with their teammates and are currently learning the ropes during Fall camp.
The trio joins 27 veteran Windy City area alums on the 2019 squad, including: Nolan Bernat (DB, Bartlett), Christian Bobak (DB, Hinsdale Central), Dre Brown (RB, DeKalb), Verdis Brown (OL, IMG Academy), Sean Coghlan (LB, St. Rita), Thomas Cronin (OL, Oak Park River Forest), Mark Di Iorio (LB, Barrington), Kurt Gavin (OL, Lincoln-Way East), Aidan Hall (LS, Benet Academy), Matthew Judd (WR, Lincoln-Way East), Doug Kramer (OL, Hinsdale Central), Conner Lillig (RB, Fenwick), Michael Marchese (DB, Stevenson), Alec McEachern (LB, Benet Academy), Jamal Milan (DL, Al Raby), Cam Miller (QB, Brother Rice), Marc Mondesir (LB, St. Rita), Donny Navarro (WR, Neuqua Valley), Lere Oladipo (DL, Huntley), Alex Palczewski (OL, Prospect), Alex Pihlstrom (TE, Glenbard West), Caleb Reams (WR, Warren Township), Ricky Smalling (WR, Phillips), Kendall Smith (DB, Bolingbrook), Jake Stover (OL, St. Rita), Ethan Tabel (LS, Barrington) and Bobby Walker (TE, Loyola Academy).
"There's a lot of talent in Chicago," Smith said. "It's recruited by everybody, so that speaks for itself. The more we get kids on campus, we can sell the university and ourselves. Kids feel at home here. It feels like a second home. The tide will turn. We have to have the same kind of uptick in Chicago that we've had in St. Louis."
Smith says that future success of the Illini Chicagolanders is much more than victories on the field and walking across the stage at Commencement. It's all about the Orange and Blue connection with nearly 166,000 other UI alumni who still reside in Cook, DuPage, Will, Kane, DeKalb, McHenry, Kendall and McHenry counties. Nearly fifty percent of the University of Illinois's 470,000-plus living alumni reside in the state and they love hiring fellow Illini.
"A degree from Illinois opens up a plethora of networking," Smith said. "Whether it be in the Chicago area or anywhere else, there are former Illini in the business world who are going to be connected with you. It's a huge selling point for us when we talk to recruits."
Bellamy takes the Illinois connection yet another step.
"What better place to play than the state that has his name on his birth certificate and drivers license," he said. "Guys who were in my wedding were all from Illinois. These relationships go from four years to forty years. When guys talk about playing together, why wouldn't you want to do it in front of your family and where you can be local heroes? I've never regretted my decision to come to the University of Illinois."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
George Huff
(Part 3) GEORGE HUFF: Cementing His Legacy
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Telling the story of George Huff and his influence on University of Illinois history is one that includes many layers. He grew from a raw, strapping Champaign farm boy into a physically dominating athlete, then later evolved from a strategically talented coach into a visionary administrator.
In part one of this series, readers learned about Huff's family heritage and his early successes in life. In part two, we provided details about the men with whom Huff surrounded himself and how he molded Fighting Illini athletics into a nationally prominent program.
Part three of our series centers on the construction of Memorial Stadium, Huff's ideals and ambitions, and the legacy that lives through him for future generations of Illini.
***
A Stadium Rises
The Roaring '20s inspired bold concepts and tremendous growth at the University of Illinois. Campus planners, anticipating increased automobile traffic, envisioned an entirely new campus south of Armory Avenue.
Fighting Illini Director of Athletics George Huff was squarely in the middle of those conversations, preaching the desperate need for a new football facility. The success of Bob Zuppke's teams, including a national championship squad in 1919, provided Huff with considerable clout in his chats with fiery UI President David Kinley.
Yale and Harvard Universities already had massive stadiums, Huff argued, and Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Michigan were already in discussions about new accommodations. Furthermore, Huff added, the Athletic Association would seek private funding for their massive project.
Architectural consultant Holabird and Roche, a renowned Chicago firm that had designed Soldier Field, began scheming the classical revival structure that would sprout inside the 56-acre tract of prairie land.
As plans were being drawn, Huff and Zuppke spearheaded a fund-raising drive that would begin with the University's student body in April of 1921. An estimated 7,000 students attended mass meetings at the Auditorium and the Gym Annex, and their generosity far exceeded Huff's expectations, totaling pledges of $665,000.
Said Huff, "What you have started, our alumni will finish."
Armed with promotional materials, he and Zup travelled by automobile and train from coast to coast during the spring and summer months of 1921, raising an additional $1.6 million in pledges from more than eight thousand alums.
Huff hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on September 11, 1922 and work began on the $1.7 million structure. Their ambitious objective was to host a Homecoming game in the facility on November 3, 1923. By mid December of '22, a million square feet of foundations were completed, but a shortage of labor and a delayed shipment of steel threatened to slow the momentum. In an effort to catch up, the 300 workers were asked to work 12-hour shifts, and by September of '23, concrete for 37,000 seats was in the forms. Incredibly, within a span of just 418 days, the contest against the University of Chicago was successfully hosted at the only partially completed edifice.
It took nearly another full year before the stands, towers and memorial colonnade were completed.
At the October 17, 1924 dedication ceremony, Huff addressed the enormous crowd that had gathered.
"On behalf of the Board of Trustees and in the name of the people of the State of Illinois," he said, "I accept this magnificent gift of the students, alumni, faculty, and field of the University as their tribute to the valor of the Illini who made the supreme sacrifice that the spirit of justice, of equality, and of fair play might prevail. We who are left behind can never share with them their priceless heritage; but, standing here in the shadow of this everlasting monument we can, and we will, resolve to keep that spirit which they so nobly exemplified in camp and on the field of battle."
At the game against mighty Michigan the following afternoon, a sophomore halfback from Wheaton—Harold "Red" Grange—performed in legendary fashion, scoring touchdowns the first four times he touched the ball. It was a super-human effort that would live forever in sports history.
Grange's headlines and Illinois's football success in 1924 and '25 brought great notoriety to the University and enrollment climbed to new levels. Meanwhile, Huff took on added responsibilities in '24, assuming oversight of UI's physical welfare program. Two years later, in 1926, the Men's New Gymnasium on Fourth Street was completed. It was renamed Huff Gymnasium in February of 1937.
Personal and Professional Adversity Hit
Long office hours, the overwhelming stress of his duties, and Huff's constant battle with obesity caused a series of intestinal disorders. On July 1, 1926, during a trip to England, Huff became critically ill and underwent emergency surgery in London for appendicitis.
A rough return voyage across the Atlantic Ocean upon the liner Montrose complicated matters and Huff was forced to convalesce for the remainder of the year. Illini baseball coach Carl Lundgren, a confidant of Huff, assumed interim director duties. Despite his declining health, Huff ultimately returned to limited office hours in the Spring of '27.
In 1929, the post-World War I prosperity of American life came to a screeching halt. Just a week after UI's new Library Building was dedicated on October 18, Wall Street's Stock Market crashed, harkening the Great Depression. It enveloped the entire University, including Huff's Athletic Association. 'G' slashed operating expenses of his department and followed the University's lead by significantly cutting his own salary and those of his coaches.
Despite the reductions, Huff's Illini program continued its overall success, winning 16 more Big Ten team championships through the 1934-35 season. The final piece of Huff's athletic complex, an ice arena, was completed in 1931, providing winter recreation for thousands of UI students.
Huff's responsibilities outside of the Athletic Association expanded in 1932 when the School of Physical Education was formed and his official title became director of the program.
Death of the Patriarch
In mid-September of 1936, Huff's health took a significant turn for the worse and he was admitted into Urbana's Carle Hospital. On September 26, he underwent an operation at which time a considerable portion of his stomach was removed. Huff died five days later from kidney failure at the age of 64.
His funeral was held on Saturday morning, October 3, in the University Auditorium. There was neither a eulogy nor music at the ceremony, only an address read by Rev. Herbert Miller of Huff's Champaign church, Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal. A great number of Huff's former coaches and athletes were among the hundreds in attendance. Burial was in Roselawn Cemetery, just across the street from Memorial Stadium where, at Huff's earlier request, the Illini football game against Washington University was played as planned.
Before the game, the Marching Illini Band formed a giant "G" formation in Huff's honor. The flag was lowered to half-mast as band members sang "Dear Illinois."
Wrote the editor of UI's Alumni Association Magazine, "The father of Illinois athletics, George Huff, will always be remembered as one of the great builders of the University, as an educational force unequalled or even unapproached in his time. He was a decade ahead of current thought in the field of athletics and physical training. The vast Stadium campaign could hardly have succeeded without his constant and inspiring supervision."
"He was downright honest, courageously honest," the article continued. "He had a lovable personality. People couldn't help liking him and they would do almost anything he asked. He never allowed himself to be hampered with fine-cut details. He kept his mind clear for large affairs. And finally, he was a key judge of men, and surrounded himself with capable helpers."
"Probably, Mr. Huff's greatest characteristic—certainly his most outstanding one—was his absolute honesty. "G" was not honest merely when it was convenient to be honest. He was the most honest man we have ever seen. He was honest at times when he could have quite comfortably been just the opposite."
George Alexander Huff, born and bred in Champaign, altered the history of his community and his treasured alma mater in a way that none before him could imagine. Today, more than eight decades after his death, he continues to serve as a measuring stick for his fellow Illini.
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Huff's Entire Memorial Stadium Dedication Speech
"On behalf of the Board of Trustees and in the name of the people of the State of Illinois," he said, "I accept this magnificent gift of the students, alumni, faculty, and field of the University as their tribute to the valor of the Illini who made the supreme sacrifice that the spirit of justice, of equality, and of fair play might prevail. We who are left behind can never share with them their priceless heritage; but, standing here in the shadow of this everlasting monument we can, and we will, resolve to keep that spirit which they so nobly exemplified in camp and on the field of battle."
"Even greater," Huff continued, "is the inspiration which generations of Illini yet unborn will get from this evidence of our love for our fellows who have gone on before. Here they will assemble to learn the traditions of a long-ago past, to measure their spirit of devotion with the spirits of those who we honor today, and to pledge their all to an enrichment of this spirit. Then, and only then, will our aims have been met and our dreams realized.
"Just what these traditions shall mean to the oncoming generations of Illinois we alone can determine. We can go from here today rededicated to the task of giving our all, if necessary, to the continuance of equality in opportunity, of honesty and justice in human relations, and of tolerance and freedom in thought and opinion. To do otherwise would be to turn our backs on the men and women's whose memories make this one of the sacred spots of the world, and to destroy our influence with those who are to come after us."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Bill Castonzo and his wife, Shari
BILL CASTONZO: Opening a World of Opportunities
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Illinois football alumnus Bill Castonzo admits that the demands of his businesses and the responsibilities of raising his sports-minded family have intermittently caused him to lose his focus on his alma mater and the Fighting Illini football program over the last 40-plus years.
But as more time elapsed, he's had more occasion to reflect on the life lessons Illinois taught him between the time Coach Bob Blackman recruited him from Maine East High School in 1972 and the day he graduated in 1978 with a business administration degree.
Castonzo says the lessons he learned from the game of football became valuable when he first began his career as a meat salesman in the Chicago.
"Football teaches you a lot about getting knocked down and getting back up again," he said. "When you're in sales and you hear 'no' nine times out of 10, that's like getting knocked down nine times out of 10. Football teaches you a lot about getting through the tough parts of life.
"There have been times when I've had to dig down deep inside and get through the tough times. It's no different than going through winter conditioning in the Great Hall (of Memorial Stadium). Those are the things that always popped into my mind."
Castonzo joined the Chilay Corporation in 1981 and rose through the ranks where today he serves as the company's Chief Executive Officer. Chilay is a retail perishable food broker, representing more than 70 different companies such as Smithfield, Butterball, Perdue Farms and Bob Evans. It's Castonzo's company's responsibility for selling and marketing a myriad of products to retail grocers in Chicagoland and Wisconsin like Jewel Food Stores, Tony's Finer Foods, Woodman's and Piggly Wiggly.
Castonzo was one of the first members of his family to go to college and he says it redirected the course of his life.
"If I hadn't gotten a football scholarship, I don't think I would have ever gone to college," he said. "That opened up a world of opportunities for me."
In 1999, a time that his wife Shari terms as Bill's "midlife crisis", Castonzo opened up a successful Italian restaurant in Hawthorn Woods called Oregano's Corner Café.
"During those 13 years of operating the restaurant, it taught all of my kids great lessons about how to work, lessons about people who aren't so nice, and about some of the employee situations we had to deal with."
Castonzo and his wife's pride and joy are his four children who all became collegiate athletes.
His oldest son, Billy, was a quarterback at Drake University. Daughter Kristyn played softball at Tennessee Tech University and another daughter, Carissa, attended Lewis University where she also played softball.
Bill and Shari's youngest child, Anthony, recently completed his eighth season with the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, where he was the organization's top pick in the 2011 draft. The 6-foot-7, 310-pounder played offensive line at Boston College, setting a career record with 54 starts.
Reconnecting with the Illini
In recent years, Castonzo struck up a friendship with Chris Tuttle, UI's Assistant Athletics Director for Major Gifts.
"Chris was always coming into Chicago and stopping by," Castonzo said. "I told him I wanted to give back to the University because of the opportunity it gave me to get a football scholarship. But more so, it's about the fact that I was able to get a phenomenal education from the University of Illinois in business administration. That led me to where I am today. When I look back, it's just amazing how much of that I used as I progressed through life and through business, and became successful."
When Illini Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced plans for the construction of the Henry Dale and Betty Smith Football Center, Castonzo says "that was something that made a lot of sense to me."
"Then Chris told me about his idea," Castonzo said. "'You're in the food business and we're going to have this nutrition center. I think it would be really cool if we called it the Castonzo Nutrition Center.'"
"Quite frankly, I just wanted to give the donation and not tell anybody," Castonzo said. "I'm not one of those people who needs his name attached to a gift. I want to do it because it's going to make me feel good about giving back.'"
Castonzo says, when he was a college athlete, proper nutrition didn't hold the importance that it does now.
"Once I left the locker room after practice, we were fortunate to catch the evening meal at the dorm," he laughed. "And on the weekends, we went to Ponderosa to get whatever that meat was that they were serving."
"Today, I watch my son in the pros and how he takes care of his body and all of the different things he goes through. The science of what they put these guys through today is so much greater than what we did. Having a nutrition center for your athletes to go to and get all the right things to put in their body is a great idea. In today's world, athletes need to take care of their bodies. The competitiveness of sports is just unbelievable today as compared to where it used to be."
Castonzo says he's optimistic about the future of Illini football.
"There are people there now that I can have some faith and trust in."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Reggie Corbin
REGGIE CORBIN: Ready to Follow a Breakout Season
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
For a stretch of games last season, running back Reggie Corbin was drawing comparisons with the greatest Fighting Illini running backs of all time. However, the humble Marylander never bought into the hype.
"I've heard about the greats who've preceded me here at Illinois, but I really don't try to compare myself with them or to top this or top that," he said. "When you get sidetracked by that, it's hard to be your best self. At the end of the day, that's the only thing you can control."
In the eyes of his teammates and his coaches, that's just Reggie being Reggie.
"He's a first-class individual," said offensive coordinator Rod Smith. "His mom and dad definitely raised him the right way."
Still, Corbin's numbers were downright impressive in 2018. One thousand eighty-five rushing yards … 8.5 yards per carry … the FBS's leader in runs of 70-plus yards (4) and top-three in runs of 60-plus yards (5) and runs of 50-plus yards (7). Against Minnesota alone on November 3, Corbin had the eighth-most single-game rushing yards in school history (213), including gallops of 77 and 72 yards.
"Whenever he was healthy and going, we were probably at our most explosive," Smith said. "He provides that home run punch at any time and he always seems to be consistent with big plays."
A turf toe at the end of the season slowed him down, but don't worry, he says he's 100 percent again.
"My production last season was a combination of great coaching, great scheme, and definitely my offensive line," Corbin said. "You don't get any of that without a great offensive line."
This coming season, four of those five "O" linemen return to the Illini lineup. They will be joined by Corbin's best friend, current roommate, and former Gonzaga College High School teammate, Richie Petitbon, a 6-4, 315-pound graduate transfer from the University of Alabama.
"As soon as I called him and told him that I need him, he was ready to go," Corbin said. "Richie packed his bags as fast as possible and came right away."
Another familiar face, one of the men who initially recruited him to Illinois in 2015, is back on the coaching staff, too.
Former Illini receiver Mike Bellamy took over this spring as Corbin's running backs coach.
"The reason Reggie exploded last year is because he was prepared for his opportunity," Bellamy said. "He never stopped working and believing in himself, and he never lost the drive. It came to a point where Coach Smith said let's make a change and Reggie took advantage of it. He found himself right in the front of the line."
The 23-year-old Corbin has enjoyed working with Bellamy this past spring.
"Coach Bellamy did a little bit of my recruiting, so I'm looking forward to playing for him," Corbin said. "It's definitely a blessing. He's a very understanding guy and he will definitely push me and help me achieve any goal that I have and help me be a better man. That's more important than being a better football player."
Corbin wears jersey No. 2, his coach's old number.
"The first thing Coach Bellamy said to me was 'You better represent that number correctly'", Corbin said. "'You'd better do right by it, on and off the field.' So I try to wear it with pride."
While the 5-10, 210-dynamo from Upper Marlboro, Maryland punishes his opponents on the gridiron, he plays a far different role off the field. On February 9, @JuicedUpReg tweeted: "I'm learning to put love into the world regardless. They do you wrong, show them love. They disrespect you, show them love. In the end, you'll always receive what you give!"
Drawing an analogy, Reggie says, "In gardening, if you put a watermelon seed in the ground, you're not going to grow bananas. So, if you put love into the world, all you can get is love in return."
That sense of faith and compassion stems from his father, Reginald Sr., and his mother, Patricia, who died when Reggie was 13.
"Me and my dad are closer than ever," Corbin said. "I don't think you'll ever see a closer bond. We just grew together, you know? He knew what my goals were and he just pushed me every single day to grow up a little bit faster. I owe it all to him. He's amazing. Praying to God every night, I couldn't be more blessed than having a father like that."
Speaking of love, Corbin absolutely loves kids. He's following in his father's footsteps by coaching some local Champaign-Urbana youth teams.
"My dad was my coach, so I understand how important a coach's role is," he said. "I try to give these kids the best outlook that I can. Me still being young and being able to relate to them, it's about building a bond."
Corbin, who's already earned his bachelor's degree in communications and is well on his way to a master's in recreation, sport and tourism, admits he misses playing another sport. In high school, his Gonzaga Eagles won two consecutive national titles in rugby.
What if he could only choose one of the sports?
"Oooh, you're trying to get me in trouble," Corbin chuckled. "They're different games. I love both and hopefully I can continue to play both. Rugby has definitely helped my open-field awareness in football … knowing how to straighten a guy out when they're tackling, knowing who's behind me, and helping me develop the variety of moves that I have."
Oh, there's one more thing that Corbin loves … his fellow Illini running backs.
"We joke around and tell everyone that we're the best group on the team," he said. "We try to live up to that standard, on the field and off the field … never missing class, always being on time, knowing all of our assignments, even helping the young quarterbacks out when they have a question. Our group is phenomenal, from top to bottom. We have a seven-headed monster. Anyone in our room can really play and that's a beautiful thing."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
George Huff (left) and Bob Zuppke
(Part 2) GEORGE HUFF: Hiring a High School Coach
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
The following is part two in a three-part series telling the story of George Huff and his influence on University of Illinois history. He grew from a raw, strapping Champaign farm boy into a physically dominating athlete, then later evolved from a strategically talented coach into a visionary administrator.
But the full character of Huff extended far beyond the athletic fields and arenas. His is a story of a man consumed with loyalty, spirit, moral fiber and a deep respect for humanity.
In part one of this series, readers learned about Huff's family heritage and his early successes in life.
In part two, we provide details about the men with whom Huff surrounded himself and how he molded Fighting Illini athletics into a nationally prominent program.
***
PART TWO:
Huff hires a transformative high school football coach
George Huff displayed a keen eye for character when it came to adding coaches to the University of Illinois's Athletic Association staff.
In 1904, just three years into his new job as athletics director, Huff hired 28-year-old Canadian Harry Gill to become UI's track and field coach. Twenty-nine seasons later, that hiring eventually resulted in an unprecedented 19 Big Ten and two NCAA titles.
Huff lured Ed Manley to Champaign-Urbana in 1912 to become the Illini swimming coach and that move provided Illinois with conference titles in each of his first two seasons.
Following a revolving door of basketball coaches, Huff settled on Ralph Jones in 1913. Two years later, UI enjoyed a perfect 16-0 season, including a 12-0 Big Ten mark.
Perhaps Huff's most ingenious hire was a German-born aspiring artist who had played collegiate football and basketball in his mid 20s at the University of Wisconsin.
Though painting was his first love, Robert Zuppke had to supplement his income as a high school coach, first at Muskegon, Michigan, then at Oak Park High School in suburban Chicago where famed author Ernest Hemingway was one of his players.
Oak Park and UI alumni Robert and George Carr brought Zuppke's expertise to Huff's attention in December of 1912 and arranged a meeting for the two men. "Zup" and "G" quickly identified and admired each other's character and personal styles, and soon settled on a three-year contract worth $2,700 per year (a purchasing power equal to $71,000 in 2019). Zuppke admitted years later that he had shunned more substantial offers from Northwestern and Purdue to instead coach the Illini.
With Huff's whole-hearted support, Zuppke's magnetic personality, inexhaustible work ethic and creative play calling soon began paying dividends at Illinois Field. A 4-2-1 record in 1913 blossomed into a Big Ten championship the following season. Huff was thrilled with the success of the football program and rapidly signed the then 35-year-old Zuppke to a new five-year contract that included a nearly 50 percent raise. Prosperity for the Illini gridders continued in 1915, finishing tied for first in the conference.
Meanwhile, on the baseball diamond, Huff's own teams flourished. His 1914 Illini club, bolstered by the pitching of aces Red Gunkel and Wally Halas (George's brother), captured its ninth Big Ten title. Illinois repeated as champs in '15 and '16, giving Huff 11 conference crowns in his first 21 seasons.
Construction was completed on UI's mammoth Armory in 1915, a season when Illini teams dominated Big Ten foes not only on the diamond, but in football, basketball, and track and field as well.
As World War I raged in Europe, the University of Illinois campus evolved into a training ground for soldiers. Most of UI's athletes eventually became involved with the military or with war industry, and the Armory was transformed into a giant barracks.
The year 1918 was one that Huff would never forget. His father, George Sr., died in April at the age of 76. "G" had inherited his spirit and unquenchable work ethic from his father, so the 46-year-old took his hero's passing with significant mourning.
By September of '18, an influenza pandemic had enveloped the entire UI campus. Ailing students filled a variety of quarantined campus buildings, including the university's hospital, College Hall, Osborne Hall and the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. Huff, Zuppke, Gill, Jones and other Illini athletics staffers worked day and night to care for the afflicted youngsters.
A local newspaper lauded Huff's personal efforts, writing "Mr. Huff was constantly on the scene, serving as a marvelous administrator and hurrying from one place to another in a frantic search for more doctors and nurses. Whenever new things had to be moved or some other task was at hand, he was always on the spot to see that it was done. Mr. Huff worked feverishly and many were the times that he didn't say goodnight until it was midnight."
Nationwide, the federal government reported that 675,000 Americans had died from influenza. In 1918, the City of Champaign Township reported more deaths (310) than births (301).
On November 11, 1918, an armistice ending World War I was signed. Of the 116,708 Americans who died in service, two Fighting Illini letter winners—Homer Dahringer and Edward Wallace—were victims. The patriotism of UI students and alumni would spur Huff on to a future project.
Growing weary from his ever-growing responsibilities as an administrator, Huff ended his distinguished Illini coaching career in baseball in the spring of 1919. In dominating fashion, Huff's final slate showed his teams winning nearly 70 percent of the 544 games he coached.
In the Fall of '19, under Huff's planning and supervision, the University of Illinois began offering a four-year course in athletic coaching, the first of its kind anywhere. Of the 136 credit hours required for graduation, students enrolled in the athletic curriculum had to complete studies in 34 hours of practical coaching and physical education. Among the initial graduates were Floyd "Shorty" Stahl, who went on to coach basketball at Ohio State; Otto Vogel, head baseball coach at Iowa; and Bernie Shively, athletic director at Kentucky for 30 years.
Later in the Fall of 1920, after an overflow crowd watched the Illini football game versus Ohio State at Illinois Field, Huff shared his newest dream with a local reporter, lamenting the deficiency of the Illinois Field facility.
"I haven't the slightest doubt that we could have sold more than 40,000 tickets, and possibly 50,000 if we had had the seating facilities," he said. "With the growing interest in our athletic teams, it is no idle guess to prophesy that a larger stadium is a necessity."
"Our stadium will be many things," said Huff. "It will be a memorial to the Illinois boys who were killed in the World War, a recreation field, and an imposing place for our varsity games. It will be an unprecedented expression of Illinois Loyalty."
***
SIDEBAR: History Repeating Itself – Huff Battles the Threat of Gambling
On the heels of the infamous "Black Sox" scandal, a Major League Baseball incident in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox were implicated in purposely losing the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds, Huff became focused on stopping illegal gambling from infiltrating intercollegiate athletics. On the Illinois football team's trip to play Ohio State, Huff had personally witnessed how Columbus hotels were converted into betting rings for wagering on the game. It disgusted him
Said Huff, "Betting on the success of the Orange and Blue defenders should never be tolerated. Leaders should do their utmost to prevent such a practice from creeping into our university athletics. I have always been opposed to student gambling and wish to see it entirely banished. (Gambling) is a practice out of keeping with the high ideals and standards of students at Illinois."
"The gambler," Huff continued, "is the greatest foe of athletics that there is. Gambling has ruined every sport upon which it has taken hold."
Dean Charles Thompson of UI's College of Commerce joined forces with Huff, saying "Professional gamblers will kill football just the way they did horse racing, boxing and baseball. Student opinion is the only thing that can save football. If the students would get together and ride the first professional gamblers out of town on a rail, they would soon be free from the taint of gambling on football."
Soon after, Champaign-Urbana's business community jumped aboard and a placard was posted in every hotel and billiard hall:
IN ORDER TO DO ITS PART TOWARD PROTECTING COLLEGE SPORT FROM HARMFUL INFLUENCE, THIS PLACE WILL REFUSE TO HOLD BETS ON UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS ATHLETIC CONTESTS!
Furthermore, Huff's anti-gambling program provided for a "blacklist" of all students, alumni or citizens caught betting on games or scalping tickets. The list was to be published and guilty persons were never again to be allowed to purchase an athletic ticket from the University. Students apprehended scalping tickets were subject to expulsion from the University and were blacklisted if caught betting on or off the campus.
Huff's drastic measures proved to be effective. Betting and ticket scalping were held in check and other universities around the conference and the nation soon got in step by employing similar measures.
Coming: Huff’s accomplishments, his death and his indisputable legacy
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
A young George Huff
(Part 1) GEORGE HUFF: Shaping Illini History
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Telling the story of George Huff and his influence on University of Illinois history is one that includes many layers. He grew from a raw, strapping Champaign farm boy into a physically dominating athlete, then later evolved from a strategically talented coach into a visionary administrator.
But the full character of Huff extended far beyond the athletic fields and arenas. His is a story of a man consumed with loyalty, spirit, moral fiber and a deep respect for humanity.
In part one this series, readers will learn about Huff's family heritage and his early successes in life. In part two, we provide details about the men with whom he surrounded himself and how he molded Fighting Illini athletics into a nationally prominent program. Finally, in part three, Huff's legacy is explained through the tributes of the men who knew him best.
***
PART ONE: HOMETOWN BOY MAKES GOOD
Champaign, Illinois was less than two decades old when George Alexander Huff entered the world on June 11, 1872. It was a community surrounded by fertile soil but, as pioneer and historian H.J. Robinson wrote, "much of it was under water."
The city got its name from the natives of Champaign County in Ohio who were attracted to East Central Illinois by the temptations of inexpensive farmland. Huff's parents, 30-year-old George Sr. and his 26-year-old wife, Mary, had migrated 75 miles westward from Crawfordsville, Indiana to seek a better life.
The nation's wounds from the great Civil War were still fresh and, nearby, a new university, founded just five years earlier, was blossoming.
It's unclear exactly where the Huff's home was when George Jr. joined the world with his then five-year-old sister, Berta. Records indicate that the Huffs settled on a farm located adjacent to what now is the intersection of First and John Streets. It was land originally purchased by young George's grandfather, Abraham.
By Huff's teenage years, they moved to a house located near Champaign's future Fourth and Healey Streets.
According to an article in the Daily Illini, George Sr. supported his family through an assortment of farm-related professions, including being a dealer of horses, animal feed, ice and carriages. He also was the proprietor of Huff's Dairy, which likely means young George and his sister milked cows while they were growing up.
Huff Jr. attended grade school in Champaign but is said to have briefly attended Englewood High School on the south side of Chicago. He returned to Champaign-Urbana's old University Academy to finish his prep schooling.
Sixteen-year-old George enrolled for classes at the University of Illinois in the fall of 1888. A few months later, he earned his first varsity letter for UI's baseball team, primarily as a catcher. Though he was still a teenager, Huff became captain and manager of the Illini club in 1890.
That Fall, at the urging of Normal, Illinois classmate Scott Williams, the six-foot, 240-pound Huff tried a new sport called football. It was just being introduced on midwestern campuses. On October 2, 1890, with Williams filling the roles of quarterback, captain and coach, Huff and his teammates played their very first game, losing by a score of 16-0 to Illinois Wesleyan. Illinois would gain revenge in a rematch eight weeks later at the Champaign County Fairgrounds, 12-6.
A football tradition was underway at the University of Illinois.
Said Williams of that first team, "Some fine things have happened in the history of Illinois athletics, but I know of nothing finer than the loyalty that made the prominent athletes of their day submit to the orders of a freshman captain and punish themselves physically and mentally by playing a game that they then despised. George Huff played for a long time from sheer loyalty."
Huff lettered once more in both football and baseball before graduating in the spring of 1892. Then UI athletic director E.K. Hall spotted Huff's burgeoning leadership qualities and advised him to consider a career in athletics. But instead, Huff matriculated to Dartmouth College in 1893 to study medicine. During his four academic terms in Hanover, New Hampshire, Huff lettered in both football and baseball.
University of Illinois President Andrew Draper, who had attended a January 1895 meeting in Chicago that would form the nation's first collegiate conference (eventually known as the Big Ten), wrote to Huff and encouraged him to return to Champaign-Urbana. Four months later, Huff became the coach of all of UI's athletic teams and assistant director of the gymnasium.
As momentum grew in Illini athletics, so too evolved Huff's personal life. The 25-year-old married Katherine Naughton in December of 1897. Their first of three children, Katherine, was born two years later, followed by a second daughter, Elizabeth, in 1901, and a son, George III, in 1905.
Though football struggled, Huff's favorite sport—baseball—prospered, with the Illini nine winning their first conference title in 1900. Recognizing Huff's unmistakable talent as a leader, Draper promoted him to become athletic director when Jacob Shell departed for his native Pennsylvania.
As a coach, Huff's Illini baseball teams continued to dominate their conference competition for the next dozen seasons, winning seven titles (1903, '04, '06, '07, '08, '10 and '11) and finishing as the runner-up the other five years.
Huff's success didn't go unnoticed, with his fame spreading all the way to the big leagues. Several of his Illini players had risen to the Majors, including Jake Stahl, Fred Beebe and Carl Lundgren.
When Boston manager, Chick Stahl (no relation to Jake) committed suicide in late March of 1907, Red Sox owner John Taylor traveled all the way from Massachusetts to call on Huff in Urbana. Surprising everyone, Huff committed to manage the Sox, succeeding interim skipper Cy Young (yes, that Cy Young).
Boston historians wrote that players were shocked that the Taylor had chosen Huff and disrespectfully referred to him as "Professor." After just two weeks, having compiled a lackluster record of 2-6, Huff saw the writing on the proverbial wall. His grand experiment with professional baseball ended when handed in his resignation and boarded the first westbound train he could catch back to Illinois. Never again did the thought of managing in the "bigs" cross his mind.
Back at the University of Illinois that year, Arthur Hall, an Illini letterman from 1898 to 1900, began coaching Huff's football team. Hall's gridiron program began slowly, but crescendoed into Big Ten champs by 1910, not only winning all seven games but also shutting out every one of its opponents. Hall's primary "day" job was practicing law in Danville, and at the end of the 1912 season, he decided that the pace of his life was too hectic. He turned in his resignation to Huff.
"G" soon began looking for Hall's replacement. His ultimate decision was one that would significantly affect the course of University of Illinois history.
Coming: A high school coach takes over in Champaign
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
(left to right) Moses Okpala and Coach Cory Patterson
ST. LOUIS: Illini Football's "Gateway to Success"
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
In 1804, when President Thomas Jefferson sent the team of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to the Mississippi River to check out the new lands that comprised his Louisiana Purchase, St. Louis came to be known as the "Gateway to the West."
Two-hundred-plus years later, if Lovie Smith's coaching staff is able to continue its bountiful raid of the football-rich talent that resides on either side of the Big Muddy, St. Louis and Metro East might soon be referred to as the University of Illinois's "Gateway to Success."
Nearly a third of UI's 13 scholarship freshmen in 2019 are St. Louisans, including linebacker Shammond Cooper (Trinity Catholic High School), defensive lineman Moses Okpala (Ladue Horton Watkins H.S.), Metro East defensive end Keith Randolph (Belleville West H.S.) and quarterback Isaiah Williams (Trinity Catholic H.S.).
Second-year Illini tight ends coach Cory Patterson, a native of the city and the former head coach at Trinity Catholic, says much is expected from the quartet of St. Louis freshmen.
"We're really excited to have them on campus," Patterson says. "I've known most of these guys for a long time. They're all intelligent, hard-working playmakers, so it wouldn't be crazy to think that they're capable of contributing this year."
Patterson is confident that there will be a lot more St. Louis area college prospects in the coming seasons.
"I'd compare St. Louis and Metro East football with anywhere in the country," Patterson said. "These areas have coaches that are doing a great job. Now, the rest of the country is starting to notice. It's becoming a hot bed for recruiting."
Cooper, Okpala, Randolph and Williams are joining seven other St. Louis area products already on the Illini roster. Tony Adams (Jr., St. Louis University H.S.), Stanley Green (Sr., East St. Louis H.S.), Jordan Holmes (So., Columbia H.S.), James Knight (Jr., East St. Louis), Griffin Palmer (Jr., De Smet Jesuit H.S.), Jordyn Slaughter (R-Fr., Althoff Catholic H.S.) and Nick Walker (Jr., Miller Career Academy H.S.) have already been in Champaign-Urbana for a few years.
So, just how important is metropolitan St. Louis to Illini football?
"It's hugely important that we get a stronghold on those areas," Patterson says. "I talked with Coach (Greg) McMahon when he was a recruiter back in the day. St. Louis and Metro East kids lean a lot to us because we're close to home. There's a lot of great talent down there. If we can get them to come here and play at the University of Illinois, we don't have to go far to get some of the top guys."
Over the first 129 seasons of Illini football, St. Louis and Metro East have sent hundreds of football players to Champaign-Urbana, 112 of whom have won at least one varsity letter wearing the Orange and Blue.
On the Illinois side of the Mississippi, the Illini have secured a sizeable number of all-star players. Dating back to the 1890s, high school programs from East St. Louis, Belleville, Alton, Collinsville, Carbondale and Edwardsville have historically contributed the most athletes.
Among ESL alumni, linebacker Dana Howard—the 1994 Butkus Award winner—is the most decorated, but Flyers standouts such as Terry Hawthorne, Dennis Stallings, and Kendrick Jones also were stalwart Illini.
East St. Louis hasn't been the only source of Illini talent. Belleville prep stars who've matriculated to the U of I include Forry Wells, Garrett Johnson and Jason Ford. Carbondale has contributed players like Tony Laster, Mike Waller and Estus Hood. Alton standouts like Lavere "Liz" Astroth, Elmer Hickman and Travis Williams have attended Illinois. And O'Fallon has sent Rodney Byrd, Anthony McClellan and Darius Mosely to play Big Ten football.
Similarly, the list of St. Louis players who've traversed the Eads Bridge to cross into Illinois is a highly talented bunch.
From the 1970s through the '90s, Illinois's St. Louis standouts were plentiful, including Bonji Bonner (Sumner H.S.), Greg Foster (McKinley H.S.), Gary Jurczyk (Normandy H.S.), Calvin Thomas (McKinley H.S.), Darryl Wilson (University City H.S.), Thomas Rooks (Lutheran North H.S.), Craig Schneider (St. Charles Duschene H.S.), Brian Menkhausen (Hazlewood West H.S.), Henry Jones (University H.S.), Quintin Parker (Webster Grove H.S.), Jason Dulick (University H.S.), Robert Crumpton (Hazlewood Central), Neil Rackers (Aquinas-Mercy H.S.) and Jason Eberhart (Mehlville H.S.).
The flow of St. Louisans to Champaign-Urbana in the 21st Century has continued to be steady. The list includes Jamaal Clark (Riverview Gardens H.S.), Jason Davis (Lindbergh H.S.), Nathan Echard (Eureka H.S.), Mark Kornfield (University H.S.), Brian Koch (Francis Howell H.S.), Christian Morton (Riverview Gardens H.S.), Tim Russell (St. Charles H.S.), Brian Schaefering (Hazlewood East H.S.) and many others.
Carey Davis, a product of Hazlewood Central, who lettered at Illinois from 2000-03 then played five seasons in the NFL, glowed about his days on campus.
"It's two-and-a-half hours—three hours at the max—for guys from this area to travel to Champaign-Urbana," said Davis, fullback from 2000-03. "Their families don't have to hop on a plane to see their kids play. The one thing that I learned during all of my years at Illinois is that it's so different from St. Louis. With a mixture of people from Chicago, from Indiana, from different surrounding states, it's a place where I got to experience something new.
"Illinois is a place you imagine when you think about college football. Hanging out on the Quad, going to parties, meeting different kinds of people; the University of Illinois offers all of those kinds of things."
Nowadays, young St. Louisans refer to the U of I as "Littyville."
"Littyville is a name that Thad Ward came up with," Patterson said. "Everyone knows that the University of Illinois is one of the top academic schools in the country, but it's also a place where you can have fun. When you talk about having fun, a lot of young guys call that being 'lit'. That became Littyville. It's caught on and grew legs, so I continue to roll with it."
Patterson says Champaign-Urbana has "some of the nicest people I've ever met."
"Being in Champaign, it's one of the most eye-opening things I've ever experienced," says Patterson. "Everyone is so open and nice. I'm so happy that my family is here. It's a great place to live. It's one of those places where I'm hoping we can win some games and I can stay for a long time."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
The Illini Way
THE ILLINI WAY: Positioning Student-Athletes for Future Success
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Earning a degree from the University of Illinois has always been considered prestigious, but a promising new program instituted by the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics' academic services staff will soon propel its student-athletes into an entirely more influential stratosphere.
Branded as "The Illini Way", Illinois's more than 500 student-athletes will quite literally be provided with a "game plan" to become career ready.
Dr. Brian Russell, Associate Athletics Director for Academic Services and Student-Athlete Development, is a driving force in initiating this new program.
"For years, we have done an incredible job of graduating student-athletes at a high level, engaging them in community service, and putting them out into great careers, all based on them having a wonderful degree from a top-15 public institution," Russell said. "But, in today's world, how do we get more intentional about developing leaders among Illini student-athletes? How do we get more intentional in serving the community at a leadership level and taking deep dives into passions that our student-athletes have?"
As Russell's student-athletes development team designed their programming for the 2019-20 academic year, they critiqued what they had been doing and concluded that a change in their strategic plan was necessary. Their new objective—strikingly similar to that already being employed by the coaches and strength and conditioning staffs—was to advance each student-athlete, individually.
"We want to concentrate our strategy on developing careers," Russell said. "The Illini Way is a simple process for our student-athletes to understand the culture of being a student-athlete at the University of Illinois. There are things you do as freshmen, as sophomores, as juniors, and as seniors, related to career development, personal development, branding and strategy. In time, our future student-athletes will understand that those who preceded them did the exact same thing to prepare them for the right next step."
A generous financial gift from the Allegretti family and the support of Deloitte, will allow Illini student-athletes access to an online platform called Game Plan. It includes a variety of eLearning courses that cover topics such as academic time management and study skills training, sexual violence prevention, financial literacy, networking, and social media awareness.
Russell says that The Illini Way will mirror the mission statement of the DIA: "Unify. Develop. Inspire. Achieve."
"As you think about what 'unify' means within The Illini Way, this is about diversity and inclusion programming, and learning how to be a responsible citizen in a global world through community engagement," he said. "We're teaching how we fit into society, how we give back, how we use our platform of sport—wearing the Block I—how we use that platform for good. How do you use it to impact people positively?"
The second segment of the mission statement, "develop", is where personal and career growth will be housed.
"This is an area in which you'll see some of the biggest changes," Russell said. "Each student-athlete will be on a four-year career development plan. Every first-year student will emerge with a resume and an inventory about their strongest interests. They'll understand how majors and careers align. Every freshman will end their first year with a plan of what the future looks like for them."
Russell says "inspire" relates to the area that involves leadership development. It's being taught through a partnership with UI's Illinois Leadership Center.
"We look at it in two frames," he said. "First, as freshman student-athletes, what are the core values and competencies they need to know to understand who they are as a leaders and what it means to be a leader. Our Leadership Center is an incredible resource that already teaches these designed leadership competencies.
"The second frame is allowing students to self-select deeper dives into understanding themselves as leaders. We'll be developing a model where our student-athletes will go through an application process, be selected, take course work revolving around sport and leadership, and then have some sort of a culminating experience of either domestic or international service in sport."
"Each of our teams will have a couple of members who will go through that training. We believe that they will greatly impact their teams from a leadership perspective."
Russell says that the final element of the mission statement—"achieve"—fits perfectly within the student-athlete development and academic arena, and will be targeted in many ways toward the Illini's highest achieving student-athletes.
"These individuals need our support in figuring out graduate school, preparing for the GRE or other graduate entrance exams, and positioning them for placement in competitive internships," he said. "We want to make them competitive for the national awards, for the Rhodes Scholarship, or to earn post-graduate scholarships through the Big Ten and the NCAA. We have to start identifying them early as freshmen and sophomores, and really build their profiles."
Soon, Russell says, Illini student-athletes will have their own personalized online career network, using Game Plan and a network of former Illini alumni to secure upper-level mentoring opportunities.
"I am very fortunate to have an incredible staff and, through the gift of Carl Allegretti and the Allegretti family, excellent resources," Russell said. "We hope that we're able to set the national standard in how we teach leadership and develop careers."
UI Director of Athletics, Josh Whitman, is excited about the direction in which Russell and his staff are implementing The Illini Way.
"The Allegretti gift and the Game Plan initiative allows us to augment a very important space for us: the personal and professional development of our student-athletes," Whitman said. "As the advertisements say, so many of them are going to go pro in something other than sports. We have an obligation to them to make sure that they are as prepared as they can be to tackle those new challenges."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Garrett Acton
Garrett Acton: Choosing a Different Path
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
At the conclusion of the 2019 baseball season, Fighting Illini pitcher Garrett Acton finds himself in rarefied air. He was the District Player of the Year, the Illinois and Big Ten record-holder for saves in a season, and perhaps the only eligible member of the 18-man Perfect Game/Rawlings First Team All-America squad to voluntarily choose to return to school instead of sign with an MLB team.
Wait a minute … that last part … he did what?
"Teams weren't looking at me at a spot where I could give up the value of a degree," Acton explained. "Ultimately, it came down to jumping into pro ball feet first now or going back to school and getting my degree. To me, you go into professional baseball because you love it; it's not about the money. I needed a really good opportunity to give up attending and playing at a place that I absolutely love. I'm really happy that I get to go back and be able to start the journey again with a new group of guys next year."
Now, if you're thinking that the junior right-hander may not be that good of a big league prospect, scouts from the Seattle Mariners, Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals would all disagree with you. Each club contacted Acton on day three of last week's MLB Draft to gauge his interest.
Illini pitching coach Drew Dickinson agrees with those teams' assessments; Acton has a pro arm. He's just a uniquely special individual who's not afraid to take a different route.
"Garrett is very mature and he knows the path of his life in what he's trying to do," Dickinson said. "He's a 3.98 student in our business school and you know how important a business degree is here at Illinois. There's absolutely nothing wrong with Garrett coming back for another year of school and finishing his degree. I played eight years of professional ball myself and I had to go back to get my degree. I know first-hand how hard that was to do."
Acton is on schedule to graduate from Illinois with a bachelor's degree in finance in the spring of 2020.
"The Gies College of Business is unbelievable," Acton said. "A big testament to that are our professors and the kind of student body that we can bring in. We're up there with the world's best in what we do, so there are a lot of expectations that come with that. The students hold each other to a high standard and our professors hold us to that same level. To say that you are a graduate of the Gies College of Business means that you're part of a very exclusive group. When you've completed this degree, you're expected to have a special level of knowledge in the professional world."
Acton, who compiled a 2.18 ERA in 2019, allowed opponent hitters a paltry .127 average, and struck out 34 batters in 33 innings of action, balanced the pros and cons before making up his mind what to do.
"This was a decision with real implications on my future and career," he said. "For a lot of college athletes, the plan is set. We go to school for four years, we play, we compete, we hopefully come out of it with a degree, and then we go off into our working careers or get a professional opportunity. For me, that opportunity to get drafted was right there in front of my face. But at the end of the day, I take so much pride in being a student-athlete at Illinois that it was a relatively easy decision to make. This was all about timing."
Acton took a roundabout journey before landing at the University of Illinois. Following an all-star career with a state championship team at Lemont High School, Acton spent one season at St. Louis University (2017) and one more at Parkland College (2018). It was at Parkland where Dickinson discovered Acton.
"When I recruited him, I thought his stuff played up well in a one-inning role, facing three-to-five hitters," Dickinson said. "Did I think that Joey Gerber's replacement would break the Big Ten saves record and lead the country in saves? I don't think anyone could have seen that. As a college coach, to have someone as consistent as Garrett is a big time factor for your club."
Acton says the most important lesson he learned this past season was how to compete when things were going wrong.
"At the college level, you're not going to play a team that doesn't belong on the field," he said. "Every player in the Big Ten is bigger and faster and stronger than those I played in high school. When things are going wrong, it's really easy to fold and collapse. It's easy to get down on yourself and say 'maybe today's not my day.' In my role as a closer, I can't do that. As soon as you have that mindset, you're going to lose. You can't compete like that. Being able to push everything else aside, being able to separate what's going wrong in a game from the next pitch or the next hitter is really the key to success for any pitcher. If you walk a guy, you have to move past that and go attack the next hitter. You have to be focused on the present, flip that switch, erase what just happened, and be able to move forward."
Acton had to endure major tragedy at age 17 when his father, Jim, passed away from a heart attack in October of 2015.
"I was really, really close to my dad," he said. "He was a college athlete himself and was the driving force behind my athletic career. He really ingrained this motivation, this understanding of what it takes to succeed and to do the little things right. He instilled the work ethic in me that's largely responsible for my success as an athlete. Without that base, I can't say for sure that I'd be where I am now. He played a large role in molding me into the athlete that I've become."
On the flip side, Acton says, it was his mother, Janette, who was persistent in keeping him focused in the classroom.
"Both of them in tandem are the reason that I've developed into the person that I am," he said. "After my dad passed, Mom really worked her tail off to provide me with every opportunity she could."
Considering the way 2019 ended for the Illini baseball team, Acton is anxious to begin his final year at the University of Illinois.
"To see our season end that way was very frustrating," he said. "We all expected a little bit more out of ourselves. We're losing a lot of talented guys, but we've got a lot of great pieces coming back and recruits that the coaching staff holds in really high regard. Next year, as an upperclassman, I'll do my best to bring them up to speed regarding the differences they're going to have to adjust to."
Dickinson says he and head coach Dan Hartleb are blessed to have a senior like Garrett Acton returning to their roster.
"Garrett is a consummate teammate and is very caring of his teammates," said Dickinson. "He'd do anything for any one of those guys. That's a personality trait of someone who is genuine. His teammates love that about him and, in reward, he gets the same back from his teammates."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Devin Quinn
"White Lightning": The Fastest Man in Big Ten History
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Move over Jesse Owens, Willie Williams and Andrew Riley. Make room for a new guy in your exclusive neighborhood of all-time fastest runners in Big Ten history.
On day one of the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, it took Illinois sprinter Devin Quinn just 10.01 seconds to distinguish himself as the fastest man in Big Ten history. Not only did he break Riley's University of Illinois record for 100 meters, Quinn also clocked the fastest 100m time in Big Ten history, edging Riley's conference record of 10.02 set in 2012.
"When I saw 10.01 on the board I was shocked," said the senior from Punta Gorda, Florida afterwards. "But I knew I was going to go out there and leave everything on the track. I did exactly that and surpassed every expectation I had for myself. One piece of my race that I thought gave me the edge today was my reaction to the starter and my acceleration. After about twenty meters, I saw where I was in the race and I knew it was going to be something special."
Longtime Fighting Illini track observer David Woods, now a reporter for the Indianapolis Star, called Quinn's effort "a textbook race."
"He had a great start, lifted at the right time, transitioned smoothly into his drive phase, finished well, and leaned at the right time," Woods said. "It cannot be overstated that his was a major achievement."
Somewhat lost in the shuffle of Quinn's incredible 100-meter run was a school-record setting effort of 20.31 in the 200, achieved less than an hour after his 100-meter race.
"Ending the day with a new lifetime best is not a bad ending for day one of the NCAA finals," Quinn said. "It sucks to barely miss finals (in the 200m), but overall I'm excited about my future running the 200 and what I will run with better execution."
What's equally extraordinary about Quinn, who'll celebrate his 23rd birthday on Saturday, is that he flew well below the radar as a prep recruit.
"I remember the day (Illini) Coach (Adrian) Wheatley called me up my senior year (2015) at Charlotte High School," Quinn recalled. "It was close to May at that point and no one was really offering me a scholarship. I was like 'Oh, geez, what am I going to do?' Then, the day before I won the Florida Relays in the 100, I got a call from Coach. He said 'I've been talking to your coach for a couple of hours. I really like what I'm hearing about you. Would you be interested in coming up for a visit?' And I was like "Heck, yeah … bring me up!' So, I got on campus. The first thing I noticed was the diversity. There were a lot of things going on. It was in full bloom, the campus was beautiful. Walking through campus, you could just see the history that had happened there."
Illini coach Mike Turk says that it was a good match for both Quinn and UI's track program.
"At the time, we had just won the Big Ten and we were looking for a replacement for (100 meters titlist) Brandon Stryganek," Turk said. "Devin fit both athletically and from a cultural and character standpoint. For a Big Ten team to show some belief in Devin meant a lot to him. It was just a match made in heaven for us."
True to form, the former soccer player who didn't fully participate in track and field until his freshman year of high school, blossomed throughout his Illini career. As a freshman in 2015-16, Quinn placed fourth indoors at 60 meters and sixth outdoors in the 100 at the Big Ten Championship. As a sophomore, he finished fifth at both 60 and 200 meters indoors, then third outdoors in the 100 as well as anchoring his 4 x 100 relay team to victory. In 2018, Quinn placed fifth at the Big Ten meet indoors in the 60 and 200, then fourth in the 100 and 200 outdoors. Nationally, that season, he earned second-team All-America credentials in the 200 and as a relay team member.
"Devin has been very focused and driven throughout his time with us," Turk said. "Maturity-wise, he's a different person than when he came to the University four years ago. Devin really listens to us and had paid attention to our advice. We've always known that he could be really special."
Quinn's senior season in 2019 has been simply spectacular. Prior to this week's NCAA performance, one of his most significant personal achievements was winning the Big Ten's 100-meter title on May 12 in Iowa City.
"I've been the fastest seed for the last three years, but something always got in the way," Quinn said. "This year, the conditions were right, my mind was right, and my body was right. I wasn't worried this year about winning or not."
Despite his individual successes, Quinn admits that his greatest personal satisfaction comes as a member of the Illini's 4 x 100 relay team.
"Honestly, it's more exciting for me when a teammate does something that they weren't expected to do," Quinn says. "It makes it fun. When my teammates accomplish something—it doesn't have to be a Big Ten win or even scoring points—if they come home with a PR (personal record), it's a lot more satisfying than me winning."
On Wednesday in Austin, the Illini unit of sophomore Jason Shannon, freshman Declan Rustay, senior Joe Haight and Quinn toured the 400 yards in a season-best time of 39.01, the fourth-fastest clocking in program history. Though the foursome missed qualifying for Friday's final by just one spot and .01 seconds, they earned All-America honors for the second straight season.
Quinn has been the fastest kid on the block for as long as he can remember.
"I'm not going to lie," he says, "I've been a fast-twitch person since elementary school. Starting sports at a very young age, it helped push me to be more athletic."
He credits his parents, Adam and Teresa Quinn, and his grandparents for their loyal support throughout his career.
"I never got a car until after I graduated and I didn't have a cellphone until my junior year of high school, so I'd always have to rely on my parents or grandparents to give me a ride to the track," Devin said.
Quinn also gives a shout-out to his older sister, Amber, a sprinter herself who introduced her brother to track and field.
"Amber was very quick, very fast, but didn't progress as much as I did because of some hamstring issues. There was a sliver of time when she was faster than me, so I never wanted to race her during that period," Devin confided.
And what about his Twitter handle: @White_Lightninq?
"A local reporter in Charlotte County, Florida tagged me with the nickname," Quinn said. "He thought it would provoke some interest. I like it and really appreciate it. Whether it's negative or positive, it motivates people to react."
A graduate in recreation, sport and tourism and a grad student at Illinois this coming Fall, Quinn says he's not ready to move on from track just yet.
"I'm trying to keep my dream alive," he said. "I'm a very growth-oriented person. The reason I run track and do what I do is because I want to connect with people. I want to bring people together. I want to make social interaction happen between people. The awesome thing is I don't have to be a track athlete to do that. I've already started coaching a little bit and so I eventually want to explore coaching at the collegiate level. I want to help people grow and have those interactions. I think it's really important to help people and change lives."
Spoken like a true champion.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Jake Hansen
Jake Hansen: Predestined to be a Linebacker
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Following in the footsteps of his father, Fighting Illini junior Jake Hansen was predestined to be a great linebacker.
Jake's dad—Shad Hansen—was an all-star 'backer at Brigham Young University, playing for legendary coach LaVell Edwards from 1989-92. Shad racked up huge numbers, collecting 341 career tackles and 193 in 1991 alone, both school records.
But Shad, now the Senior Vice President of Hardware and Latin American Sales for Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation, didn't brag about his past glory as a college football star. In fact, it wasn't until Jake was nearly a teenager that he discovered what his dad had achieved as an athlete.
"One day, one of the school principals mentioned to me what my dad had done at BYU," Jake said. "I had no idea he even played because he never told me anything about it."
Starting in third grade, Jake began his career on the gridiron. Dad was his coach, but he wasn't about to abuse his power, so Jake began as a center.
"I didn't want to be the head coach that was the dad that played his kid at running back or quarterback," Shad admitted.
Jake did also play linebacker, though, and excelled at that position. His talent continued to blossom when he got to East Lake High School in Tarpon Springs, Florida, earning all-state second-team honors. He originally pledged his future to Iowa State, but de-committed when a Cyclone coaching change took place. Illinois took advantage of the situation and Bill Cubit's staff signed Hansen in February of 2016.
"When we found out a month later that Lovie Smith was going to be the coach, that was awesome news," Shad Hansen said. "When you're a defensive player—especially a linebacker—there's no better person to play for than Lovie. From Jake's perspective, it was like hitting the lottery."
Jake saw action in all 12 games that freshman year at Illinois, but his life temporarily spiraled downward the following August when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in fall camp.
"I'm not a very patient person," Hansen said, "so I had to wait for my time. It gave me a chance to see the game from a different perspective."
After months of therapy, Hansen finally got back on the field and his second chance came on September 1, 2018, against Kent State. It turned out to be a legendary performance, totaling a school-record-tying six tackles for loss among his 15 stops. He was named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week.
"It was one of the most fun times I've had playing football," he said. "I wasn't really thinking about the stats. I just remember it was a lot of fun."
By the end of the 2018 campaign, Hansen had amassed 95 tackles, tying him for the team lead with Del'Shawn Phillips and earning him the Bruce Capel Award for courage, dedication and accomplishment.
Hansen gives partial credit for his success to his dad.
"Me and my dad are always talking ball," Jake said. "We talk about techniques. He was a good linebacker himself in college, so I like to take his tips. Especially in high school, he helped me out a lot, teaching me how to shed blocks and playing against O linemen."
Illinois football's royal legacy of linebackers is readily identifiable through the jersey numbers worn by its greatest stars. Number 50, of course, belonged to the incomparable Dick Butkus, the standard by whom linebackers are measured. Coincidentally, 50 also was the number Shad Hansen wore at BYU.
Lovie Smith says Jake Hansen has a chance to be the school's next great linebacker.
"Butkus, Howard, Holecek, Hardy … there's a long list of players," Smith said. "We talk about that with our players. We want them to know who has manned their position on the field through the years and that there's an expectation for linebackers to play well. That's what we're shooting for with Jake. We want people to someday talk about him the same way that they've talked about the others from our past."
At 6-1, 230 pounds, don't ever suggest to Lovie Smith that Jake Hansen is an "overachiever".
"To me, an overachiever is a guy who doesn't have any talent and plays pretty good," Smith said. "I think Jake is very good football player. He's a smart player who plays the run well and is a student of the game. He can play in coverage, he guards tight ends well, he used his hands well, and he also has good hands in catching the football. The next part of his game will be interceptions. Jake's not going to run 4.3 or anything like that, but most linebackers don't. He is a good football player, period, and we're expecting good things from him."
With Phillips having graduated, Hansen will be joined at linebacker by a group of players that includes senior Dele Harding, Washington Huskies transfer Milo Eifler, and sophomores Delano Ware and Khalan Tolson expected to be in the rotation, along with some incoming freshmen in the mix as well.
"This past spring, (defensive) leadership was on a new level," Hansen says. "We're holding guys accountable a lot more and the level of knowledge is also a lot higher."
Hansen says that's due to the expertise of Lovie Smith.
"He is a defensive genius," Hansen said. "He was in the NFL, so he knows what it takes to get to that next level. Learning from someone like him on an everyday basis is a blessing."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Mike Bellamy
Illinois: A Lifetime Decision for Mike Bellamy
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
It was way back in January of 1985 when 18-year-old Mike Bellamy was first contacted by the University of Illinois. Little did he realize that it would be an event that would change the course of his life.
"I'll never forget when (then Illini assistant coach) Shawn Watson walked in," Bellamy said. "Illinois was the only university that came to recruit me at Kenwood (Academy). Unfortunately, at that time, I hadn't put myself in a position to understand what being a student-athlete meant."
Watson placed a call to coaches he knew at the College of DuPage and encouraged them to give the Chicago speedster a look. The gamble paid off for both parties. Not only did Bellamy's attitude towards academics improve, he became a junior college superstar in both football and track, catching 13 touchdown passes in 1986 on the gridiron and winning the national sprint title at 55 meters.
"I went from not receiving any attention in high school to being the No. 1 junior college receiver in the country and being able to go anywhere I wanted to," Bellamy said.
Yet, with the flurry of recruiters visiting him at DuPage, deep down Bellamy knew exactly where he wanted to continue his career.
"My father reminded me that Illinois was the first one to offer me and that I should be respectful of that," he said. "It was important for me to stay home and represent my state school."
Many of his Illini teammates had a mindset similar to Bellamy's. Of the 119 players on Illinois's football roster in 1989, 73 hailed from the Land of Lincoln, including 47 from Chicagoland schools.
Success with the Orange and Blue began slowly for Bellamy, but his hard work eventually paid dividends in game nine of the 1988 season versus Indiana. His two touchdown catches against the Hoosiers, including the game winner with only 26 seconds remaining, resulted in a 21-20 come from behind victory.
"That was the first time we all experienced believing in each other," Bellamy said. "That was the game that turned the page for Illinois football. From that point on, I didn't lose to any other team in the Big Ten except for Michigan."
The following season, Bellamy and his teammates powered their way to a 10-2 record and a top-10 ranking, including victories over Southern Cal, Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin, and a 31-21 triumph over Virginia in the Florida Citrus Bowl. Individually, Bellamy had 59 catches for 927 yards and eight touchdowns, earning him first-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-America honors, and co-Illini Offensive Player of the Year acclaim with Jeff George.
He became a second-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1990 NFL Draft and ultimately played five professional seasons, topping his career in 1996 by helping the Frankfurt Galaxy win the World Bowl.
Following a few years in private business, Bellamy returned to football as a coach, first in high school, then in 2011 at Clark-Atlanta University.
"My ego told me that I would immediately be the coach of a national power," Bellamy remembered, "but reality said, 'no, you won't'."
He returned to Illinois in 2012 to become assistant director of player personnel and relations, then was hired by Tim Beckman to be the team's receivers coach. Though the Illini passing game enjoyed record success through the efforts of Bellamy protégés like Steve Hull and Mike Dudek, team victories weren't as plentiful. So a change of staff in 2016 found Bellamy on the move again.
"When I wasn't retained on Lovie's original coaching staff, there were no hard feelings," Bellamy said. "I understood the business."
He then worked one season at Mississippi State and two more at Toledo, then got another opportunity in 2019 to return to Illinois. Offensive coordinator Rod Smith says Bellamy was an easy pick to fill his opening for a running backs coach.
"There were certain criteria we were looking for," Smith said. "We wanted a guy that understood who we are as a university and as a football program, someone that had extensive recruiting experience, and someone that had experience in developing young men. To me, Mike checked every box we were looking for. He was a no-brainer. Being an Illinois alum and being orange and blue, through and through, Mike Bellamy is the fabric of this university and this program."
Bellamy loves to recruit for his alma mater and develop relationships with prospects.
"My sales pitch to young men is that I want our relationship to be so good that in 10 years you'll name your son after me," he said. "I try to get to the core of the person and find out exactly what's important to them," he said. "Are they chasing logos … are they chasing opportunities … or are they looking for academics? You have to be sure of what you're selling and the product you're delivering."
According to Bellamy, "Plan A" for recruits should always be about academics.
"An 18-year-old in four years will graduate from college, then get drafted and play NFL football for three or four years," he said. "Then at age 26, then what? You may have saved up some money or you may have blown it all on trips to Aruba. Now you have to live a real life. We've all seen the stories of guys who are first-round picks and guys who weren't even drafted be failures and successes."
Like all of the coaches on Lovie Smith's staff, @CoachBellamy has major visibility on Twitter, Facebook and other social media.
"Coaches today have to be well versed in it," he said. "You have to be willing to commit the time to and focus on it. If you're not, you'll lose some of the kids. This is the way today's athletes find out about each other. Social media, for me, is at the top of the list of importance in terms of recruiting. Recruiting is what college football is all about. I want to be the best at what I do, so I'm going full speed."
He's working especially hard to get the state of Illinois's best athletes to play for its flagship university.
"For us," he says, "what better place to play than the state that has their name on their birth certificate and driver's license? Guys who were in my wedding were all from Illinois. These relationships go from four years to 40. When guys talk about playing together, why wouldn't you want to do it in front of your family and where you can be local heroes?"
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Austin and Adrienne Clark
Austin and Adrienne Clark: Friendly Rivals
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Second-year Fighting Illini defensive line coach Austin Clark loves his sister dearly, but don't expect him to be decked out in Old Gold and Black gear when her softball team visits Eichelberger Field this weekend.
His older sister, Adrienne (better known as "Addie" – rhymes with EIGHTY), is in her first season as assistant coach at Purdue and is primarily responsible for mentoring the Boilermaker defense.
"I'll definitely be wearing orange and blue," said Austin. "If the Illini can squeak out a win, but Purdue doesn't make any errors, then I'll be happy."
Says Addie, "Even if I got him a Purdue softball shirt, he wouldn't wear it. I can hear him now. 'I'm not wearing that,' he'd say. 'I work at Illinois.' I feel the same way. I'm black and gold now. It so cool that he said what he said."
As the "little" brother, some seven-and-a-half years younger, Austin has seen more than his share of softball games over the years.
"When he was a little kid, my brother was dragged to every softball tournament," Addie chuckled. "He grew up around softball because of me."
The Clark kids have experienced amazingly similar career paths thus far.
After leading Florida's Riverview High School to the 2000 state championship, Addie played collegiately at Hofstra in New York. She was an All-Colonial Athletic Association pitcher, helping lead the Pride to four straight CAA crowns and three NCAA Regional appearances.
Austin's high school football team, the Plant Panthers, won the 2008 state title, then he walked on to play defensive tackle for the California Golden Bears where he eventually earned a starting job.
"Addie had her high school years, won a state championship, then played college softball all while I was coming through," Austin said. "Then when she transitioned into coaching, I was in high school, won a state championship, played in college and got into coaching just like she did. It's been a cool bond for us, following the same career path."
Both Austin and Addie credit their athletically inclined parents—Alan, a former football player, and Charlotte, a one-time tennis star—for setting the foundation of their success.
"Unfortunately, they just couldn't afford to go to college and compete as athletes," Addie said.
Instead, the Clarks initially went into the business that Alan's family had established, carnival shows.
"The town where Austin and I grew up (Gibsonton, Fla.) is zoned for carnival business," Addie explained. "Many of the old-school sideshow-type people lived in that town because that's where they felt comfortable. My parents still live in the house that my brother and I grew up in.
"Mom and Dad had what you might say were difficult up-bringings," she continued. "My dad's family was unconventional and my mom was one of six kids. So, for them, sports was what kept them out of trouble and taught them lessons that sparked them to be better.
"So, when Austin and I grew up, my parents let us do anything," she said. "Sports were always the thing that we all enjoyed doing, whether it was watching or participating. That's where my parents found a lot of value. So even though they didn't have the college experience or the things that my brother and I got to have, they wanted to be able to put us in a position to do everything that they weren't able to do."
Austin agreed with his sister, lovingly referring to his folks as "blue collar."
"My dad owns his own air conditioning business, works his tail off and gets his hands dirty every day," he said. "Mom is a banker. Their whole deal was just providing us with the best opportunity at all costs. It's something that really benefitted my sister and me. And those are qualities that I try to teach our guys at Illinois … doing the right thing, treating people with respect, doing your best in the classroom, and developing every day. Every day I wake up, I try to help someone else be the best 'you' you can be."
So, Addie, what's something Illini fans don't know about Austin?
"One of the things that I love about my brother so much is how compassionate he is in everything that he does," she said. "When Austin was in college, he went as a walk-on. It was a huge financial commitment for my parents, so he was really diligent about not spending money frivolously. One time after they visited him, my parents gave him a little bit of spending money. Austin and some of his friends were going to take a short trip and they had stopped at a gas station. A man asked Austin if he had any money. Austin said that he looked behind the guy and in his car were two young kids. My brother literally took the money that my parents had given him and bought the guy gas and bought some food for the kids. He just feels things for people. That's just how compassionate he is."
Nowadays, the Clark kids, who played collegiately on different coasts, work at Midwest campuses just 91 miles apart.
"I'm really fired up that she's so close," Austin said. "She comes to a lot of Illini games and it's been a cool experience for both of us."
Addie agrees.
"It's the first time we've lived near each other since I went away to school when I was 18," she said. "He got the job at Illinois and then over the summer I got the opportunity at Purdue. I was like 'Holy cow … could this be real? Could I actually be working in the same conference and be like an hour and a half from him?' I'm able to just call him up and pop over to Champaign for dinner, then drive home. It's so cool to have him nearby."
And, if you were wondering, Mom and Dad will be attending the Illini-Boilermaker series this weekend. The question is, however, which of their child's school colors will they be wearing?
"They mostly wore orange and blue during the football season," Addie said, "but since it's softball season, they will probably be wearing black and gold. Though I wouldn't put it past my dad to wear an Illinois hat with a Purdue shirt."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Gary Wieneke
Validating a Life Well Lived: Illinois Names Track After Coach Gary Wieneke
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Respect, it is said, is at the core of every human interaction. It's an action of honor, a deed of character, dignity and value.
For a group of Gary Wieneke's former Fighting Illini student-athletes, some of whom competed nearly 50 years ago for him, their loyalty and admiration for their head coach is being shaped in the form of a gift that exceeds $1 million. When the new track at the University of Illinois's future Demirjian Park complex is dedicated in the spring of 2021, it will be known as the Gary R. Wieneke Track.
That news and word of Wieneke's election to the U of I's Athletics Hall of Fame was delivered to him and his wife, Peggy, earlier this month by Illini Director of Athletics Josh Whitman, Senior Associate Director of Development Howard Milton, Head Coach Mike Turk, and former UI athletes Chris Saunders and Mark Avery.
Wieneke, who's battling health issues, was stunned by the news.
"These guys are unbelievable," Wieneke said. "During the whole time we've been together and from everything we've done, this is much more than I ever expected."
Turk, who took over as the Illini track and field coach in 2009, says he just stood back and soaked it all in.
"The joy that it brought to someone who had dedicated his life to this profession and to other people is really a validation of what all of us view in this profession," Turk said.
Saunders, a former Illini letter winner (1994-96) and a volunteer coach for Wieneke from 1999-2003, owns Green Street Realty in Champaign. He's been an annual contributor to the I Fund for several years and personally donated a gift of $500,000 for Illinois's new track in Wieneke's honor.
"This project has a special meaning to me and my wife," he said. "Coach gave me confidence and instilled me with a competitive nature. I've been able to use that throughout my career. Being in a position now where I can financially help support this project was something I really didn't even have to think about. It feels good to give back and be able to carry Gary Wieneke's name forward for the long haul. He's earned it."
Mark Avery, who won seven letters from 1974-78 for Illini cross-country and track, is the Decatur-based publisher of Grain Journal, a bi-monthly trade magazine for the grain storage and handling industry. Like Saunders, he's donated $500,000 towards the effort of honoring his former coach at Demirjian Park.
"Coach always tried to focus us on the university and being an Illini," Avery said. "When you're an athlete, you don't notice all the traits you're picking up, like hard work and discipline. He pushed us and brought us together. We were a really close-knit group and that all started at the top with him. Coach attracted high-character people and those kinds of individuals tend to hang together."
Several other athletes also are contributing to the naming of the track in Wieneke's honor and they'll gather in April when track and field alums reunite on campus.
"Coach Wieneke's legacy is the glue that binds our group together," Saunders said.
Wieneke, who retired at the conclusion of the 2002-03 season, served as Illinois' head cross-country coach for 36 years and inherited head track and field coaching duties from Bob Wright in 1974.
Following a three-year stint in the U.S. Army, Wieneke competed as a record-setting student-athlete in both track and cross-country at Augustana College. He served as a graduate assistant at Bowling Green State University, then returned to the state of Illinois to become a high school coach.
John Wright Sr., a former Illini football and track athlete and the son of Wieneke's mentor, said his father frequently credited UI's newest Hall of Famer for the success of his own teams.
"When you talk about Gary Wieneke, I'm reminded of something that my son said to me a while ago," Wright said. "He said 'the definition of preeminence is extraordinary excellence; once established and sustained, it creates a competitive advantage'. My dad thought about Gary like that. Gary was so strong in areas of track and field where my dad was not strong.
"The way you build a team is by having people who are strong in all areas," Wright continued. "My dad was a hurdles and sprints coach, a pole vault coach, and a shot and discus coach, but he didn't know much about the distance events. He brought Gary in to handle those other areas and he had ultimate confidence in him. I don't think he could have thought any more highly of any individual."
Turk says you have to look beyond Wieneke's outstanding record and accomplishments to understand the worth of the man.
"He's been selected to Halls of Fame at every place he's ever been and by the U.S. Track Coaches Association and the Illinois Track Coaches Association," Turk said. "But the thing that's always impressed me so much is how Gary's athletes genuinely care about him. It's really an incredible thing to see the relationships they still have after all these years. We get caught up in winning and losing and we tend to judge coaches solely on how much they won and what they produced. This guy produced extremely well on the track, but he also produced great people. Coach Wieneke mentored and touched and changed a lot of lives over a long period of time. At the end of the day, that trumps the athletic accomplishments and his coaching record."
Comments from other friends and associates of Gary Wieneke:
Rod Cardinal:
"When I came to Illinois out of the Army, I was a pretty inexperienced athletic trainer. Coach was an awesome role model and a mentor for just dealing with track injuries. He had high standards of who he was going to recruit. As much as recruiting championship-caliber athletes, he recruited championship character. Coach had an ability to pay it forward and his athletes, as they've grown and matured, have been able to achieve similar types of things within their athletic programs or with the various companies they work with. He was such an inspirational guy. He might not have been as inspirational as Ray Eliot, but he wasn't too far behind in terms of inspiring kids to perform their best. They just didn't want to let him down."
David Woods, Indianapolis Star:
"At the same time Gary was mentoring all of those young athletes, he was unintentually coaching and mentoring me. Illini track was a significant beat at the News-Gazette at the time and he was so patient with me. Because of his integrity and just by the way he managed himself and his team, you couldn't help but respect and admire the way Coach Wieneke conducted himself. Like a lot of good teachers, athletes appreciated him more two and four and ten years down the road than they did at the time. He was tough, but fair. The fact that his guys are so devoted to him says a lot."
Joe Corley, former Illini athlete and past president of the Illini Striders:
"I thought that Gary had an amazing relationship with his athletes. That was a product of being very knowledgeable about what he was doing and just being a good friend. He was dedicated to them and they were dedicated to him. Gary isn't as well known as Illinois basketball and football coaches but, as far as what he contributed, he's right up there with the elite."
Loren Tate:
"They don't come any better than Gary Wieneke ... hard-working, dedicated and close to his athletes. He had a great run with athletes like Lee LaBadie, Mike Durkin, Craig Virgin, Charlton Ehizuelen, Rob Mango and Marko Koers, among others. Gary Wieneke has no enemies, only friends."
Gary Wieneke's Notable Achievements
Coached the Illini to 12 Big Ten championships: six in outdoor track (1975, 1977, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994), five in indoor track (1977, 1981 1987, 1988, 1989), one in cross country (1984).
Coached Illinois to four NCAA indoor team trophies: 1976 (fourth), 1977 (fourth), 1988 (second), 1995 (tie-fourth). Those are Illinois' only top-four finishes, indoors or outdoors, since 1954.
In 22 Big Ten meets from 1985-95, Illinois finished in the top three 20 times.
Coached four Olympians: Craig Virgin (1976, 1980, 1984); Mike Durkin (1976, 1980); Bobby True (2000); Marko Koers (1992, 1996, 2000).
Coached Big Ten's first sub-4-minute miler, Lee LaBadie (3:58.8 in 1971) and United States' only world cross-country champion, Craig Virgin (1980 and 1981).
Coached five sub-4-minute milers: LaBadie, Durkin, Jeff Jirele, Len Sitko, Koers.
Coached the Illini to world indoor best in two-mile at Houston Astrodome in 1971.
Coached Marko Koers to six Big Ten titles at 800 meters: four outdoors, two indoors.
Coached Koers to one NCAA indoor title (1993) and one outdoor runner-up (1996), and two other NCAA runners-up: Ron Phillips (1972) and Rob Mango (1973).
Coached 11 different half-milers to 27 Big Ten titles. In a 10-year span from 1992-2001, Illini runners won the Big Ten 800 meters (outdoors) eight times.
Coached Illinois's only cross country individual NCAA champion, Craig Virgin (1975).
Coached Illinois's only cross country Big Ten team champion since 1947 (1984).
Illini cross country finished fifth in NCAA in 1969 and 1976, ninth in 1983, seventh in 1989, 10th in 1975. Those are Illinois' only top-10 finishes since 1956.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Gene Honda
UI's Gene Honda: Voice of the Final Four
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
At 5 p.m. this Saturday, before more than 70,000 fans at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and another 25 million watching the CBS telecast, Fighting Illini fans will be hearing a familiar voice announcing the starting lineups for Auburn, Virginia, Texas Tech and Michigan State at the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four.
For the 17th consecutive year, former University of Illinois student and current Illini football public address announcer Gene Honda will be behind the microphone at college basketball's premier event.
Growing up in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood on the north side, Honda's Japanese parents, Ben and Toshiko, always emphasized the value of an education to their son and his sister, Janice, an eventual Northwestern University graduate. His father was the chief architect for Bertrand Goldberg, best known for designing the Marina City complex in Chicago.
Upon his graduation from Senn High School, Gene began as an engineering major at the U of I in 1972, but switched to real estate finance after his first year. With only a few semesters remaining, Honda knew deep inside that he hadn't yet discovered the niche for which he would become truly passionate.
"It was 1975 and I was in summer school," Honda explained. "WPGU had placed a small ad in the Daily Illini that said 'Are you interested in becoming a DJ?' Well, my father had always suggested that if I ever got a chance to enhance my ability to speak in public, I should do it. Secondly, it was a way to meet girls."
Says the 65-year-old bachelor today, "I'm still batting .500."
He fondly remembers those early days of his broadcasting career.
"Back then, WPGU was actually two stations," he said. "The FM station still exists today, but they also had a carrier current station. It was about 10 watts and could be heard through the dormitory system. That was WPGU's training ground. It was called DBS—the Dormitory Broadcast System. On page one, paragraph two of the station's hand book, it says 'Welcome. People think you need a deep masculine voice or a soft feminine voice to succeed on the air. This is not true. All you need is to be is conversational.' That's still great advice and it's something I fall back on as a fundamental."
So it was there in the basement of UI's Weston Hall where Honda began his long and winding "Road to the Final Four".
In 1978, then just three credits shy of securing his degree, Honda was hired at Champaign's WKIO Radio by Mike Haile (now the General Manager at WDWS Radio). Honda stayed for five-and-a-half years, but finally came to the conclusion that 'Fun's over, time to get a real job.'"
He packed up his belongings and returned to his hometown for a position that marketed cable stations, including Bravo, The Playboy Channel and SportsVision.
"I had given up the thought of being on the air," Honda said. "One night, I was listening to a radio station in Chicago and heard a familiar voice. Even though he was using a different name, I knew the voice from working with him at K104. So, I called Bruce (Testory) up and said let's go to dinner. Instead, he said to me, 'You get your rear in here. We're looking for a weekend announcer and you'd be perfect.'"
"After a couple of weeks I thought, how many chances am I going to get to be on the air in a major market? So I went in and made a tape. Two weeks later, I got a call and started doing weekends at WLAK."
Honda was on the air in February of 1985, reading the Chicago Sun-Times in between songs.
"There was a small article saying that the White Sox had lost the services of their public address announcer," he said. "I decided to apply. Well, a funny thing happened … I got the job."
Honda eventually also became the P.A. announcer for DePaul basketball, linking him to athletic media relations director Scott Reed and his next big break.
"A couple of years later," Honda continued, "Scott says to me 'I'm getting married. Would you come to Iowa and introduce our bridal party?' I don't like doing those kinds of things, but it was Scott, so I did it. Well, I did my duty and a gentleman named Mark Bedics approached me at the bar during the reception. He said, 'I've heard you do DePaul games; you do a nice job. Would you be interested in doing the Final Four?' My first thought was 'How many have you had?!?' In November of 2002, I got a letter from the NCAA, inviting me to do the 2003 games in New Orleans."
During that first Final Four and his very first semifinal game, Honda was sitting at mid court of the Superdome and thinking, 'What did I get myself into?'
"Well, my father was still alive and I'd gotten him and my sister tickets," he said. "I looked over and dad had a smile on his face. And I was thinking, 'I guess I'm supposed to be here. Now, it's time to do my job.'"
Honda has picked up a wide variety of other gigs along the way. Besides serving as the P.A. announcer for White Sox games (since 1985) and DePaul hoops (since 1999), he's held similar duties for the Chicago Marathon (since 1997), the Chicago Blackhawks (since 2001), Major League Baseball's All-Star Game (2003), the World Series (2005), the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament (since 2007), the Maui Invitational (since 2009), Illini football (since 2014) and the American Flag Football League (since 2018).
Honda also has worked for Chicago's WTTW-TV since 1993 and has hosted numerous Public Broadcasting Service pledge drives, providing him with worldwide visibility and leading to bit roles in a couple of movies.
Decades later, he knows that none of his life's journey would have ever happened had it not been for the University of Illinois.
"It's why I'm doing what I'm doing now," Honda said. "The University was able to provide me with all sorts of wonderful options and different experiences that I would not have been able to get anywhere else. This sounds terrible, but since I never did actually get a degree from the University of Illinois, I tell people that my undergraduate came from WPGU and my graduate degree came from WKIO and 'Professor' Mike Haile. But none of that happens without my time at the University. I'm very grateful."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Ricky Smalling
Ricky Smalling & Wide Receiver Corps Could Be the Key to Illini Success
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Thanks primarily to the rushing successes of Reggie Corbin and AJ Bush, offensive coordinator Rod Smith smiled a lot more often than he frowned in 2018. Illinois' statistical numbers for rushing offense, total offense and scoring offense all surged a year ago, improving dramatically from 2017.
Increasing the productivity of the Illini passing game is Smith's primary focus this spring. In particular, they're counting on Chicago junior-to-be Ricky Smalling to reach his personal potential and emerge as an all-star in 2019. That's No. 4's objective as well.
"We heard a lot of the negative comments about the receiver corps," Smalling said. "We know that we didn't perform as well as we should have, so we're doing what we need to do to become the best receiver corps we can."
Smith says he and wide receivers coach Andrew Hayes-Stoker have had several conversations with Smalling and his teammates during the off-season.
"Ricky knows there's another couple levels that he needs to get to," Smith said. "He's a talented kid and he can be as good as anybody out there … if he becomes more consistent. He can do that through his preparation and through his work, taking every rep in practice to hone his craft. He knows that he's got to play better. I really expect him to take a big step this spring."
Smalling intends to takes his coaches' advice.
"Coach Smith told me that I need to have a different mindset and come to work hard every day," he said. "I have to want to be great. I have to be more prepared and just play my game and make things happen. I'm working on the fundamentals, just little things like getting in and out of my breaks, catching the ball, and knowing coverages … things that help me be in a better position to make a play. I have to not only push myself, but also push the whole receiver corps to do better."
Throughout its history, a number of Illini wide receivers have earned All-Big Ten and All-America honors, including Hall of Famer David Williams, Mike Bellamy, Brandon Lloyd, Aaron Moorehead and Arrelious Benn.
Hayes-Stoker says that Smalling should study what his former Illini teammate Malik Turner has done to turn himself into a legitimate NFL receiver with the Seattle Seahawks.
"Malik wasn't super fast, but he has so many intangibles that are really, really good," Hayes-Stoker said. "As a senior, he did a great job of coming to my office and talking about and studying scenarios. We'd go over a million different things, so then when he got to the field he'd put them into practice. When Malik got to Seattle, it showed up.
"When you look at the guys New England is playing with," Hayes-Stoker continued, "they're not the most talented guys— (Julian) Edelman, (Danny) Amendola, (Wes) Welker, (Chris) Hogan—but they all find a way to win. They've got a formula and a plan, and they execute the plan. They do a million scenarios in practice.
"They train the right way," Hayes-Stoker said. "That's what Malik has going for him. And I expect him to continue to evolve as a pro because he loves studying the game. That's his advantage. It takes a special guy to want to do that and be that. Everyone thinks that they're just going to line up and be a pro; it just doesn't work that way."
Smalling says he's noticed Turner's progress and that he intends to put those same practices into place for himself and his current teammates.
"We've all been watching Malik's clips," Smalling said. "He's really looking like a pro right now. I'm proud of him. He just shows me what I need to do to get where I want to go. He's kind of like a blueprint of how to be a great receiver."
Besides Smalling's 33 catches for 406 yards and five touchdowns from a year ago, the Illini's most productive wide-outs from 2018 include senior Trenard Davis (30 for 278 yards), junior Dominic Stampley (19 for 311, 2 TD) and senior Caleb Reams (5 for 58).
They're joined in spring practice by several returnees. Senior Justice Williams, junior Kendall Smith, sophomores Edwin Carter, Jordan Holmes, Carlos Sandy and Donny Navarro, and redshirt freshman Dylan Thomas. Navarro will be eligible this season after sitting out 2018 after transferring from Valparaiso. Incoming freshman Casey Washington from Pflugerville, Texas, and some possible graduate transfers also will join the Illini receivers next fall.
Rod Smith says the Illini receiving corps is "a work in progress."
"Improvement has to happen with our receivers, but that's the case with all of our positions," Smith said. "It was pretty glaring last year because we had more drops and breakdowns than we should have had. There's enough talent to get it done, but we just need to continue to get more confident about what our responsibilities are and improve our ability to execute plays. Last year was our first year in the system. Sometimes you press when you're trying to figure out what your role is, but I expect those guys to get a lot better this spring and moving into the fall as well."
Smalling is abundantly optimistic about the 2019 season.
"(Strength and conditioning) Coach Lou (Hernandez) has us working hard," he says. "The team chemistry is going through the roof. He makes us all depend on each other. No one is left behind. If someone's not working hard, everybody's going to pay a price for that. You don't want to let the person to your right or left down. We've got a lot of young guys coming up who can really play ball."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Josh Harris
Josh Harris: From the Marines to College Baseball
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Imagine that the Big Ten baseball title is on the line in the bottom of the ninth and the Illini lead by one run. The opponent has loaded the bases and nobody's out. Pitching coach Drew Dickinson calls for his left-handed reliever. Twenty-five-year-old Josh Harris emerges from the bullpen, crosses the foul line, steps to the top of the mound, and takes the ball.
That was a fictional scenario, but it could very well become a reality later this season. And, if it does, Dickinson says he doesn't expect that his Marine Corps veteran will wilt under the pressure.
"Nothing's gonna scare Josh," Dickinson said. "He's been through the military and the life-and-death expectancy that brings. Being in a college game? That's not pressure. He's always under control. Nothing fazes this kid."
More than four years of military service and a pair of overseas deployments would convince anyone what real pressure is.
Growing up in Beecher, Illinois, young Josh was encouraged by his father, Cal, to play all sports.
"He was my biggest fan," Harris said. "He coached all of my teams … football, basketball, all of my Little League games."
Cal was a deputy with the Will County Sheriff's Department. After his 10-hour shift, he'd grab his glove and play catch with Josh and daughter Jordyn.
"Sports was our way of bonding," Josh said.
Five months after Josh's 13th birthday, his world changed when his dad passed at the age of 47 from colon cancer.
"I had to resort to the other coaches to be successful in baseball and the other sports I played," he said.
At age 16, three of Josh's older friends began to check out a possible military career.
"They went to a Marine Corps PT (physical training) session every Wednesday and were studying to pass the qualifying test," he said. "They mentioned it to me and I was like 'Yeah, I'll give it a shot and see if I like it or not.' I went to my first PT event and I enjoyed it. I liked the team-building exercises and everything about it."
Since Josh was too young to enlist without parental permission, he had to persuade his mother.
"The Marines were getting Josh prepped for boot camp on the weekends," said Karyn Harris. "After a year of that, I thought he would probably have enough and quit, but he kept pursuing it."
The recruiter eventually visited the Harris home and sat down for two hours with Karyn and her son, explaining things in full detail so that she could comprehend what was actually going on.
"She looked at me and asked if I still wanted to do it," Josh said. "She said, 'Alright, let's do this.' And she's been on board with it ever since."
Harris says his service from 2011-15 in the Marine Corps "was everything for me."
"I wouldn't take back that experience for anything," he said. "I would sign the papers all over again if I had to."
Harris loved the people he met in service.
"It's just a bunch of individuals who want to succeed and push the people next to them and watch them succeed as well," he said. "They're just the most unselfish people, all trying to get better every single day. I matured more because of them. That experience made me understand life in general."
Harris prefers not to share the details of his deployments with his Illini teammates.
"I don't really go into stuff like that," he said.
When he was discharged from the Marines in October of 2015, Harris decided to take advantage of the G.I. Bill and seek a college education. He enrolled at Kankakee Community College and tried out for the Cavaliers baseball team, the same school that sent Casey Fletcher to the Illini. It was Fletcher who encouraged Dickinson to take a look at the fire-balling southpaw.
"Just watching Josh play catch you could see how his arm worked," Dickinson said. "In the game, he was 90-92 (mph) with a really good slider. I was like 'I'm in on this.'"
Harris says he's learned a lot from Dickinson when it comes to pitching mechanics and conditioning his arm.
"The difference between now and then is absolutely insane," he said. "I totally eliminated my previous training regiment and now I focus strictly on band work and reshaping my body to become a pitcher."
In Illinois's season opener on February 15, Harris got pitching victory No. 1 in his very first appearance.
"Personally, it's not the way I wanted it to happen," he said. "After I got out of a jam, Zac Taylor hit a home run and that earned me the win. Quinn did a great job against Georgetown, but it's unfortunate that I received the W. But that's the way baseball works. One day you're the hero and the next day people are wondering why you're on the team."
And while his left arm is his "money" arm, his heavily tattooed right arm tells Josh's real story. On the inside of his bicep are the words "For those I love, I will sacrifice." A smaller acronym—"; IGY6"—adorns his left wrist.
"It's called the project semicolon," Harris explained. "It's like the author writes something and his story is yet to be written, so he continues with another sentence. Mine is the military aspect of it. IGY6 ('I've got your back') is for suicide awareness among veterans."
Statistics indicate that an average of 20 U.S. veterans commit suicide every day.
"I've been around people with PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder)," he says. "I think it's one of the saddest things in the world how these people aren't recognized or seek the proper treatment. If I don't know a military veteran that I run into, I shake their hand. Veterans are taught to look down at the hand they shake. If they see IGY6, it's a signal that 'you can talk to me.'"
Harris is particularly gratified by the collegiality of his Illini teammates.
"The brotherhood of this team is great," he said. "When I committed here, they embraced me with open arms. They cared about me as an individual and not just as a baseball player. Every individual cares about each other. We all want to see each other succeed and we push each other to 110% every day. It's awesome to be around. We don't let each other slack off and we push each other to the limit. Being around 30-something guys like that, I think we'll have a successful season."
Harris studies communications at the University of Illinois and intends to follow in his father's footsteps by seeking a career in law enforcement.
"Communication is huge in law enforcement, so I think that a degree would be beneficial in being hired into a department," he said. "Having a law enforcement degree would have been really beneficial, but they really want to see the maturity of an individual. You can have a degree in anything, as long as it shows that you matured for four years and reached the goal of getting a degree. It shows that you're capable of doing the job."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Bobby Roundtree
Bobby Roundtree: 'Sparkplug' of UI's D Line
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Lovie Smith calls his front line "the engine of our defense." That must make Bobby Roundtree the Fighting Illini head football coach's primary sparkplug.
It's hard to believe that one of Big Ten football's most explosive pass rushers wasn't much into sports as an eighth grader.
"I was always a pretty big kid," Roundtree said, "but I didn't know much about football when I began playing. When I started making plays, I thought maybe I could get better and get a scholarship."
Just two years later, he got his first offer from the University of Akron.
"I couldn't stop smiling because I thought 'I'm actually doing something pretty good,'" he said. "I went home and told Mom and she got excited."
Before too long, the Illini got involved in recruiting Roundtree.
"The coaching staff was pretty aggressive," he said. "Coach Stoke (Andrew Hayes-Stoker) was always coming to check up on me to make sure Illinois was still in the picture."
Still, there was lots of competition for the Largo (Florida) High School star.
"I was thinking about going to Indiana with a few of the other guys I played with," Roundtree said. "But coach kept putting in my head 'You don't want to be a follower; make your own trend.' He told me that I could be big somewhere else and I didn't have to follow. So I just trusted the process and decided to come to Illinois. My mom loves how the coaches are with me now."
When he came to Illinois as a college freshman, Roundtree had intended to wear jersey No. 3. But Lovie Smith talked him out of that plan.
"Defensive players just don't wear single-digit numbers," Smith said. "I said to Bobby, 'Hey, you want to be something special? The best defensive lineman to rush the passer at the University of Illinois is Simeon Rice. You want to wear a number? Wear his (No. 97). There's a lot that will be expected of you.'"
Roundtree had an impressive first season for the Illini in 2017, starting nine games at defensive end, notching 50 tackles, including four tackles for loss, and being named to BTN.com's All-Freshman Team.
The 6-5, 255-pounder progressed even further as a sophomore. He collected 7.5 quarterback sacks among his 12.5 TFLs and 66 total stops. The conference's media members noticed, too, giving him honorable mention on the 2018 All-Big Ten squad.
"I felt like I made a big jump," Roundtree said. "I was a lot more comfortable with the game and I knew more about what the coaches expected. I was jumping around and having fun. Coach held me to a higher standard, so I was trying to put in more work and show the younger guys that just because you're young, it doesn't mean you can't be a factor. I was being more of a leader this year. I'm a laid back type of guy. I'm not vocal, so I try to lead by example."
An incredible work ethic, says line coach Austin Clark, will enable his 21-year old protégé to continue his meteoric rise to stardom.
"The biggest thing that Bobby Roundtree does is that he plays with unbelievable effort on every snap," Clark said. "That's the thing that's helped him make the biggest jump. He just plays so hard. Sometimes you have to coach effort, but Bobby is a guy who plays hard on every single play. When you tell Bobby something, he doesn't question it. He's just going to do it to the best of his ability and he's going to do it until he gets it right. We look forward to him being a leader for us this coming year."
Can Bobby Roundtree live up to the standards set by the man who previously wore the number he wears today?
"I just know that he (Simeon Rice) was one of the best that ever came through," Roundtree said. "Every time I go to practice, I see his picture and his number. I always look at it because I hear people talking about the comparison."
Clark hesitates to compare the two men.
"Bobby Roundtree is his own type of player," Clark says. "He is learning how to become a complete player. Bobby's learning how to develop his rush plan. He's learning how to use his length and he's learning a variety of ways how to attack the quarterback. He does a good job of getting his hands up in the pass game; that's a hidden art. At the end of the day, Bobby just wants to win and do what's best for the team. I wish we had 110 Bobby Roundtrees."
Don't forget about his current Illini linemates, Roundtree says. They will be the key to his success.
"Coach Smith tells us everyday that it starts up front," he said. "We've got more guys who are able to play. Calvin (Avery) and Jamal (Milan), Tymir (Oliver), K-Jack (Kenyon Jackson), Verdis (Brown) and all the others. We're all putting in extra work. We're going a lot harder than we did when I first got here. Everybody just wants to be the man, so we're all trying to outwork each other. I know we're just going to be better."
Today, seven former recent Illini defensive linemen play for NFL teams. That group includes Whitney Mercilus (Texans), Corey Liuget (Chargers) Chunky Clements (Rams), Carroll Phillips (Colts), Dawaune Smoot (Jaguars), Akeem Spence (Dolphins) and Jihad Ward (Colts). It's a fact not lost on Bobby Roundtree.
"Guys who've made it to the league come back and talk to us about what we have to do to get to the NFL," he says. "I just sit back and listen to what they say. They see something in us. I try to envision what they did and what I could do to be better than them. I'm getting better each year."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Nick Allegretti
Back-up plan? Nope. Allegretti is focused on football
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
As he continues daily preparation for his next career, former Fighting Illini football star Nick Allegretti is singularly focused. The term "back-up plan" isn't a phrase he plans to use anytime soon.
At this point in time, the owner of both a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's degree in recreation, sport and tourism from the University of Illinois is doggedly pursuing his life's true passion: a career in the National Football League.
"I've spoken to a lot a people who've gone through this process," said Allegretti. "You really can't have a back-up plan. This process is so difficult and so competitive that if you go in with a back-up plan, you're probably going to end up in that back-up plan. Right now, I'm trying to focus fully on playing in the NFL. That's all I can think about."
About five weeks after playing his final collegiate game for the Illini, Allegretti headed for Boston to hook up with Erik Kaloyanides, a trainer who specializes in preparing offensive linemen for professional football. Nick underwent a full body scan to understand what he needed to work on physically.
In mid January, the 6-4, 308-pounder was one of nearly two-dozen linemen chosen to play in the prestigious East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla. As a member of the East squad, Allegretti practiced and played at three different positions: center, right guard and left guard.
"I got to speak with quite a few pro scouts," said 2018's most efficient Big Ten pass blocker. "They seemed to be very happy with what they saw in practice. I think I performed well, maybe above the expectations that the scouts had for me, so that was good. The consensus is that center is my best position. I moved the best there, but I think that I showed that there's no drop off at either of the guards."
After his week in Florida, Allegretti resumed his training regimen in Boston.
"I eat an early breakfast and arrive at the facility around 8:45," he said. "From 9:30 to 11:45, it's conditioning, some cardio, warm-ups, and then work on two or three of the combine drills."
After lunch, activity begins with a brutal two-and-a-half-hour workout called 'Drago': a full-body or upper-body workout with between 7-10 separate workouts. Athletes do each of the units for 30 seconds and then get a 30-second break before the next one.
"It helps a lot with muscular endurance for the bench press and back half of the 40," Allegretti explained.
At the end of the day, he ices down, gets muscle stimulation, and meets with his physical therapist. Then he heads home to eat his evening meal, stretches and relaxes.
Allegretti returns to Champaign this week to prepare for the Illini's Pro Day on March 11 at Memorial Stadium.
It's a relatively standard routine for all of the Pro Day participants. They run a 40, engage in various pro agility drills, then are measured in the broad jump, vertical jump, and the 225-pound bench press.
"I'm really excited about all of the events," Allegretti said. "Strength isn't a huge concern for me and I think that I'll be able to out-perform expectations with the jumps, the runs and the agility. I'm definitely excited to show that I can move at an elite level in those drills."
Even though Allegretti was passed over for participation at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis (March 1-4), Illini head coach Lovie Smith continues to have high expectations for one of his personal favorite players.
"There are a lot of good players who didn't get a chance to go to the combine, so that's nothing against Nicky," Smith said. "He was an excellent college football player for us and he has several strengths. He has flexibility. He can play center and he can play guard. He's smart and he's a physical player. To me, he matches up with linemen that have been able to play in the NFL. His versatility should make him attractive to an NFL team."
When the annual NFL Draft rolls around next month (April 25-27 in Nashville), Allegretti plans to monitor the draft with his family and a few close friends at his home in Frankfort.
"I'll definitely have my phone on me and I'll be in contact with my agent and whatever teams are calling," he said. "But I don't see myself waiting in front of a TV all day. I have to keep myself occupied or I'll go nuts."
Allegretti says he'd love to be picked by the Chicago Bears, his all-time favorite NFL team.
"I've followed the Bears forever," he says. "It would be incredible to go play for my home state and my hometown, but I won't be picky. I would go anywhere in this country and play football. I know that I may be a later round or free agent guy, and that's OK with me. All I really want to do is be in that camp and get a shot. Wherever I end up going, I know that that team is going to get a bargain. I feel like I can produce like a top-round guy."
And just as he's been involved in the Champaign-Urbana community for the last five years, Allegretti plans to engage with his new team's community.
"Every community can use help in some way," he says. "A personal goal that I have for myself is the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. The men who are nominated for that award are incredible players and incredible citizens. It's a goal that will take a while, but it's something I want to work for."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Tristyn Nowlin (left) and Ali Morallos
'Advancing' Beyond Drives, Putts and Chips
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Nearly every successful golfer possesses similar physical attributes such as muscle flexibility, core stability, hip mobility, etc. But when University of Illinois women's golf coach Renee Slone recruits future Fighting Illini, she places equal emphasis on seeking intelligent young women who have the capability to expand and refine their psychological and emotional skills.
"Obviously, we're always looking for the most physically talented players," Slone says, "but, as we develop a relationship with our recruits and get to know them on a more personal level, we're finding out what their core values are -- what their beliefs are and what do they hold important -- and are those things that will really mix well with our team. Are they going to enhance our team culture and help make us better?"
On the heels of their strongest performance in years—a runner-up finish at the 2018 Big Ten Championship—Slone's Illini have even loftier aspirations in 2019.
They've developed a 10-word mission statement that they hope will help them take yet another step forward:
"Work toward our vision. Lead with love. Strive for greatness."
"The 'lead with love' part is an important aspect of it," Slone said. "They understand the importance of leadership, but it's got to come from a perspective of caring and understanding that when you keep each other accountable, it's because you care.
"It's because you want the best for them as well as the entire team. They're challenging each other to take it to another level because you care. You want that person to be the best version of themselves that they possibly can be."
According to Slone, now in her 13th season as UI's mentor, Illinois's process toward success and continuity has been building for a while now.
"Incrementally, we've been getting better year after year," she said. "And we'll attempt to continue that journey this season."
It's all about the people, Slone says.
"It's essential to have student-athletes that really buy in to what we're trying to accomplish," she said. "Are they willing to put forth the time and effort and do the little things on a daily basis that will help us get there?"
Slone's Illini have forged a "we over me" type of attitude.
"We think about the team as a whole and understand the process that is needed day by day," she said. "The things that we are doing now are going to impact what actually takes place in April and May."
Illinois' annual "process" begins in early September when team members leave campus—without their clubs—for what they refer to as a "team advance".
"Typically, it would be called a retreat, but we call it an advance because we're planning to move forward," Slone said. "We use that time to really lay the foundation for the season, talking about what our core values are, creating team standards, discussing the different challenges that we may face throughout the season, talking about where we want to go and what our vision is for the season, and what the process will need to be to get there."
The student-athletes participate in team-building exercises so that they get an opportunity to know each other beyond the golf.
"Once that happens, that's when the caring really starts to take place," Slone said. "Understanding each other's perspectives and backgrounds, and realizing that we all grew up different environments gives us a strong foundation to build that respect for each other."
Recently, the Illini women's golfers engaged in a first-ever "Team Advance II".
"We thought it was important to revisit many of those things that we discussed and we talked about our spring season ahead," Slone said. "A big part of the conversation was self-belief and confidence. We also talked about developing good habits that will help us get where we want to go."
Bing Singhsumalee (pronounced SING-sue-MOLL-ee), Illinois's lone senior on an eight-member roster, says she's a big proponent of the "Team Advance" concept.
"It's a chance to get to know the new players coming in," she said. "You discover each other's personalities and what makes them tick. It's a really good bonding experience in terms of team comradery. The advance in the spring is also important because it renews the focus on our goals. It reminds us why we're playing and just re-fires that passion we all have for the game."
Born in Bangkok, Thailand, but a citizen of the United States since the age of two, the 2018 first-team All-Big Ten selection eagerly accepts her new role as the Illini team's elder statesman.
"I definitely feel like I've matured into a leadership role," Singhsumalee says. "For the past three years, I've always had players older than me who I could look up to and ask questions when I needed to. Now, having five freshmen come in and me being the only senior, it's forcing me to take on a different role on the team. I've enjoyed it."
Slone says the strongest part of Singhsumalee's game is her mental side.
"Bing (Singhsumalee) is very calm, even-keeled, and manages situations well," Slone says. "She really is the rock for our team. When others may be getting stressed or hitting the panic button, Bing is a calming influence. She's a great leader by example. You can always count on her to do the right thing."
Slone admits that her personal role as the head coach is certainly important, but stresses that, day-in and day-out, the real responsibility for leadership duty falls upon Singhsumalee, junior Tristyn Nowlin, and sophomore Ali Morallos.
Nowlin, who hails from Richmond, Kentucky, earned second-team All-Big Ten honors last season. This past October, she captured her first collegiate career title at Louisville's Cardinal Classic by posting a 54-hole tournament record of 210, 6-under par.
"At that tournament, you could tell that she was locked and loaded," Slone said. "Tristyn (Nowlin) just has a look and a way about her. In going through the process, she keeps things very simple. The more putts she makes, her confidence just grows and grows and grows."
Morallos, from Lakewood, California, posted the UI program's ninth-best single-season stroke average (74.57) as a rookie.
"Ali (Morallos) is a very wise individual for her age," Slone said. "She's very thoughtful and organized and adds so much to our discussions. Ali is someone you can depend on to get it done. Whatever it is, she is going to get it done!"
The quintet of Illini freshmen includes Katie Hallinan from Loveland, Ohio, Sarah Hauenstein from Wheaton, Lauren Nay from Naperville, Kornkamol "Stang" Sukaree from Huntington Beach, California, and Crystal Wang from Diamond Bar, California.
Academically, their first semester was outstanding, contributing to a record-setting 3.79 team grade-point average this past Fall.
"All and all, this year's freshman class has transitioned very well," Slone said. "Crystal (Wang) and Stang (Sukaree) have gotten off to strong starts and had some very, very good rounds. Katie and Lauren also have had the opportunity to travel, so getting that experience has been beneficial."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
'Changing the Face of a Program' - Clark has Illini Women's Tennis on the Rise
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
What went from good in 2017 to very good in 2018 for the Illini women's tennis team could be simply great in 2019. And with three blue-chip recruits signed and sealed for 2020, can awesome be far behind?
Head Coach Evan Clark admits that the path for his relatively young squad has already gotten steeper.
"Last year we were under the radar a little bit and towards the end of the year that changed," he said. "But this year, there's no hiding."
In an attempt to find out where his team stood, the 2018 Big Ten Coach of the Year beefed up Illinois's non-conference schedule, pitting his squad against three of the nation's Top 25 teams. And though the Illini lost all three of those matches—4-1 to No. 16 Kansas (Jan. 25), 4-3 to No. 21 Virginia (Jan. 26), and 4-0 to No. 4 Duke (Feb. 3)—Clark has no regrets.
"Those matches will help us for sure," he said prior to Feb. 8 and 10 matches against talented teams from Notre Dame and Oregon. "We've seen the best and, in future matches that might be a little more manageable, this will help us."
Prophetically, the Illini bounced back triumphantly last weekend at the Atkins Tennis Center, defeating the Fighting Irish and Ducks by identical 4-3 scores.
Looking back at Illinois's 2018 top-three finish in the Big Ten and the program's first NCAA Tournament victory in nine years, Clark said his Illini progressed even faster than he imagined they would.
"There's no question that last year was very, very special," he said. "We had four freshmen who came in and changed the face of the program. We talked about being hungry and playing with a chip on our shoulder. So that's got to be a mantra that stays with us, regardless of whether we're No. 5 in the country or No. 25. We're going to have to stay hungry and keep working."
Figuring out who to play one through six singles was a difficult assignment for Clark and first-year assistant German Dalmagro.
"We're very, very even in game styles," Clark said.
So far, Clark's starting six in 2019 has included two seniors and a quartet of talented sophomores. Playing No. 1 singles for the Illini is second-year phenom Asuka Kawai from Palatine.
"Asuka is an exceptional individual," Clark says. "She's really set herself apart by the way she's playing. Asuka is super athletic and a legitimate No. 1 for us. She's got room to grow in terms of closing out matches, but she always puts herself into a position to win. Now, it's just a matter of getting over that hump and getting a little more mentally tough."
Clark says Kawai, the team's Spirit Award winner a year ago, is "all about Illinois."
"When you're at matches, you can hear her and see her energy," Clark said. "You definitely know what court Asuka's on because she's a competitor and very spirited. That's what we love about her."
This past weekend, senior Jaclyn Switkes from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, played No. 2 singles for the Illini. Her success story at Illinois is one that Clark loves to share.
"I've never seen a student-athlete get more out of her game that Jaclyn," Clark said. "She'll be honest with you about not being the most talented kid, but she fights and claws and scraps and makes you really, really work. Jac's competitiveness is her best quality. It's not always going to be pretty, but she just finds a way to win. She's a great example for our other kids."
Though Emilee Duong narrowly lost both of her matches this past weekend at No. 3 singles, Clark remains confident about the Placentia, California sophomore.
"Emilee was a big reason we had the success we did last season," he said. "She's got a huge game, is really, really athletic, and hits a huge ball. Of any kid I've ever coached, Emilee has the 'livest' arm I've seen. Now, she's got to hone that stuff in and be a little more disciplined and consistent. There's no doubt that she's a special kid."
Clark's very first Illini recruit, sophomore Mia Rabinowitz from Tenafly, New Jersey, holds a special place in his heart.
"Mia was the first kid that bought in to what I was trying to sell," Clark said. "She is small in stature, but she works harder than anybody. She's kind of a counter-puncher and, day in and day out, is one of our most consistent kids in all areas of her game. We're trying to work on her to get a little more offensive to work her way up in the lineup, but Mia is tough to beat just the way she is right now."
Yet another sophomore, Sasha Belaya from Melbourne, Florida, won both of her matches last weekend.
"Sasha wasn't in the lineup when we began the spring, but once she got in we couldn't take her out," Clark said. "Overall, she was another rock for us. At four, five and six, Sasha just didn't lose a lot. She's already made improvement this spring with her emotional side on the court and that's been a big piece of the puzzle for her."
Senior Daniella Pedraza Novak from Bogota, Colombia experienced her career's top highlight last spring when she clinched Illinois's 4-2 win over Princeton in the NCAA First Round.
"Dani is such an exceptional kid," Clark said. "She's found a niche with No. 1 doubles. She's a gifted tennis play who's got great hands around the net and is one of the most aggressive people we have. She and Sasha have been a great pair. Their chemistry and game styles have really matched up. The sky's the limit for them."
Freshman Shivani Ingle from India was slated to get her first action last Sunday, but an injury to Oregon's No. 6 player cancelled that appearance.
"It's been a big learning curve for Shivani, but she's going to get there," Clark said. "Both she and Maddie (freshman walk-on Madeleine Gandawidjaja from San Marino, California) are ready to play, but it's just a matter of having six really experienced kids who are returning."
A third Illini senior, Ines Vias from Germantown, Maryland, also will eventually see occasional playing time.
Last November, Clark and Dalmagro got commitments from three superb high school players, so the future of Illini tennis appears to be getting stronger and stronger. Josie Frazier from Scottsdale, Arizona, Ashley Yeah from Los Gatos, California, and Emily Casati from Chicago all join the Orange and Blue in 2020.
"We're trying to find a balance and really get the best fit academically and personality wise for what we're trying to do," Clark said.
With home matches coming up on Feb. 14 against Texas A&M and Feb. 17 versus Baylor, Clark invites Illini fans of all ages to give his 2019 squad a look.
"We've got a team that's exciting, fiery and competitive," Clark said. "Women's tennis is fun. In general, points are a little bit longer, so that's how we sell our game on the women's side. The uniqueness of our team has changed over the last two years. Now we've got six people who are really competing. Our best years are definitely ahead of us."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Illini Basketball Teams with UI's Cancer Center at Illinois
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
The Coaches vs. Cancer program is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. This initiative leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs. Since 1993, coaches have raised more than $100 million for the American Cancer Society.
Cancer statistics are staggering. More than 40 percent of Americans risk developing the dreaded disease, and the remaining 60 percent all know at least one person affected by cancer.
In developing a cure for cancer, the world's foremost biologists and chemists have led the charge, but University of Illinois professor and director of the Cancer Center at Illinois Dr. Rohit Bhargava says that University of Illinois researchers on the Urbana-Champaign campus are approaching the worldwide dilemma from a different angle.
"Biology provides a great understanding into cancer and chemistry provides us with some drugs to deal with cancer," Bhargava said. "But the one discipline that really allows us to take basic science like biology and chemistry and turn it into technology of treatments at low costs is engineering."
Though the Cancer Center at Illinois wasn't formally introduced until the summer of 2017, Bhargava says that the concept actually began at UIUC about a decade ago.
"There was really no cancer center in the nation that focused on bringing engineering and technology into cancer research," he says. "The University of Illinois has put together a team of about 70 investigators who are funded by the government to try and work together. We also have an equal number of people who are doing cancer-related research, but they don't have explicit federal support to do a cancer-specific project. Working with our clinical partners, we intend to turn this campus' engineering prowess into something useful for people."
Bhargava proudly points to former UIUC faculty member Paul Lauterbur (1985-2007) for getting the ball rolling with his pioneering development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Lauterbur's groundbreaking technology gave doctors the ability to look deep inside the body and detect abnormal growth.
"Basic engineering and development in imaging has led to revolutionary advancements later on," said Bhargava. "Now our people are working on how to make a tumor in a dish; take a patient's tumor cells, grow them in a lab, and then make a treatment that will be suitable for that patient by doing basic engineering.
"Chemistry and science also play a big role, so we have a huge cadre of people here on our campus that synthesize new molecules. They're basic chemists who make molecules like we play with Legos."
However, it's not just fulltime faculty and staff members who are contributing to the effort. A sizeable number of UIUC students are participating as well through five different education programs that begin from high school and advance all the way up to a physician scientist.
"The idea is how do we turn cancer into a tool for motivating people's education," Bhargava said. "By the same token, how do we educate people who are not engineers or chemists or biologists, but who are cancer research specialists? How can we take their disciplines and bring it into cancer research?"
One of the programs that is Bhargava's personal favorites is called the Cancer Scholars Program, involving undergraduate students. Exceptional high school candidates are admitted into the Cancer Scholars Program and involved with a series of courses and organized research from the very first day they enter the university.
"Essentially, they will do about four years of research while they're on campus as undergraduates," he said. "So, after four years, not only do they come out with a great understanding of how their education is applied to a particular problem in the work, but they now have a chance to go into cancer research and actually contribute something."
Over a period of the last five years, there has never been a person who has declined the opportunity to join UIUC's Cancer Scholars Program.
"We've offered this to nearly 60 students and all of them have accepted," Bhargava said.
One of those individuals is Batavia senior Erin Tevonian, a bioengineering major who will earn her bachelor's degree this coming May.
"From the time I was a junior (at Batavia High), I knew that I wanted to do cancer research," Tevonian said. "I saw cancer affecting family members growing up and I wanted to make a difference. I was really interested in biology and did a lot of reading about cancer, about all the years of work that people have put in to curing the disease and some of the challenges that remain. The challenge of cancer research really appealed to me and I wanted to contribute to solving that challenge."
Dr. Bhargava taught Tevonian's initial class, covering the fundamentals of cancer biology, discussing the characteristics of the disease, and why no one has yet discovered a cure. She's since spent four years studying under Dr. Roy Dar, assistant professor with UIUC's bioengineering department.
"Combining basic math, physics and biology with the higher levels of electrical engineering and mechanical engineering allows us to have more of a holistic viewpoint," Tevonian said. "That helps us with collaborations and solving some of these complicated problems."
Does she look at cancer differently now?
"I definitely realize some of my naivety from high school, being like 'I'm going to solve cancer' to now better understanding the different sub fields within cancer research and the complexity that's involved. Patience is important, but the progress that's been made even in the last 10 years is really impressive to me. We have a lot of hope for the future of cancer research."
According to Bhargava, making people aware of cancer and the research surrounding the disease is extremely important, and he deeply appreciates the contribution intercollegiate athletics is making to help solve one of the world's biggest social problems.
"We don't pay attention to cancer until we or a loved one is diagnosed with it," he said. "Intercollegiate athletics has raised awareness on the patient side about doing early detection and being careful with our health. On the research side, it's bringing attention to the hard work that lots of people are doing. To the students, it's bringing hope and training them. Together, we can make an impact on something that affects so many of us."
To learn more about the Cancer Center at Illinois, log on to www.cancer.illinois.edu.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
"They Had a Deep Love for Illinois" - Illini Family Mourns Bob Doan and Charlie Finn
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
If you know Illinois Athletics, then you know the names Bob Doan and Charlie Finn.
No, they weren't on team rosters, but they spent just as much time in Illinois athletics venues – maybe even more.
Though their careers were distinctly different - one an outstanding educator and the other a successful businessman in the furniture industry - Doan and Finn shared an extraordinary fervour for the athletic program of their alma mater, the University of Illinois.
Sadly, East Central Illinois lost both these Illini loyalists recently, Finn at age 85 on December 8, then Doan on January 6 at age 73.
Made our Community a Better Place
A native Texan, Doan graduated from the U of I with a M.S. in Education and was involved with numerous school systems for nearly four decades. He taught, coached and served as an athletic administrator at several Illinois school systems, including Noble, Arthur, Pontiac, Sullivan and Tolono, then was a principal at Bethany, Bement and Villa Grove. Concurrent with that service, Doan also was a member of the Regional Illinois Principals Association and the Illinois High School Association's Legislative Commission.
It was in Bement where former Illini athletics staffer and now Champaign-Urbana realtor Todd Salen first met Doan.
"I was refereeing basketball when Bob and I became friends," Salen said. "After the games, he'd invite me and my officiating partner to his office and pick my brain about how the Illini were doing. He was a great, great Illini fan and loved everything Orange and Blue. I think he was a member of nearly every Illini booster club - football, volleyball, men's and women's basketball.
"Bob was right there with Charlie Finn in terms of the most optimistic fans you'd ever want to meet."
After retiring, Doan returned with his wife, Arlone, to Arthur. He was a founding member of the Illinois Amish Heritage Center Board and a member of the East Central Illinois Economic Development Corporation. Doan seemingly knew everyone and had a special affection for young people aspiring to careers in business.
Mark Jones, the U of I's veteran athletics photographer and a resident of Arthur, called Doan a tireless ambassador of Illini sports.
"He was just non-stop," Jones said. "To say the very least, Bob was good for the town of Arthur. He was a really, really good man and a faithful husband to his wife who dealt with health issues for several years. Bob was a Methodist and Methodists love meetings. Absolutely no one was better at solving problems than Bob. He made our community a better place."
Finn An Illini Insider
Finn's love affair with the Illini began when he was a teenage student manager for Coach Ray Eliot's teams. No one had more respect for "Mr. Illini" than Charlie.
"Next to my father, Ray was my second mentor," Finn once said. "Coach was the most honorable man I ever knew. He had the courage of his convictions."
One of Finn's final public appearances was at last fall's annual Varsity I Association banquet where he spoke on behalf of 16 returning members of Illinois's 1953 Big Ten co-champions.
Jan Smid, a key player on the '53 squad and Illinois's team captain in '54, said he and Finn supported each other during their time together as UI students.
"We scratched each other's back," Smid chuckled. "Charlie helped me become the senior captain and I helped him become the senior manager. After we graduated, we'd talk on the phone at least once a week. Charlie was the most gung-ho Illini fan I ever knew. We'd joke about slitting our wrist to see who bled Orange and Blue the most, but I knew he'd always win."
Finn's service to his alma mater extended well beyond the athletic fields and arenas, serving as a member of the Dean's Business Council. He received the Alumni Association's Loyalty Award in 2004.
Jim Sheppard, the longtime public address announcer for Illini football and basketball and a friend of Charlie and his wife, Blanche, said that anything Finn tackled in terms of a supporting a project, he went after it with full force.
"Whether it was supporting Illini athletes or his involvement with the School of Business, Charlie always gave it his all," Sheppard said. "The last year of his life he was the President of our Kiwanis Club. Many days he'd be experiencing great pain, but he never missed a meeting. He was devoted to every single project he ever touched."
Finn was perhaps more knowledgeable about the career of Illini icon Red Grange than any other person on the planet. On Aug. 23, 2013, his play "Red Grange: The Galloping Ghost Returns to the Virginia Theater" was presented in Champaign.
They Gave Their All
Howard Milton, UI's Senior Associate Director of Athletic Development, lauded Doan and Finn for their contributions, but confided that it wasn't just for the checks they wrote.
"These two gentlemen gave us their time, they gave us their talents, and then they invested. What they invested was significant, but with Chuck and Bob, their time and their talents were probably 20 times more impactful. They were people who simply supported Illinois. Bob Doan and Charlie Finn were great examples to us all."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Smith Family Scholars Program Helps Foster Find Degree Completion
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
In August, the Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics announced a $20 million gift from the H.D. Smith Foundation, of which $3 million was to fund a degree completion program for Illini student-athletes wishing to return to campus. Former football player Kendrick Foster became the inaugural recipient of the Henry Dale and Betty Smith Family Scholars Program.
Almost 87 percent of the student-athletes who come to the University of Illinois to play football leave campus with a bachelor's degree. It's even more impressive to learn that, over the period that Lovie Smith has been head coach, more than a quarter of those graduates have gone on to pursue and earn post-graduate degrees.
In December, former Illini running back Kendrick Foster joined that esteemed group, completing courses for a Master of Science degree from the College of Applied Health Sciences.
However, among the average American student attending college, Foster is a rare exception. Thanks to the Henry Dale and Betty Smith Family Scholars Program, he will graduate without accumulating any debt.
According to 2017 statistics, about 44 million American borrowers owe nearly $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. To break those numbers into simpler terms, the average student loan payment for borrowers between the ages of 20 and 30 years old is roughly $350 per month.
That's something Foster won't have to worry about.
"Having the Smith family help me out with the scholarship is a great blessing," Foster said. "God gave me a talent for football, but being able to get an education for free is huge. To not be in debt in this day and age is rare. I've heard stories of some people paying off their student loans until they're 60 or 70."
Last August, the H.D. Smith Foundation, led by Dale and Chris Smith, donated $20 million to the University of Illinois Foundation. Three million was earmarked for creating scholarship opportunities for former student-athletes to return to campus for degree completion.
"We graduate student-athletes at such a high rate and a fast pace, we have circumstances where student-athletes finish their undergraduate degree early and begin work towards a master's degree," Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services and Student-Athlete Development Dr. Brian Russell said.
"Often times, they complete their eligibility prior to finishing the master's degree. The Smith Scholarship gives us the opportunity to provide financial assistance to support them to finish long after their playing days end at Illinois. It's something we're truly thankful for in terms of how unique a circumstance it is to be able to do that."
The intent of the scholarship is to help those that leave early to pursue professional opportunities prior to completing their undergrad degree.
"In our profession, we're often challenged with helping student-athletes navigate this decision where they can graduate early and start a meaningful graduate degree," Dr. Russell continued. "To have the chance to choose meaningful degree paths and to prepare professionally and intentionally for opportunities beyond sport is something that's pretty incredible, thanks to the Smith family."
Foster, who in December completed courses for his master's from the College of Applied Health Science in Recreation, Sport and Tourism, was chosen to be the very first recipient of the Smith scholarship.
"Kendrick was an ideal candidate for the first honor because he performed so well when he was an undergraduate, completing an undergraduate degree in Recreation, Sport and Tourism and then going on to start and nearly completing his master's degree prior to leaving to attempt to play professionally," Dr. Russell said. "He's somebody who did everything right academically while he was here. Kendrick put himself in a position to use resources and help build his own personal brand. It was an easy selection process to allow him the support so that he could finish."
It's been anything but a simple journey for Foster and the Peoria native credits his mother, Mindy Sullivan, for being his "rock".
"Since day one, she's been with me through thick and thin," Foster said. "She's always been my biggest supporter and is definitely someone I look up to in terms of work ethic and just enjoying life. At Illinois, she's supported me throughout … from redshirting as a freshman to losing playing time my senior year. She's been there every step of the way."
"My experience with the academic staff was phenomenal," he said. "Miss Carla (Suber), Annie White … the whole group of academic counselors was always there to help. They helped all of us with the stress of school, showing us how to study, and the importance of time management."
Foster, who is currently attempting to fulfill his dream of playing professionally with the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football, is the first member of his family to complete courses for a master's degree.
"I'm proud of my accomplishment," Foster said. "It hasn't been easy, but it's a testament to my commitment of fulfilling my promise to my mom."
Foster says he deeply appreciates what the Smith family has done to help a fellow Fighting Illini.
"I just want to thank the Smith family so much," he said. "Not just me, but other athletes as well who are in the same situation as me who want to come back and get their degrees. They're opening the doors for others. The whole football program appreciates what they do. It just shows how strong the bond of being an Illini really is."
If a former student-athlete is interested in receiving assistance for undergraduate or postgraduate degree completion, please contact the Varsity I office at varsityi@illinois.edu.
***
Graduation numbers during the Lovie Smith era
• Seven football players earned degrees in Dec. 2018 and six more expected to graduate in May.
• A total of 29 football student-athletes earned degrees in 2017-18, including six that were on the 2018 roster pursuing second degrees or master's degrees.
• Fighting Illini players have earned 110 degrees in the last three-plus years – 7 so far in 2018-19, 29 in 2017-18, 32 in 2016-17 and 42 in 2015-16.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
'An Illini Basketball Icon' - Longtime Trainer Stepping Down in May
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Nearly half a century of loyal service to the University of Illinois's Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) will conclude next May when Rod Cardinal steps down from his role as Coordinator of Special Projects.
The affable Minnesotan, who turns 70 on Saturday, is now the senior member of the Illini staff, but he says it seems like only yesterday that he was head athletic trainer Skip Pickering's one and only full-time assistant. Conversely, today's DIA staff features 16 full-time trainers, three graduate assistants and countless student aides.
"It's been an amazing transformation of our athletic program from the old Athletic Association to the department that (athletic director) Josh (Whitman) now leads," Cardinal said. "I look at the facilities and I'm jealous in one respect. But at the same time, I'm so proud of our ability to keep pace with our competitors.
Cardinal grew up on a farm near Blaine, Minn., with his three brothers and two sisters. He played basketball at Coon Rapids High School and was recruited by Southwest State University in nearby Marshall.
His work-study scholarship mandated that he perform duties as a part-time athletic trainer. For road games, Cardinal both taped up his teammates and came off the bench as the sixth man.
"We were up at Michigan Tech one time and some guy got popped underneath his eye and was bleeding," he remembers. "That's the first time I'd ever experienced something like that. Their head coach actually came over and said 'just put your thumb over this to stop the bleeding'. It was quite a learning experience."
After graduating from Southwest State in 1971, Cardinal was drafted into the Army.
"(President) Nixon sent me a letter that said 'Greetings, your student deferment is up,'" he said. "The (Vietnam) war was starting to wind down when I went in. Mary and I had just gotten married. I was aware that the military academies had civilians to help support the corps, so after my basic training at Fort Leonard Wood I got my orders to report to West Point and serve the rest of my term there."
Cardinal's assignment was to assume the athletic training role as a grad student. He became friends with Army's gymnastics coach, a former Illini gymnast named Ed Raymond, and while chatting noticed a posting in a University of Illinois job placement flyer. When Cardinal dialed the number, Pickering answered the phone.
"He seemed to be a very likeable person," Pickering recalls. "Everything was 'Yes, sir. No, sir." In those days, our salaries were terrible (Cardinal received $7,000), but we got him here and he never left."
Cardinal credits former Illini track and field coach Gary Wieneke for showing him the ropes during those early days. He also treated athletes on the football, baseball and tennis teams.
But it was with the Illini men's basketball team where Cardinal gained his most significant notoriety. In his first three years, he worked with three head coaches: Harv Schmidt, Gene Bartow and Lou Henson.
"I enjoyed working with Harv because of him being a former Illini basketball player and a former captain," Cardinal said. "He was an Illini guy and he carried that on his shoulders."
"Coach Bartow was really good to work with from the standpoint that he had just come off of a Final Four appearance," Cardinal said. "He was almost the opposite of Harv in terms of his ability to recruit and bring in a diverse group of athletes. I always had the sense that he was destined for greater things. When UCLA came knocking on the door, there was no way he could turn it down."
Of course, Cardinal's longest coaching relationship was with Henson, a man who he served for 21 years.
"One of my great accomplishments was earning Coach Henson's trust," he said. "I served as his operations guy and was involved with a lot of logistics stuff. I learned an awful lot from Coach Henson and his ability to let loose the reins a little bit and allow me to help him and the program. It was a great, great learning experience."
Henson has mutual respect for Cardinal.
"Rod was a highly professional trainer who provided our players with excellent care," Henson said. "With his position came many other roles that he willingly fulfilled and never complained. In many ways, Rod was a father figure to the athletes."
Numerous games, teams and athletes are indelibly etched into Cardinal's memory bank.
• Illinois's upset in 1979 over No. 1 Michigan State and Earvin "Magic" Johnson: "I thought I was going to jump out of my skin when Eddie Johnson hit that shot."
• UI's 54-51 loss at Kentucky in the 1984 Mideast Regional Finals: "I swear to this day if we had played them on a neutral court, I'm convinced that we would have beaten them 10 out of 10 times. We were a better team than they were. Efrem Winters stepped up big time despite an ankle injury and played an awesome game for us. We had all the pieces for us to be a Final Four team."
• The "Flying Illini" of 1989: "I just remember how well oiled that team was. The ability of Coach Henson and Nagy and Collins to make quick decisions, and our guys' ability to adapt and adjust throughout the course of the season. They just hit all the right buttons correctly and it was a magical situation that ended unfortunately for us. But the journey to get there was just so incredibly exciting."
• Nursing Kenny Battle and Lowell Hamilton back to health before the 1989 Mideast Regional final game vs. Syracuse: "I can remember John Mackovic telling me 'when I was at Wake Forest, Doc whatever his name was would be up all night with those players. He'd have them ready the next day.' And that was my cue. Mary and the kids were up there with me at that time and I had to get up every couple of hours and go check on these guys. I just set the alarm, had a key to their room, and kept changing the ice. The good Lord willing, they were able to play, not a hundred percent, but they were effective."
• Andy Kaufmann's game-winning shot vs. Iowa in 1993: "Coach Henson would diagram a play on copy paper on his clipboard. He would draw his free throw lane and his X's and O's, and then just rip it off and throw it underneath the chair. He'd say 'T.J., you do this and you do that. And Andy, you're going to come off this screen.' It was very reminiscent of the play he drew up for Nick Anderson. If I'd have been smarter back then, I would have picked up some of those drawings."
• Illinois's Big Ten champions in 1998: "We got the magic beans with that group. Coach Kruger, who was just an awesome guy to work with, just hit on some gold with those guys. They bought into everything that he said. Individually, they weren't all that great, but together they just hit gold. It was so much fun to be around them. Matt Heldman was the glue to a group of guys that played so well. That's a proud group of Big Ten champions, I'll tell you."
• UI's miraculous performance at the 1999 Big Ten Tournament: "All of us just packed one suit, one shirt. When you're the 11th seed, you're coming up and going home. We'd got to that fourth game and nobody wanted to raise our arms or jump up and down."
Cardinal quickly points to his wife as being a key to his success.
"Mary doesn't get enough credit for the amount of work she put in raising three kids (Troy, Brian and Lisa) and dealing with the lifestyle I had as an athletic trainer," he said. "She's been a saint and a wonderful partner. I'm so blessed to have had her in my life as we've made this journey."
Pickering, Cardinal's old boss, says that his longtime friend is quite simply an Illini icon.
"He really is," Pickering said. "Rod has been there so long and he's survived all the things that have gone on. He was so well liked and so respected in what he did. You talk to the players … oh, man, they think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread. If he were in the world of big business, he'd be a multi-millionaire."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
'Becoming Chris Tamas' - Illini volleyball head coach leads from experience
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Second-year Fighting Illini coach Chris Tamas points to two individuals for laying a successful foundation as a burgeoning athlete at Laguna Blanca School in Santa Barbara, California.
Young Chris loved sports.
“Basketball, baseball, swimming, track, tennis, golf … you name it and I tried it,” he said.
Then, one day, a new challenge came his way.
“I found out they needed two more kids to be able to have a volleyball team. So my buddy and I decided to find out what this sport was all about. Jason Donnelly and (former UCSB All-America setter) Todd Rogers taught me a lot about the basics when I was young.”
Donnelly, now the athletics director at Laguna Blanca, vividly recalls the tall, skinny teenager who shot up six inches between his freshman and sophomore years.
“Chris was extremely athletic and had the best hands I’d ever seen of someone so young,” Donnelly said. “More importantly, however, is instantly thinking that this was a really good kid, and that I was looking forward to being his coach. Chris was a sponge, soaking in everything he was learning and making it a part of who he was.”Tamas would live up to his coach’s expectations, eventually becoming the most accomplished student-athlete in his senior class of 18 and earning a volleyball scholarship to the University of the Pacific. After winning team MVP honors and unanimous All-America acclaim for the Tigers, he became a member of the U.S. Men’s National Team. Tamas then played professionally in The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Cyprus and Finland.
In a way, Tamas’s tour overseas from 2003-09 symbolized a return to the roots his father’s family had established generations earlier in Europe.
Chris’s dad, George, was born in Kaunas, Lithuania during the height of World War II. His country was being squeezed by Nazi troops from the south and the Russian army from the north. As battles raged, the Tamasevicius family was forced to flee its homeland and relocate to a displaced persons camp in Germany. A few years after the war ended, an invitation arrived from George’s uncle to join him in the United States. The family gathered their possessions and set sail for America. Upon landing at Ellis Island in 1949, they shortened their surname to “Tamas”.
After a few days in Chicago, the family drove to Texas and lived there for five years. They relocated to California in 1954 where George became an accomplished student and athlete at Loyola High School in Los Angeles. He then attended UCLA, studying mathematics and becoming a fan of Lou Alcindor’s legendary Bruin basketball teams. Today, 75-year-old George Tamas is president of Interactive Virtual Learning, a company that facilitates instructors to interact with students in academic, corporate and government over high-speed video networks.
“I grew up hearing about John Wooden and all the UCLA greats. We went to a bunch of UCLA games,” Chris remembered. “Dad has always been a big sports fan and coached all of my basketball teams when I was young.”
His mom, Mardee, was athletic as well, encouraging Chris, his sister (Brooke) and brother (Troy) to participate in sports.
“She’d always play ‘H-O-R-S-E’ with me at the playground, so that’s where I get my competitiveness from,” Chris said. “And she would talk trash to me while we were doing it.”
A fan of multiple sports, Tamas believes that volleyball is the most pure of all the team games.
“I preach that every day to our athletes,” he said. “I always make sure that our team is focused on the fact that you need a teammate to help you do something. You can’t have a good setter if you don’t have good passers. The attackers can’t kill the ball if they don’t have a good setter. They can’t be free to swing away at the ball if they don’t have good defenders behind covering them. Whereas in basketball, I can hand the ball off to LeBron and he can just do something (by himself).”
What’s Tamas’s most challenging aspect of coaching women?
“I’m not one,” he chuckled.
“It’s important to have good female coaches on staff. I don’t always look at male/female stuff. There are some inherent differences between the sexes, but the standards remain high. I don’t think anyone deals well with being yelled at, so I believe it’s better to work through positive training whenever you can.”
One of Tamas’s female assistants is his “boss” at home, wife Jennifer.
A four-time All-America middle blocker, silver medalist with the U.S. team at the 2008 Olympics, and an eight-year professional.
They first met at Pacific when Chris was a freshman and Jen was on a recruiting trip to the Stockton campus.
“We dated a little bit in college, but we were more just friends, supporting each other’s program,” Tamas said. “When we were both playing overseas in 2007, we reconnected by Skype—she was in Japan and I was in Cypress—then we started dating again once we got back to the states. Within four-and-a-half months of dating, we were engaged, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Tamas began his coaching career as an assistant at Cal-Riverside in 2009, eventually moving to Minnesota (2011-12), Cal Poly (2013-15) and Nebraska (2014-17). Josh Whitman named him as Illinois’s head coach on February 10, 2017.
"Chris stood out immediately,” Whitman said. “His breadth of experience as both a player and coach, his commitment to the personal growth and development of our student-athletes, his work ethic, and his fierce competitiveness were compelling.”
Tamas’s impact on the program was immediate, leading the Illini back to the NCAA Regionals for a 17th time.
The improvement has continued in 2018, earning a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a 28-win season, including Illinois' final 13 matches.
“Players like Jordyn (Poulter) and Ali (Bastianelli) and Beth (Prince) have really held to core since I’ve gotten here,” Tamas said. “They’ve got the ship moving and now they’re the anchors. I’m very proud of where they started and where they are now.”
As the regular season comes to a close, Tamas doesn’t intend to change his plan for the NCAA Tournament. He believes the sky’s the limit for his Illini.
“A big part of our training is to teach them to come to practice every day, to be on their ‘A’ game, and to be able to perform when there’s no pressure,” he said. “They’ve done that, night in and night out. That’s why you’re seeing the year that we’re having. I hope that translates into a big tournament. But we don’t take anything for granted. We’re still attacking every day and learning how to be good in that moment. I don’t like to make predictions, so my prediction is that we’ll have practice today and we need to work out hardest in practice.”
Back in Santa Barbara, Tamas’s first mentor keeps a keen eye on his protégé.
“I've seen Illinois play a few times on the Big Ten Network and Chris’s team reminds me of the kind of player he was,” Donnelly said. “They play with what I call ‘controlled emotion’ and seem to have a lot of fun out there, particularly when things get stressful. I'm sure the players on the Illini squad know how much Chris and the staff cares about them as women, and not just volleyball players. He has always stayed true to who he is and I’m really proud of what he's been able to do so far at Illinois.”
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Walter Mendenhall Gives Chicago Youth Their 'Why'
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
It was a moment in time that transformed Fighting Illini football alumnus Walt Mendenhall's life.
The year was 2007, a season when University of Illinois football would surge from a 2-10 record the year before to a berth in the Rose Bowl. However, despite being a faithful man of God, a lack of playing time had caused Mendenhall to sink into a deep, dark depression.
"One night, I was laying in bed, contemplating taking my life because football was going right," he said. "I was like 'God, I need to know if you are really REAL right now because I don't know if I'm going to live to see tomorrow.' And, suddenly, I felt a presence and a calmness that I'd never felt before. I felt like a newborn baby being held by his mother, and I had the most peaceful sleep I've ever had in my life."
Even though Mendenhall's circumstances with the Illini didn't fully materialize, he recognized that his attitude toward it had changed.
"That was the day that I realized that I was here for a bigger purpose and it was not necessarily to play football," he said.
Still, Mendenhall yearned to prove himself on the field as his younger brother, Rashard, had done. Though Walt had lettered twice in limited playing time at Illinois (2005 and 2007), he felt he hadn't yet reached his potential. So he transferred to Illinois State to continue his athletic dream. Mendenhall accomplished his mission with the Redbirds in 2008, rushing for 796 yards and 11 touchdowns, stimulating interest from National Football League teams. But after bouncing around in NFL camps during the fall of 2009 and the spring of 2010—from the Eagles to the Colts to the Bills to the Bengals—he heard that mysterious voice once again.
"It said 'greater things than this I have for you to do,'" Mendenhall said. "At the time, I just didn't know what that meant."
Life challenged Walter Mendenhall IV from the beginning. His parents had divorced when he was a young child. His dad (Walter III) wasn't present in his life for a while and a variety of other obstacles were constantly jumping in Walt's path. With his mother (Sibyl) working as an accountant during the day and at a grocery store in the evening to make ends meet, nine-year-old Walt was often responsible for babysitting his younger brother and sister (Vanessa) in their tiny two-bedroom apartment in Skokie.
"I had a lot of responsibility at a very, very early age and had to grow up a lot faster than the average kid," he said. "I was mature at a very, very young age and saw the world a little bit differently than a lot of my peers."
Adding to his personal issues, Mendenhall also tested out for a speech impediment in his early childhood.
"I was placed in special education classes and resource classes, but, fortunately, the school I went to didn't put a big stigma on special education," Mendenhall said. "They knew I was capable of achieving. In fact, school really serviced my needs and by the time I was in eighth grade, I tested out of special education classes and was able to go to high school and take regular classes."
When his mother left her accountant job to become a youth minister at a church on the far south side of Chicago, a decision was made that Walt and Rashard would spend the last two years of their Niles West High School career with their coach, Joe Galambos.
"Coach Joe helped us have an environment that was conducive for success," Mendenhall said. "He had two boys himself and showed us how a family unit is supposed to be. Coach Joe (an electrician by trade) also influenced my business mindset."
Energized by his mother's persistent message about education, Mendenhall began to build upon the bachelor's degree in sociology he had earned at the University of Illinois.
"The classes I took at Illinois exposed me to the way the world works in terms of capitalism, racism and classism," he said.
He completed his Master's degree at Chicago's National Louis University in 2013 and currently is pursuing a Ph.D. in organizational leadership from Concordia University.
Mendenhall serves as the program director at Circle Urban Ministries, a faith-based non-profit organization in Chicago's Austin Community.
"Statistically, my office is probably in Chicago's most dangerous neighborhood," he said. "You hear it's such a terrible place, that's it's violent. However, once you get there, you're surprised. There's so much untapped human potential, not just sports wise, but intellectually and business wise as well. These are kids who have to do more with less. They have become creative and attentive and eager to become successful, but they just don't have the resources to do so. They're some of the most intelligent and respectful young people that I've met anywhere in the city. Yes, there are some bad things that go on, but there's a lot more good than bad in these communities."
He says an experience in 2015 at a high school inspired him to establish his not-for-profit Male Mogul Initiative.
"This particular young man was a great student, a star basketball player and well respected within his school," Mendenhall said. "But he sold drugs in order to get things that he wanted. What I realized was how many young men have the drive, the intelligence and the business savvy to be successful entrepreneurs, but not necessarily have the opportunity or exposure to do so in a positive and legal way."
With each individual he meets, Mendenhall immediately tackles three questions: Who are you? Why do you matter? What is your purpose?
"It's the foundation of everything I do," he explained. "When you don't know the answers to those three central questions, you're likely to make decisions that aren't conducive to your success."
"I believe that my purpose in life is to inspire the next generation to reach their potential and to make the impossible possible in their lives."
Mendenhall admits that he has to earn the right to be heard and to become an influencer.
"The way I've been able to penetrate the community is to share my story and just be transparent," he said. "You have to say what you're going to do, do it, and then keep repeating those things. Then you have to expose them to opportunities. We've taken our young men to different companies in different parts of the city and outside the city. We provide incentives for them to do well in school and to start their businesses. Those things have helped me to make an impact in the community."
This coming spring, Mendenhall will publish a book about how to successfully mentor, train and teach inner-city young men, and build systems for sustainable change in urban communities: Don't Be the Exception – Change the Rule.
"A lot of people want to mentor and care for young males in the inner city, but don't necessarily know how to do so," he says. "My book uses research, my personal stories and other people's stories to reach this important demographic."
Last year, Mendenhall achieved "the other best decision I ever made", marrying his wife, Michelle, a strategic planner for the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University.
"My wife and these young people are my 'why'", he said, "… why I get up in the morning, why I go so hard in fundraising and securing sponsorships, why I strive to build capital for their businesses. It's helped me to become a better business person and leader and overall person."
_________________________
How you can be involved with Walter Mendenhall's Male Mogul Initiative:
• If you have a company in Chicagoland, you can expose Chicago inner-city teens to different career paths.
•If you live in the Chicago area and want to volunteer your time, MMI welcomes you to assist with a wide variety of out-reach programs.
• Learn more at www.MaleMogulInitiative.com or contact Walter via email at malemogulinitiative@gmail.com.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
'Farmer, Cheerleader, Hall of Fame Coach' - Nancy Fahey Begins Year Two with Illini
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
This is a tale about a Midwest kid who grew up milking cows … who became a cheerleader … who coached her way into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
It's difficult to fathom a story more implausible than Nancy Fahey's, but that's the road the Fighting Illini women's head basketball coach has traveled.
The youngest of Art and Kate Fahey's four children, Fahey stayed busy. There were plenty of chores to do on the family's dairy farm in Belleville, Wisconsin.
"I had an appreciation for a good work ethic," she said. "My parents were my role models of work ethic, role models of what's right and wrong, role models of how to treat people."
When work ended, Fahey could be found playing basketball with brothers John and Art Jr. and sister Connie on the hoop nailed up to the Fahey's barn.
"My brothers, my sister and I played a lot of basketball," she said. "That was our NBA in the afternoons. I was more being active playing it than really watching it on TV."
As a child of the mid 1970s, organized basketball for girls was a rarity, so Fahey instead tried out for the eighth grade cheerleading squad. She admits that she probably was the worst cheerleader on her team.
"I found myself watching the games instead of cheering," she said.
Finally, as a freshman at Belleville High, she got her first opportunity to play organized basketball. It was a lot different than shooting at the hoop on her dad's barn, so she approached her folks about attending a week-long basketball camp.
"I knew it was a lot of money at that time, but my parents let me go," she said. "It was a pretty special gift."
It was money well spent, as Fahey developed into a top-notch player. More than four decades later—last year to be precise—she and two others were inducted into the Belleville Wildcats Wall of Fame's first class.
Upon graduating from high school in 1977, Fahey went to the University of Wisconsin in Madison, 20 miles north up highway 151. She walked on to Coach Edwina Qualls' Badger team. She claims she wasn't all that impressive as a shooter, but had a knack for getting the ball to her teammates, especially Badger scoring star and future UW Hall of Famer Theresa Huff. Qualls rewarded Fahey with a scholarship her junior year and No. 20 set Badger records for assists.
An education major at Wisconsin, Fahey was hired in 1982 as the girls' physical education teacher and basketball coach at Johnsburg High School (near McHenry, Illinois). During her final two years at the program, she led the Lady Skyhawks to consecutive 20-win seasons and regional championships.
"I grew up knowing that just because you play the game doesn't mean you can coach the game," she said.
After four years of coaching high school basketball, Washington University athletic director John Schael hired Fahey to head up the Bears women's team.
Leaning on veteran Bears men's coach Mark Edwards for advice, success quickly ensued in St. Louis. Fahey's first team in 1986-87, an independent at the time, went 16-5.
WashU joined the University Athletic Association the following year and won the league title. That success was duplicated in six of the next seven seasons.
Following a couple of "down" seasons (22-6 and 19-7), Washington hit the mother lode in 1997-98, streaking to a 28-2 record and the NCAA Division III championship. Fahey's next three teams were equally if not more impressive, compiling an 88-2 overall mark and collecting three more D3 titles.
"Our expectations of winning championships became routine," she told a reporter in 2017.
In her final 16 seasons, the Bears won and won and won some more, taking trips all the way to the D3 title game four times and claiming a fifth national crown in 2009-10.
Fahey's final 31-year tally at WashU was impressive: 737 wins, 23 conference titles, 29 tournament appearances, 10 Final Fours and an NCAA Division III-record five national championships. In 2012, she became the first NCAA Division III representative inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
During her final two seasons in St. Louis, Fahey worked for a young up-and-coming athletic director named Josh Whitman.
"I was actually on the search committee (for Whitman)," she said. "My brother, who lives in LaCrosse, knew about Josh because that's where he had worked. Fabulous athletic director, he said. Josh ended up applying."
After two years, the University of Illinois began recruiting Whitman for their AD job. His hiring in Champaign-Urbana caused a chain reaction with Fahey.
"Like anything, when a job comes up, you have conversations with people," Fahey said. "The key for taking a job like Illinois is believing in your leadership. I knew it would be a challenge, but I also believed in the vision of an athletic director like Josh."
She turned to those basic lessons taught long ago to her by her parents: doing it the right way, with integrity and character.
"I'm not going to compromise that," she said. "If you do it the wrong way, it will break. Someone compared it to building the Brooklyn Bridge. If you don't solidly build the part that's under water, it will eventually crumble."
Last year's Illini record (9-22) was disappointing, but Fahey remains undaunted.
"We're making progress, but last year you just couldn't see it," she said. "We're building something special and it's going to take players that want to do something special. If they want to be a part of something that's already built, that's understandable. But we're not going to forget you here. People who come here and make a difference, Illinois will never forget."
Fahey is optimistic that positive steps will be taken by Illinois women's basketball in 2018-19.
"Culture is an important building block and we were doing a lot of that last year," she said. "This year, when I do drills or put in offenses, we're moving at an incredibly different pace. This year, we can talk basketball. There wasn't a lot of that going on last year simply because we weren't ready for it. Now we are. Just the atmosphere in the practice and developing a winning attitude, that's where we're at now."
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When ranked in terms of winning percentage against college men's and women's basketball coaches who have coached 29 or more seasons, only UConn's Geno Auriemma has been more productive than Illinois's Nancy Fahey:
Winning Percentage ... Coach, W-L
.883 ... *Geno Auriemma, 1027-136
.828 ... *Nancy Fahey, 746-155
.822 ... Adolph Rupp, 876-190
.811 ... *Tara VanDerveer, 1036-242
.804 ... John Wooden, 664-162
.791 ... *Barbara Stevens, 1000-275
.788 ... *Roy Williams, 842-227
.786 ... Dave Robbins, 713-194
.784 ... Jerry Tarkanian, 721-201
.776 ... Dean Smith, 879-25
*Active coach
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
'Wrestling in his Blood' - Heffernan Embarks on Tenth Season with Illini
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Thanks to his overwhelming success as a high school and college athlete, Fighting Illini coach Jim Heffernan is a member of multiple wrestling Halls of Fame. However, it's his introduction to the sport 46 years ago that's one of the most interesting chapters of his story.
Parents Jim (Sr.) and Barb Heffernan encouraged all of their six sons and three daughters to stay active, preferably outdoors.
"We weren't allowed to sit on the couch," Jim Jr. remembered. "We were constantly doing something and we all preferred doing the athletic side of things."
Jim Jr., the fourth of the nine Heffernan kids, loved playing baseball and football, the latter sport his dad played at the University of Toledo. Junior's introduction to wrestling wasn't initiated as much by his own personal interest as it was by an edict from his father.
The story begins with his oldest brother, Brian. He was one of the biggest kids on his junior high football team and the wrestling team needed a heavyweight.
"The wrestling coach approached my dad," Heffernan recalled. "My dad started talking to Brian about wrestling because he thought it would really help in in football. He told Brian that the best linemen he'd ever been around wrestled in the offseason."
"Well, I'm not doing it unless Jim does it," Brian said.
"Then my dad looked at me and said 'You're going out for wrestling!'" Heffernan remembered.
So the third grader stepped on the mat the following Monday. He thoroughly enjoyed it.
"The first couple of weeks I didn't do very well because I didn't know what the heck I was doing," Heffernan said. "But I learned a little bit, figured out how to make adjustments, and took to wrestling right away."
Young Jim would excel on the mat at Lakewood, Ohio's St. Edward High School, finishing fifth in the Ohio state championships as a sophomore for Coach Howard Ferguson's Eagles. He then won state titles at 145 pounds his final two seasons, capturing his last 107 matches, including a 54-0 record with 35 pins his senior year.
As the nation's No. 1 college prospect, the Heffernan family's mailbox was packed with recruiting letters. Ultimately, Jim made visits to Michigan State, Penn State and Iowa.
Though he wound up wearing a Hawkeye singlet, a 2015 story revealed that Heffernan's Hall of Fame wrestling career for the University of Iowa almost didn't happen.
It was Sunday, January 31, 1982 when Hawkeye coach Dan Gable phoned Heffernan with disappointing news.
"We think you're a really good wrestler," Gable told Heffernan, "but we don't think you're going to be at a weight class we need. I think you should look at other schools."
Crestfallen, Heffernan huddled with his father and his coach to brainstorm other possible destinations. Five days later, Gable's Hawkeyes tied Oklahoma, 19-19, in a dual meet that featured a Sooners victory by fall at 150 pounds. Just minutes afterwards, Gable called Heffernan again.
"Do you think you can wrestle 150?" Gable asked.
Heffernan affirmed that he could. His answer changed the course of his career.
What happened during Heffernan's four years at Iowa developed into Hawkeye legend. He became the ninth wrestler in Big Ten history to win four conference championships. Nationally, he won an NCAA title in 1986 as a junior, was runner-up twice and finished fourth as a freshman. Collegiately, he amassed a record of 131 victories and three draws in 152 matches.
Heffernan quickly credits Gable for his success.
"Coach was a huge influence on me as an athlete, as a person, and as a coach," he said. "He was a really good role model and a good family man. He's everything you want in a coach who is responsible for your child. The older I get, the more I see how positive he was."
By his junior year at Iowa, Heffernan knew exactly what he wanted his career to be.
"Outside of my parents, coaches have been my biggest influence," he said. "My grade school coach (Dale Smith), my high school coach (Ferguson) and some other really good people at my high school were very influential. Of course, Coach Gable, J Robinson and Mark Johnson were big influences on me, too. I had a great experience with the sport and I realized that coaching would be a good tract. I thought I would enjoy it and I hoped someday to provide other people with the same experience I had as an athlete."
When Johnson got the coaching job at Oregon State in 1990, he asked Heffernan to be his assistant. Then, when Johnson received an offer from Illinois in 1992, Heffernan and his family (wife Rebecca, son Sean and daughter Ally) got the opportunity to return to its Midwestern roots.
Seventeen years later, in 2009, when Johnson retired, Heffernan became head coach of the Illini. Illinois's success has continued over the past nine years in the ultra-tough Big Ten Conference. His teams have placed among the nation's top 13 teams each of the last eight seasons and, a few weeks ago, Director of Athletics Josh Whitman rewarded Heffernan with a contract for an additional five years.
"As much as anyone, Jim Heffernan embodies the values we espouse with our athletic program," Whitman said. "He cares first and foremost about his students."
"Parents trust us to take on their children," Heffernan said. "That's a pretty important job and I take it very seriously. Developing them as an athlete is one thing, but developing them for life is most important. It's an all-inclusive thing. We want them to become good husbands, good fathers, and productive professionals."
Heffernan's 10th season as UI's head coach begins this Saturday when Illinois hosts Missouri at Grange Grove (2:30 p.m.), weather permitting. He's pleased with the make-up of his 2018-19 Illini.
"We have some experienced guys who have competed in the post-season and we have some guys that will take some time to develop," Heffernan said. "I like what I've seen out of the freshmen so far and to have a transfer (from Iowa) like Joey Guenther certainly fills a void. It's the time of the year when they're getting tired of being in the practice room and seeing the same guys every day, so I'm anxious to see where we're at."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
"We Always Believed" - 1993 Heroics Rallied Illini Past Gophers
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
In a series that dates back more than a hundred years, there may be no battle between Illinois and Minnesota that merits as much significance as the 1993 game. Thanks to a nearly –picture-perfect last-minute drive, no Illini-Gopher match-up featured a more thrilling conclusion than the game that was played 25 years ago.
A crowd of 50,192 braved the 10-degree wind-chill temperatures as snow swirled briskly inside Memorial Stadium that sixth day of November 1993.
Both Coach Jim Wacker's Gophers and Coach Lou Tepper's Illini were riding three-game winning streaks, thanks to respective upset victories over nationally ranked teams. Just a week before, Minnesota had captured Paul Bunyan's Axe from No. 15 Wisconsin, while two weeks earlier Illinois had defeated No. 13 Michigan in Ann Arbor with a last-minute touchdown.
"The Minnesota game was special to me because the Big Ten coach I respected the most was Jim Wacker," Tepper said. "He had an exciting personality, an exciting team, and always had something positive to say. He was just a tremendous friend of mine."
Wacker's Gophers grabbed a first-quarter lead with a field goal, but UI junior placekicker Chris Richardson helped Illinois to a 6-3 advantage late in the second period with successful field goal conversions of 46 and 49 yards, the two longest of his Illini career.
Late in the third quarter, in a span of just 5:33, Minnesota built up a 20-9 lead on successive touchdowns and a field goal, greatly diminishing Illinois' prospects for victory.
"We were really battling against the odds," Tepper remembered. "(Quarterback) Johnny Johnson had thrown five interceptions and we'd had a field goal attempt blocked. You don't win many games doing that."
Said Johnson to the media afterwards, "If I was the coach, I probably would have benched me."
With hope for a win dwindling in the fourth quarter, Illinois solved its offensive struggles on its next-to-last possession of the game. Johnson hit wide receiver Gary Voelker with an 11-yard touchdown pass with just 4:24 remaining to shrink the Gopher lead to five points, 20-16.
"It was a post-corner route," said Voelker. "I was in slot and I ran a corner in the end zone. I wish I could have had more receptions in that game because of the way we were running the offense. It seemed like I had a linebacker or safety defending me much of the time; that was a pretty favorable matchup."
Up to that point, Voelker had sparkled for UI's special teams, racking up 123 yards on five kickoff returns and 50 yards on four punt returns. Those efforts and his TD catch earned him ESPN's Player of the Game honors.
Now nursing a four-point lead, Minnesota's offense took the field, where only a few first downs were needed to ice the game. Instead ace linebackers Dana Howard and John Holecek stepped up to give the Illini offense one last chance.
"I remember Holecek was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week," Tepper said of the man who was the least heralded of his all-star linebacker corps. "We had two future Butkus Award winners (Howard and Kevin Hardy) and Simeon Rice, who was just as good or better than two others I coached—Khalil Mack and Bruce Smith. And yet, you could make an argument that if you could just pick one guy to start your defensive with, it would be Holecek, just because of the effect he had on others."
After forcing a Gopher punt, only 73 seconds remained on the clock. More significantly, 87 yards separated Illinois from its must-have touchdown. Surprisingly, the Illini offense remained confident about achieving its seemingly impossible mission.
"At that time, our offense was budding with confidence," said Ty Douthard, then a freshman tailback for the Illini. "Though it was just our first year into (offensive coordinator Greg Landry's) offense, we were pretty confident in our two-minute drill. Once we got that momentum going, everything was clicking on all cylinders."
Johnson began the drive by connecting with Jason Dulick on two passes to move the ball up to the Illinois 42-yard line, then converted a fourth-and-one situation with a quarterback sneak to keep the drive alive. After two pass incompletions, Johnson scrambled up the middle for a gain of 17 and another key first down. A pass interference call on Minnesota cornerback Juan Hunter moved the ball to UI's 25-yard line.
However, only 20 seconds showed on the scoreboard clock.
As Illinois prepared for the critical play, Johnson made eye contact with Landry on the sideline and got permission to audible and make his own call, one called "65 screen right." Douthard would be Johnson's target.
"Once I heard the call, I was like 'I'm ready,'" Douthard said. "'Let's go out and do what we're supposed to do.'"
Johnson's final pass was completed and Illinois' No. 7 set off to finish the play.
"I was definitely surprised to be as open as I was once I caught the ball and turned up field," Douthard said. "I was like 'Man, I've got a chance to actually get in that end zone.' I made a guy miss, then was able to get to the next level. (Illini assistant coach) Greg McMahon worked with our wide receivers and made them tough blockers. Jason (Dulick) had that last DB hemmed up, so it was just a matter of me securing the ball and getting into the end zone."
Final score: Illinois 23, Minnesota 20.
Said Wacker afterwards to the assembled press, "Illinois might not be the best team, but they're certainly the most exciting."
***
Catching up with the cast of heroes from the 1993 Illini-Gopher game:
Lou Tepper, who celebrated his 73rd birthday in October, resides with his wife, Karen, in rural Greensboro, Georgia, roughly halfway between son Matt in South Carolina and daughter Stacy in Atlanta. The Teppers see some or all of their four grandchildren almost every weekend. Lou is now involved with a local chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, mentoring young people at three local high schools.
Following a long career in reproductive physiology and molecular embryology, Gary Voelker is now the managing director of mortgage sales for First National Bank of Omaha in Fort Collins, Colorado. He and his wife, Kim, are parents of two soccer enthusiasts, 16-year-old Peyton and 11-year-old Emily. Gary now plays recreational ice hockey.
Ty Douthard is the proud father of a four-year-old son named Anthony. He's in the financial services industry in Indianapolis, working for World Financial Group. Living on the west side of Indy, Ty is a frequent attendee at Illini football games and those of his high school alma mater, LaSalle High in Cincinnati.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Second Class Enters Illini Hall of Fame
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Fighting Illini royalty gathered Saturday afternoon at the State Farm Center and discovered that they had a lot more in common with their fellow honorees than they originally realized. Each of the them now had new adopted brothers and sisters in the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame family.
Of the 21 inductees, a dozen were in attendance at the inspirational and oft-times emotional ceremony. Two honorees who were unable to attend were professional golfer Scott Langley and pro tennis player Kevin Anderson.
Honorees who have passed but who were also honored included Alex Agase (football & wrestling), Charles Carney (football & basketball), Ray Eliot (football & hockey), Maxwell Garret (fencing), John "Red" Kerr (basketball), Charles Pond (gymnastics) and Joe Sapora (wrestling).
Excerpts from Hall of Fame inductee speeches:
Justin Spring, gymnastics:
“When I recruit today, I speak about everything I fell in love with during my own recruiting experience to Illinois. The connected relationships captivated me and took me over. Whatever I was going to do, I wanted to do it with and for my team. It becomes more than just an accountability piece; it becomes an inspiration and it becomes your motivation. When I won a Big Ten or national championship or an Olympic medal, it was for the Illini, it was for my team. I wasn’t allowed to be mediocre because I cared to damn much about the people I was on the gym floor with and the rest of the athletes on this campus.”
Nancy Brookhart Cherin, volleyball:
“(Coach) Mike Hebert was like a father to me and (assistant coach) Don Hardin was like a much older brother. They supported us and lifted us by their innovation and with their humor. My teammates are my soul mates. They know me better than almost anyone. We always reconnect almost instantly. I thought that’s the way that all teams were, but I didn’t realize until later how special our chemistry was. So, yes, I gave up my knee (recent surgery) and my other one that I’m giving up next summer, but I would gladly do it again. Thank you so much for the opportunity to be a part of the Illini family.”
Tonya Williams, track and field:
“Being a student-athlete at the University of Illinois was an absolutely amazing experience. My experience taught me how to balance life, how to manage my time and how to be productive. Failure was not and is not an option. It’s definitely made me the strong, independent and successful lady that I am today. I am overjoyed and ecstatic that I get to share this amazing and significant part of my life with my daughter. Through my experiences and my accomplishments, you can see that anything is possible. You can do and be whatever you want in life if you believe in yourself, work hard and stay the course. Others will believe in you and opportunities will flow.”
Kevin Anderson, tennis
(from recorded comments): “Illinois has given me so many special memories and is so special to my heart. I met my wife, Kelsey, at Illinois in 2006, and some of my best friends all come from the Illini community. So, from the bottom of my heart, I’d like to thank Coach Brad Dancer and the whole Illinois community for all the support you’ve given me. I’ll be an Illini supporter for the rest of my life. I-L-L …”
Kendall Gill, basketball:
“I had a rough sophomore season and I told my dad that I was thinking about transferring. My dad said ‘No, we don’t quit. You’d better be a star among stars.’ As you recall, that’s the year I made my jump to becoming a member of the Flying Illini. Dad, without you, this day would not be possible. I thank you all for the support you continue to give me throughout my basketball career and now my broadcasting career.”
Willie Williams, track and field
(from recorded comments, recalling the day he broke Jesse Owens’ world record in 1956): “I broke Jesse Owens’ world record when I was in Berlin. I was so elated that I turned a flip. Luckily, I landed back on my feet instead of my head. After Jesse Owens had come to my high school to speak, to go out and do something that he had done was the greatest day of my life.”
Dave Downey, basketball:
”Now that I am almost ‘Red Grange’—almost 77 (years old)—I think about what I learned here. I came here and I stayed here. I was able to walk the fairways with John Bardeen. Think about that … a jock from a poor family in Canton, Illinois being able to be with a Nobel Prize winner. This is a crowning glory for me. Thank you for helping make my life as good as it has been. I appreciate being able to say that I will forever be linked to the University of Illinois.”
Celena Mondie-Milner, track and field:
“In thinking about this tremendous honor, the words commitment and journey resonate with me. Commitment can begin early, in ways that you don’t always understand initially. My fifth-grade teacher asked all of her students to start a wish book, to write down our dreams and goals throughout the school year. ‘Start your journey’, she said. Then, when I was being recruited by Illinois, I was asked the same type of questions that I’d been asked all those years ago. I share this induction honor with so many. I am humbled and forever grateful for this journey and to share this moment with the other incredible inductees.”
Jim Grabowski, football:
“I chose the University of Illinois because some of the finest coaches in America were there: Pete Elliott, Bill Taylor, Buck McPhail, and the rest of the staff. These are the guys who took an 0 and 14 team and turned us into Rose Bowl champions. We can do it again, ladies and gentlemen. We can do it again. I got to play against Dick Butkus in high school, then in college I played with him. In the pros, I played against him and played with him. Let me tell you, it was a lot more fun to play with him than against him.”
Tara Hurless, soccer:
“All of us Hall of Famers left with records and championships, but that’s not what it was about. We played for the love of the game, we played for our teammates and we played for our coach. Wearing the orange and blue made us into who we are today. We owe everything to the University of Illinois.”
Lou Henson, basketball:
“This is quite an award and it means an awful lot to me and my family. I was offered a job at the University of Oklahoma and, about the same time, I was offered the Illinois job. I told Mary, ‘I want you to think about it and tell me which job I should take.’ The next morning, I asked her, “Is it Oklahoma or Illinois?’ She told me Illinois and that shocked me. Well, everybody knows that Mary is the boss in our family.”
Darrin Fletcher, baseball:
“I’m not sure I really belong here with these other great athletes. Earlier today, Willie Williams was introduced as the fastest man in the world. When I was at Oakwood, Illinois, Tom Dedin recruited me. He said ‘Darrin, we think you can hit a little bit, we think you can catch, but we as a staff feel that you might be the slowest teenager in America’. I didn’t set the world on fire stealing bases. In fact, my nickname here was ‘Grandpa.’ The symbol of this university was a hope for me, to use this as a pathway to my ultimate dream of playing Major League Baseball. It gave me a chance for self-reflection and to grow up. Our family is die-hard orange and blue and I consider Illini Nation to be a huge part of my life.”
Scott Langley, golf
(from recorded comments): “When Josh (Whitman) called and told me that I was going to be part of this class, I was blown away. I didn’t expect that I was at that point in my career. I love Illinois and to be part of the Hall of Fame is a huge deal. The moments I look back on with the most happiness and joy are winning all of those tournaments as a team. We really enjoyed showing up and having that target on our back each week.”
Dana Howard, football:
“All I knew what to do was play ball. So I’m getting honored for doing what I loved which was tackling people. I could hurt somebody on the field without getting in trouble. This kid from East St. Louis was a little rough around the edges when he came to Champaign. When I left Champaign, I was a little smoother.”
‘Honoring a Legend’ – Joyce's Gift Brings Butkus Statue to Reality
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Matt Joyce and Dick Butkus have a uniquely "Chicago" connection.
Both men are offspring of immigrant families. Joyce's grandparents came from Ireland at the turn of the 20th century, while Butkus's parents arrived from Lithuania about the same time.
Joyce is a pure Chicagoan. Born on the south side in the Ashburn community near 80th Street and Pulaski, Matt's dad, Joe, packed canned meat onto rail cars that were bound toward the World War II effort in Europe. Butkus was a south side guy, too. He grew up at 10324 South Lowe Street in Roseland, just north of Fernwood Park near West 103rd Street.
Football fanatics, Joyce and his dad were huge Chicago Bears fans, idolizing the middle linebacker who wore jersey number 51 and occasionally traveling to Soldier Field to watch him play.
"I remember sitting there in the bleachers and being so cold," he said.
The fact that both Joyce and Butkus are both University of Illinois graduates forges their commonality even further.
So, about three years ago when a U of I administrator approached Joyce about donating toward its new Football Performance Center, the light clicked on for the 1987 alum.
"(Deputy Director of Athletics) Warren Hood is a friend of mine," Joyce explained. "I absolutely love the Red Grange statue, so I asked Warren 'Why isn't there a Dick Butkus statue?' And he said, 'We're doing that!' Immediately, I said 'We're doing that! I want my name on that!'"
Joyce says he's both thrilled and honored at the opportunity for his family to be benefactors of the Butkus statue, currently being sculpted by famed artist and UI grad George Lundeen. It's scheduled to be unveiled near the corner of Fourth Street and Peabody Drive in 2019, overlooking the new facility's entrance.
"As a Chicagoan, I'm thankful that Dick Butkus went to Illinois," said Joyce. "Every other school in the country wanted him, but he chose to stay home. If you look at his stats, it's unbelievable what he accomplished. He was so fierce on the field, but such a gentleman off the field. He and I share a Chicago spirit. My dad (who passed away in 2009) would get a huge kick out of me doing this for Butkus."
Joyce said that his father, a football standout at Mount Carmel High School in the 1930s, was offered a partial scholarship to play at Notre Dame, but had to turn down the offer because "his family was super poor." Matt's older brother, Tim, lettered in football at Georgetown.
"I love the game, but I was a pretty mediocre receiver and tight end," he chuckled.
Upon arriving at the University of Illinois as an 18-year-old, he admits that he struggled and that it took him a while to figure things out.
"Once I did, I really felt like Illinois had my back," Joyce said. "Eventually, I became very involved through volunteer positions with the student alumni association, the Homecoming committee, and with my fraternity (Sigma Chi). And as I look back now, Illinois was where I figured out how to become an adult."
An economics major, Joyce was immediately hired by an options trading firm in Chicago. When his company was purchased by Swiss Bank in 1993, Matt and his wife Sara, also a UI grad, moved to the corporation's headquarters in London. He then helped form a highly successful derivatives trading company called Atlantic Trading. About that same time, Matt and Sara began their family.
"London is an unbelievable city," Joyce said, "but the weird thing about the schooling in London is that it becomes pretty intense. We knew it would be hard to transition them to the U.S. if they got much older, so we had to decide between them being U.K.-grown kids or American kids. In 2001, we moved back to Chicago."
Their children include oldest son, Martin, a varsity tennis player at Ohio State; daughter, Emma, a current U of I student, and Owen, a high school senior.
In 2013 Joyce shelved his career as a trader to start a totally new business that revolves around reclaiming vintage brick, stone, pavers and other materials from structures being razed around Chicago and throughout the Midwest. Located in the heart of Chicago's famous Union Stockyards, right where his dad used to load trains, Stockyards Brick and Timber (4150 S. Packers Avenue) has become Chicago's most desirable source for salvageable materials.
"One of the main concepts of our business is that you're just not buying material to reuse," Joyce says. "Every single piece of material has a story. We're selling pieces of history. It's super cool and the quality is unbelievable. When I first started the business, I thought I might go broke, but just the opposite has happened."
Joyce, whose family resides in Hinsdale, is a longtime season ticket holder for Illini football. If you spot his unique orange and blue number 50 banner flying on the west side of Memorial Stadium, he'd love to show you his Dick Butkus shrine.
"I bring my No. 50 signed helmet, Butkus bobble heads, signed Illini and Bears jerseys, and all of my Butkus trading cards," he said. "Every single picture I've ever seen of him out of uniform shows him in a suit and just looking sharp and classy. To me, he's just a class guy!"
Joyce can't wait for the 2018 football season to begin.
"I'm a huge believer," he says. "I believe in Josh Whitman and Warren Hood and Lovie (Smith). The Big Ten is very competitive, but I know we'll have success at some level."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
‘Illinois got me ready’ – Bengals’ Nickerson and Fejedelem share Illini brotherhood
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Clearly, University of Illinois football alums Hardy Nickerson and Clayton Fejedelem are different people who come from totally different backgrounds.
Nickerson's career in football was somewhat predestined, due to his dad's legendary career in the game, Fejedelem, on the other hand, had to fight and claw his way to stardom, playing two years of football at NAIA powerhouse St. Xavier before walking on at Illinois.
Nickerson attended eight different schools from kindergarten through his senior year of high school due to his father's profession as a National Football League player. Fejedelem (pronounced "FEDGE-uh-lemm") spent his first 18 years of life exclusively in Chicago's southwest suburb of Lemont.
However, there are some similarities between the two men as well. Both played abbreviated stints for the Fighting Illini football program. Both led Illinois in tackles during their senior seasons. And, despite their late arrivals in Champaign-Urbana, both earned the respect of their teammates by earning the title of captain.
Today, the former counterparts are more like brothers, both wearing the unique orange and black striped helmets of the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals. Both men are currently listed as top backups on Cincinnati's depth chart, Nickerson at middle linebacker and Fejedelem at strong safety. And they're both key members of Coach Marvin Lewis's special teams.
"Me and Clayton never played together at Illinois, but ever since I got here he's taken me under his wing," Nickerson said. "It been like, 'you're family'. We're always talking about Illinois."
Fejedelem praises his new buddy, too, saying, "Hardy's super cool."
A 2017 Bengals free agent signee, Nickerson played 14 games as a rookie linebacker, and chose the same jersey number—56—that his dad wore for the Buccaneers. According to Lewis, who also coached the elder Hardy in Pittsburgh, jersey numbers are only one of the likenesses that the father-son duo shares.
"Coach Marvin has nothing but good things to say about my Pop," young Hardy said. "He says we have a lot of similarities … the way we move, our personality on the field. Everybody says we have similarities in the way we play."
That's definitely a compliment, because "Pop" was a four-time All-Pro and a five-time Pro Bowl invitee. Because of his responsibilities as Illinois's defensive coordinator, Coach Nickerson doesn't get as many opportunities as he'd like to watch his son. But when he is able to get away …
"He's really soaking it in," young Hardy says. "He's even bought a jersey to wear. Pop really loves watching me play. He's just a proud dad when he comes to the games."
Nickerson said he's had numerous "Welcome to the NFL" moments.
"A few games into my rookie season, I'm in on the goal line package, looking at Aaron Rogers," he said. "You do your job on that play and then you come to the sideline and realize 'I was playing with him.' Now, that's every week. But the first couple times I was like, 'Man, I made it.'"
Nickerson is thankful he made the decision to come to Illinois.
"The whole structure of the program helped me prepare for the NFL," he said. "From day one, training camp at Illinois is just how training camp is here (with the Bengals). Scheduling, how we watch film, what we're looking at when we watch film, breaking down opponents, learning what the offense does, learning what we can do to defend it, and thinking more on a cerebral level. My experience at Illinois definitely got me ready to diagnose plays and play well."
Fejedelem, who wears No. 42 for the Bengals, has been one of Cincinnati's most improved players in 2018. His relentless work ethic is a result of his constant desire to prove himself as he rose through the ranks.
"I've always enjoyed the challenge, embraced it," he said. "I'm a competitive guy at heart, so the next challenge is to go out and prove myself. Going through the process and continuing to climb the ladder and go out and compete."
Fejedelem said growing up with two older brothers helped form his aggressive personality on the field.
"I hung out more with my older brother's friends than I did my own age group," he remembered. "So to hang around with the big boys, you just had to act tougher and act bigger than I was."
Nickerson might be Fejedelem's biggest fan.
"Talk about a great player in all phases, special teams and on defense, that's Clayton," Nickerson said. "He's a smart guy, a great leader, and someone you can always look up to. It's just awesome having him on our team and being able to go to battle with him every week."
Today, Fejedelem is one of six Bengal co-captains, sharing that honor with Andy Dalton, A.J. Green, Michael Johnson, Vincent Rey and Shawn Williams.
"Earning the respect from the guys is special, them knowing that they can count on me to put us in a position in win," he said. "They respect me and the way that I play, so that's huge."
Fejedelem was Cincinnati's Game 1 hero at Indianapolis. He forced a fumble on Colts tight end Jack Doyle, recovered it and returned it 83 yards for a game-sealing touchdown. The play came with 24 seconds left in the game, as the Colts were driving for a possible game-winning TD. Nickerson also was in on the play, helping to slow down Doyle before Fejedelem forced the fumble.
So, what's in Nickerson and Fejedelem's future after football? No doubt, they'll take advantage of their respective sports management and communication degrees from the University of Illinois. For now, though, they're completely focused on the "next game" and the balance of their gridiron careers.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
'A Chance to Transform Programs' - Ground is Broken on New Demirjian Park
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Education, economic development and service to the community are three of the Demirjian family's primary philanthropic pillars. All three were on display today as the ceremonial shovels went into the ground for the beginning of construction of Demirjian Park, a cutting edge facility that could very well transform the future of Fighting Illini soccer and track and field.
With roots originating in Armenia, the Demirjian family leaders—Mary and Gerry—counted themselves as proud, first-generation Americans.
"Our parents always had a very philanthropic nature," said Richard Demirjian, President at T/CCI Manufacturing LLC and a 1988 University of Illinois LAS graduate. "Whether it was giving to the church, contributing to the community, or hosting visiting priests who were coming through town, they were very community oriented."
According to Kara Demirjian Huss, a 1992 ACES alumna and President of DCC Marketing, no one advocated higher education more than her father.
"He believed in providing ways and means for individuals who may not be able to otherwise afford an education," she said. "That philosophy has been instilled in us since we were young."
Other family members involved in the $7 million lead gift for Demirjian Park include Richard's wife (Anne), Kara's husband (Mark), Simone Demirjian, and the family patriarch, J. Gerald Demirjian.
It's the latest in a myriad of donations to the University from the Decatur-based family. For years, they endowed UI scholarships and invested in premium seating at both Memorial Stadium and State Farm Center. The Demirjians also provided the lead gift for construction of the Demirjian Indoor Golf Practice Facility, which opened in 2007.
The new Demirjian Park complex is focused on soccer and track and field, and will directly affect nearly 25 percent of Illinois's 500-plus student athletes. It was that ability to touch as many student-athlete lives as possible that convinced the family to target their lead gift in the way they did.
"Most of these kids aren't going to go on to professional sports," Kara said, "so being a successful student at Illinois is key to driving their career path. To be able to help them is thrilling for us."
A Facility Like No Other
Located adjacent to the intersection of St. Mary's Road and Wright Street, Demirjian Park Stadium will be showcased by a distinctive entry plaza. The stadium's innovative design will feature dual grandstands for the soccer and track venues, permanent restroom and concession facilities, LED lighting, a video board and an advanced sound system. A new parking area will be located just east of the soccer fields.
For the first time, expanded space for lockers and meeting rooms will provide both soccer and track's student-athletes with exclusive areas to dress, study and interact in a comfortable setting. In addition to offices for the coaches, there also will be spaces for sports medicine and nutrition, plus a locker room arrangement for visiting teams and officials.
The soccer portion of the park will include two full-size natural grass fields, one for competition and one for practice. A goalkeeping training area and a tower for filming also are featured elements.
"If you look at just the pure soccer piece of it, we'll have everything we need in a place that makes you feel that excellence is expected," said head Illinois soccer coach Janet Rayfield. "You'll walk in and feel like this is a place where greatness has been and greatness should always be. It's going to be a tangible piece of being able to tell a story and show in a single look the excellence of the program we have here."
Rayfield says that Demirjian Park can be a place where the community can experience soccer as its highest level.
"Whether that's bringing National Women's Soccer League teams to play here or perhaps hosting a youth national team camp, the layout of the facility allows us to expand to something even bigger.
"It's really going to be a place where we can call home and tell our story," Rayfield continued. "It's the legacies that inspire the next generation. When you go out to work and you've seen that story, it pulls just a little bit more out of you. That can make a huge difference in a competitive sport where small things matter."
Mike Turk, head coach of both Illinois's men's and women's track and field teams, says Demirjian Park far exceeds any of his expectations.
"With the added space, we'll be able to put all of the jumping events back inside the oval and add a ninth lane," Turk said. "The surfacing will be the best anywhere. I know that we'll have a very fast track and it will be a great competition venue. The fans will have excellent seating all the way down the straightaway to the finish line and nearly every seat will be covered."
Turk says there will even be a special area to train his sprinters.
"On the track side, between the building and underneath the seating that comes off the second floor of the building, we'll have four 60-meter sprint lanes that we'll be able to use for practice," he said. "Those will be completely covered and enclosed. For us to have a space that will be out of the elements is a pretty big bonus."
The new track and field facility could open a door for the university to host larger competitions on the youth, high school and collegiate levels.
"Hosting the Illinois state high school championships is something I'd love to see," Turk said. "Historically, I think the University of Illinois is where the state meet belongs. We'll have a facility that can accommodate it and do it in a first-class way."
Richard Demirjian sees the new park as having positive repercussions upon the entire Central Illinois region.
"We view the impact that this facility will have on downstate Illinois, available in close proximity to not only Champaign-Urbana, but also Decatur, Bloomington, Peoria, Springfield, and Effingham," he said.
Construction on Demirjian Park will begin immediately after the 2018 soccer season concludes. UI's two new soccer fields will be ready for use in time for the 2019 campaign.
Demolition of the track facility will commence in the summer of 2019. Though the team will be without an outdoor home in 2020, it will be completed in time to host the 2021 Big Ten Championships.
Director of Athletics Josh Whitman says the Demirjian family has, in large part, been incredibly successful in business because they cast a strong, forward-looking vision and has not been afraid to take calculated risks.
"They have brought the same approach to their support of DIA (Division of Intercollegiate Athletics)," he said. "Whether it was the golf facility or the new soccer/track and field facility, they have seen the potential in big ideas and have not been afraid to walk with us down an uncharted path.
"They are particularly excited by the idea of using Illinois athletics to advance the interests of the overall institution, the local community, and the entire region—an idea that resonates with us as well. In the extensive time we have spent together, it has become apparent that we have many shared values, a common approach, and a unified belief in what a strong Fighting Illini athletic program can mean in a context far bigger than wins and losses."
The Model Has Worked Before
Men's golf head coach Mike Small says the Demirjian Indoor Golf Facility has had a dramatic effect on UI's program.
Over the past decade, the success of the men's golf program has flourished, resulting in nine Big Ten titles and 10 consecutive invitations to the NCAA Championship Tournament, including six top five finishes.
"Not only did it give us a place to train year-round," Small said, "but it showed current student-athletes and recruits the commitment from the University, the administration and the coaches to give them the best facilities possible to master their trade."
The Illini women's program also has made significant strides, finishing among the Big Ten's top five four times, including a tie for second place this past season. Head coach Renee Slone says the Demirjian facility has created a "wow factor" for her recruiting efforts.
"When prospective student-athletes and their families walk into our facility, it can be jaw dropping at times," Slone said. "They see, first-hand, the commitment that has been made by the Demirjians as well as the entire athletic department, to create space that is very unique for college golf. They realize that this is something special and say 'I want to be a part of that and take my game to the next level'".
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
‘I Know Their Life’ – Fletcher Uses Personal Experience to Shape Illini
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
There's little surprise why University of Illinois men's basketball players respect their strength and conditioning coach so much. After all, Adam Fletcher has walked—or should we say dunked—in their shoes.
Now in his fourth season with the Fighting Illini, "Fletch" provides his pupils with an especially valuable perspective. He's one of only two current Big Ten men's basketball strength coaches who've actually played college hoops.
"Understanding what the athletes go through is extremely helpful," Fletcher said. "The academic schedule, the study table schedule, the practice schedule, the travel schedule … those are the outside stressors that every college athlete goes through. Being a former college basketball player gives me an idea of what those guys are experiencing."
Fletcher lettered at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio under the late Charlie Coles. He co-captained the 2010 RedHawks, a title previously held by such Miami stars as Wayne Embry, Randy Ayers, Ron Harper and Wally Szczerbiak. Fletcher twice won MU's Jamie Mercurio Award, honoring the team member who best exemplifies the namesake's courage and determination. He also earned Miami's defensive player of the year award and spirit award during his four letter-winning seasons.
"I was physical, defensive-minded player," Fletcher said. "In Charlie's offense, you had to have a good screen-setter to get guys open and I loved that role. You had to embrace being physical and I enjoyed being in the weight room."
Originally enrolled in Miami's School of Business, Fletcher suffered a knee injury in his freshman season. It forced him to go through a lengthy period of physical therapy and opened his eyes to the possibility of a career in rehabilitation. He then began to study exercise science and interned as a therapist.
"Most of the time, therapists are working with people who have non-athletic injuries, but I wanted to work with athletes," Fletcher said. "That's when I turned toward strength and conditioning. Starting with Dan Dalrymple (now with the NFL's New Orleans Saints), Miami has always had a strong breed of strength coaches. I got into an internship program my junior and senior seasons, and that's what convinced me that this is what I wanted to do."
Upon his graduation, Fletcher became assistant strength and conditioning coach for John Beilein's University of Michigan basketball team. During his two years in Ann Arbor, he procured his Master's degree through a renowned program at Edith Cowan University in Joondalup, Australia.
"I noticed that a majority of the sports scientists in the NBA were coming from Australia," he said. "Studying there gave me insight about the athlete monitoring side of what we do, making sure the athletes don't over-train, and listening to the science of the body."
In 2011 Fletcher was hired as the basketball strength and conditioning director at Towson University near Baltimore. Thanks in part to Fletcher's efforts, the Tigers' 2013 team made the largest single-season turnaround in NCAA history, then the '14 squad won a program Division I record 25 games. Soon, Fletcher was overseeing the conditioning for all of the Tigers' 19 sports.
In August of 2015, John Groce hired Fletcher as Illini basketball's strength and conditioning coach. He inherited an Illinois team filled with players who were suffering from a variety of physical maladies, headlined by senior Tracy Abrams who in back-to-back seasons had been sidelined by knee and Achilles tendon injuries.
"We took over a group that was really injury prone," Fletcher said. "Tracy was really great for me because everyone had kind of written him off. It was like, 'he'll never play.' Fortunately, Tracy believed in the process, stayed focused, and went through a whole movement screen process. We addressed what Tracy's issues were and made corrections. What he did with his body in that time that I had with him was special. I owe a lot to Tracy because he believed in me. He laid that early foundation as to how Illinois basketball trains and why movement is so important."
Abrams, who currently is in Serbia playing his second season of professional basketball, thinks as highly of Fletcher as Fletch does of him.
"To call Fletch a hard worker would be an understatement," Abrams said. "He goes to the extreme with every player. He's competitive and definitely inspirational. He wants the best of people. Fletch helped me a lot from not having days when I could have been discouraged. Today, I'm two years clean of injuries."
Fletcher has made a few alterations to Illini basketball's strength and conditioning plan in his second year serving Brad Underwood.
"Coach Underwood wants to play fast, so we're going to train fast," he said. "Our emphasis is a little bit different. We do work a little bit more on sprint speed than I've done in the past. Our offseason development has been player led. Trent Frazier, Aaron Jordan, Drew Cayce … our veterans guys have grabbed it. The player-led culture has really led to the way that we train. Train fast, play fast … that's the identity they want to have. That's what's made this thing special. It's kind of taken its own form and it's been our players who have taken us there."
Fletcher loves the players on Illinois's 2018-19 squad.
"They're a great group," he says. "They all work hard. They don't take no for an answer and that's special. We've got a group of guys who are totally committed. They want to make Illinois basketball great again and it's fun to be around them."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
'I want to make history’ - Troy Pryor Creating Diversity in Entertainment
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
As he ascends to the top of Chicago's multi-million-dollar entertainment industry, former Fighting Illini football player Troy Pryor reminds himself daily not to take his success for granted.
He recalls a valuable life lesson taught to him by a University of Illinois professor years ago in an argumentation class.
"We were learning how to debate," Pryor remembered. "My instructor gave me an 'F' on one of my first assignments. I had done what I thought was a good job on the paper and I said to him, 'How could you possibly give me an 'F' on this?' And he said, 'You did a really good job on this, but you're one of the smartest people in this class and if I don't push you you're never going to go as far as you can. I gave you an 'F' because now you're forced to do the best that you possibly can.' It put me in a position where I literally had to get A's on everything else."
Pryor said that his classroom experience at the U of I reiterated the fact that just because you're blessed with certain abilities, you still have to push yourself.
"Will Smith once said that there is a difference between talent and skill," Pryor said. Talent is something you may be born with, but skill is something you really have to work at and cultivate. That instructor just let me know that whatever I was going to do in my life, I couldn't be out-worked and that I had to give it my all. Sometimes you get complacent and you need those reminders."
Nowadays, Pryor is a major player in Chicago's entertainment business. He founded a not-for-profit company five years ago that he named Creative Cypher. It's a collection of resources that serves more than 2,000 artists and 150 companies, providing them with a variety of multicultural writers, producers, directors, equipment suppliers, and fiscal sponsors.
"Creative Cypher was an idea that blossomed during a conversation between me and a few actors," Pryor said. "We determined that if we could have access to our own resources—get cameras from over here and lights from over there—then we could produce and create stories that we wanted to be cast in. I was able to create a business model to support this infrastructure and today it's evolved into an incubator for creativity."
His company's motto is "Eliminate our need to ask for permission". As an example, Pryor cites the recent success of the "Black Panther" movie franchise.
"We're beginning to see more and more diversity than every before," he said. "Artists of color and other minorities have rarely had the opportunity to do what Ryan Kugler did with 'Black Panther'. He took a $200 million investment, earned that back in pre-sale, then made an additional $1 billion. Now he can write his own ticket. There are a lot of individuals who can be in a position like that if they are empowered, and that's our goal."
Pryor's determination through his first 33 years of life has advanced his career to a point where accolades are regularly added to his already impressive resume.
The youngest person ever to be elected to Chicago's Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) Board of Directors, Pryor was selected by The Chicago Scholars Foundation in April as one of the city's most inspirational young professionals. He was honored on its list of "35 Under 35 Young Leaders Making an Impact".
Most recently, ADCOLOR, a New York City-based organization that champions diversity and inclusion in creative industries, nominated Pryor as one of three candidates for its 2018 Innovator of the Year Award. The other nominees include Google's head of multicultural marketing and the president and co-founder of TONL, a stock photography company that focuses on showcasing people of color and other underserved communities. The winner will be announced today at an awards banquet in Los Angeles.
"I'm extremely grateful for being nominated," Pryor said. "We've seen the direction the industry is going and and we're pleased that we've been able to solve issues and make things easier for our artists. As a result, our brand has continued to grow."
Pryor grew up in Chicago's Auburn-Gresham neighborhood, spending his summers with relatives in Atlanta. The Pryor clan include athletes—younger cousin Kendric Pryor is currently a starting receiver for the University of Wisconsin's football team—and a long line of clergy. Pryor's great grandfather, Levi Kennedy, did missionary work in Africa and helped found Southwestern Christian College in Terrell, Texas.
Pryor attended the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, a public four-year magnet school located in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood on the far south side. CHSAS joined an eight-man football league in his sophomore season and, before suffering a serious knee injury as a senior, Pryor starred individually. He also was a standout in basketball, baseball, and track and field, and a member of the school's chess team.
Pryor enrolled at the University of Illinois, joining the Illini power-lifting team as a freshman in an effort to strengthen his injured knee. Upon breaking the state's power-lifting record in his first meet, he redirected his goals and tried out for Illinois's football team. Continuing to regain strength in his knee through workouts with then strength and conditioning coach Lou Hernandez, Pryor became a linebacker for the Orange and Blue. However, a series of injuries plagued his career and while he was able to dress for several Illini games in 2005 and '06, he never got an opportunity to play.
Walter Mendenhall, former UI running back and current Director of Teen Programming and Outreach at Chicago's Circle Urban Ministries, praised the accomplishments of his good friend and teammate.
"The fact that Troy was a walk-on and had to compete without the guarantee of a scholarship showed his passion and commitment," said Mendenhall. "Today, the opportunities he's creating for people of color are absolutely awesome."
In 2005, during one of his summers in Atlanta, Pryor got his initial break in the entertainment business, earning an "extra" role as a waiter in Tyler Perry's movie "Daddy's Little Girls." Perry spotted talent in the 20-year-old and encouraged him to pursue an acting career. Though Troy had to decline his mentor's offer in order to pursue his football aspirations, the 'entertainment' seed had been planted in his brain.
Upon his graduation in 2007 from the U of I, Pryor dropped 60 pounds from his 250-pound football frame and became a runway model. That led to actor training with Second City, then roles in TV, theater, ads and voice-over work. His creative desire eventually blossomed into becoming CEO of Pryor Holdings LLC, including Troy Pryor Studios, GOOD Movies, Cypher News and Pyramid Creations.
This summer he exposed thousands of Chicago youngsters to the possibilities that lie within their potential, providing them with a free movie screening of "Black Panther" and introducing them to influential players in the entertainment industry.
"We wanted them to understand what it took to make that film," Pryor said. "They met cast members from the film, a five-time Emmy-winning writer, one of the lead actresses from Showtime's 'The Chi', an actor from 'Hamilton', and an artist that worked with Marvel and DC to talk about the jobs that had equity in 'Black Panther'.
Pryor says there's a reason that movie credits run for 10 minutes.
"It's a massive collaborative effort," he said. "Often times, people just look at the stars, but the real power belongs to the individuals in the executive rooms and the person that's writing the check. We wanted the kids to understand that there's a lot more to movies than just being the person in front of the camera."
Pryor says that the ultimate goal for his company is to be completely autonomous and to be in a position to open the doors for artists that just need a chance to grow.
"I look at what Walt Disney was able to create," he said. "Oprah … Quincy Jones … Will Smith … The Rock … Jay-Z … they all understand their purpose in life. Of course, I want to monetize what I do, but I also want to make history. That stems from my family's background in clergy. It's not just about making movies, it's about making history. I want to make other people's lives better."
To learn more, go to www.TroyPryor.com.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
'At the Forefront of Digital Media' - FIGHTINGILLINI.COM Among Nation's First Collegiate Websites
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
On September 16, 1995, the University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics entered an exciting new world, debuting a website that would ultimately introduce the world to the successes of the Fighting Illini well beyond traditional print media and radio and television stations.
"Illini On-Line" had a simple web address – athletics.uiuc.edu -- but it would eventually have an impactful role in broadening the base of the Illini Family.
The origins of the Illini's exposure to the "World Wide Web" are directly traced to UI's National Center for Supercomputing Applications where then computer science student Marc Andreessen developed and refined the art of writing hypertext through his groundbreaking web browser called Mosaic. It was an innovation that is perhaps more responsible than any other in terms of popularizing the Internet and bringing digital information into the homes of millions.
In the early 1990s, using dial-up was the norm. With a Netcom account, the typical American could set up his own TCP/IP stack, using a 2,400-baud modem. Still, the Internet remained slow and clunky. Behind the scenes, computer scientists like Andreesen were making swift progress in satisfying the information-hungry consumers. According to Netcraft.com, there were fewer than a dozen websites in 1992. In 2019, that number will hit the two billion mark.
NCSA staff members Tony Baylis and Doug Fein were instrumental in the design and preparation of Illini On-Line, helping the U of I become one of the first two Big Ten Conference institutions to launch an athletics website.
At that time, Baylis was NCSA's media coordinator and also served as a videographer at numerous Illini games. Today, he serves as director of Strategic Diversity and Inclusion Programs for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.
"Creating Illini On-Line put us in the forefront of what you're seeing in social media today," Baylis said. "What we were trying to do was create a following and a frenzy, and to interact directly with people who supported Illinois athletics. Using Mosaic and some of the other tools we had at that particular time, our goal was to establish a web presence. However, because of the bandwidth and internet speeds at that time, our ideas were probably grander than what we were actually able to do."
Doug Fein, a 1996 UI graduate and now Assistant Director of Innovative Technology Services at NCSA, was instrumental in the graphic design of the site and for the video highlight segments. He remembers that downloading the video via the dial-tone connection was a slow and tedious process.
"Originally, the University was working with ten megabit speed," Fein said. "That was fast at the time. Our videos were 200-by-140 pixels, but it took people at home upwards of 45 minutes to an hour to download a 15-second video. Today, the typical 50 gigs of download speed is about 5,000 times faster than what it was in those days."
Kent Brown, Associate Director of Athletics for Media Relations, fondly remembers those early days of Illini On-Line.
"Since this thing called the Internet, or, information superhighway, was still fairly new, it was exciting to feel like we were on the front end when Illini On-Line began," Brown said. "We all saw great potential, but really had no idea how ingrained the Internet would become in our daily lives. The ability to communicate directly with Fighting Illini fans 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through our own website was a game-changer in terms of sharing information. It gave us an opportunity to tell our stories in our own voice on our own schedule."
And while Fighting Illini athletics is still covered regularly by a number of print, radio, television and online outlets, its very own website leads the way in terms of covering its athletic teams.
"FightingIllini.com, and conversely, the social media we use, has become the number one way in which we distribute information to our fans and constituents," Brown said. "As websites evolve, we continue to try and find innovative ways to share our stories and information. For many of our Olympic sports, FightingIllini.com is the primary conduit of information to fans and family, bypassing traditional media who no longer have the space or time to devote for details of events or feature stories."
Today, FightingIllini.com is designed and maintained by the Illinois Athletics Creative Services team and managed by its media rights holder, Learfield's Fighting Illini Sports Properties. General Manager Luke Reiff says Illinois's athletics website totaled more than 30 million page views in 2017.
"The majority of traffic is seen from the Champaign-Urbana and Chicago markets, but major metropolitan areas such as New York City and Los Angeles account for upwards of 400,000 page views each year," Reiff said. "What started as a simple platform to distribute content has evolved into an online marketplace for fans to remain up to date on the Illini, download schedules, watch or listen to game broadcasts, buy tickets or merchandise, and interact with staff, players, and other fans."
Reiff says that a redesign of FightingIllini.com is coming this fall.
"Fans will notice an updated look and a more responsive platform which improve the user experience and generate further growth in popularity."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
'A time to reflect on memories' - 1953 Illini football team gathers for 65th reunion
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
The Fighting Illini team that many historians call Coach Ray Eliot's greatest coaching achievement gathered last week to reminisce with their teammates from 65 years ago.
Sixteen members of the University of Illinois's 1953 Big Ten co-champions were special guests of the Varsity "I" Association at Memorial Stadium's Colonnades Club. Now in their mid 80s, each man had vivid memories of being a member of a team that was thought to have had little chance of winning the conference title.
Returning to the reunion were Herb Badal (Charlotte, N.C.), Dave Bauer (Benton), Jim Brosnan (Palos Park), Bob Des Enfants (Ames, Iowa), Gary Francis (Park Ridge), Leo Frazier (Chicago), Jack Henniff (Wild Rose, Wis.), Kenny Miller (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Jim Minor (Granite Bay, Calif.), Ralph Nelson (Ottawa), Peter Palmer (Shelbyville, Ky.), Bob Scott (Monticello), Jan Smid (Countryside), Cliff Waldbeser (Sun Lakes, Ariz.), Roger Wolf (Sugar Grove) and senior manager Charlie Finn (Champaign).
Deceased stars from '53 included J.C. Caroline, Mickey Bates, Rocky Ryan, Don Ernst, Em Lindbeck and Stan Wallace. And although those men's physical presence was missing, their contributions came up in numerous conversations throughout the night.
Illinois' 7-1-1 season came on the heels of a disappointing performance the year before. The 1952 team, a year removed from a Rose Bowl victory, lost five of its nine games and won only twice in seven Big Ten contests.
Finn said that the Illini coaching staff was resolved to begin the turnaround the spring before. Their optimism stemmed in great part from the addition of a pair of fleet-footed running backs named Caroline and Bates. As a tandem, they rushed for nearly 2,000 yards, including a Big Ten record 1,256 by Caroline.
Much of Illinois's offensive success was due to the efforts of its unheralded offensive line.
"We had a marvelous senior class," Finn said. "Our offensive line was especially talented. They were the key to opening the holes for J.C. and Mickey."
Jim Minor, the starting center on that line, gave high praise to fellow line mates Percy Oliver, Jan Smid, Don Ernst and Lenzini.
"Percy, Jan and Don were all very strong and very quick," Minor said. "But they were completely undersized as offensive linemen (Oliver weighed 194 pounds. Smid 196 and Ernst 186). Many times we'd double-team the opponent's best defensive linemen who were much bigger than us. As for Bob. He was a natural leader and should have received national recognition."
Following a 21-21 tie with Nebraska in the season opener and a 33-21 victory over eventual Pacific Coast Conference runner-up Stanford in game two, Illinois ventured to Columbus for a battle against highly favored Ohio State. The Friday before, Illinois' junior varsity squad played the Buckeyes' jayvee team. Stationed squarely on the sideline that day, eager to scout the Illini offense, was the entire OSU coaching staff, including head coach Woody Hayes.
"We didn't appreciate what they did, so we ran everything except our regular offensive schemes, actually making up plays from the single wing," Finn said.
On Saturday afternoon at The Horseshoe, Bates and Caroline exploded out of the gates, scoring three touchdowns in the first 14 minutes, including a 41-yard gallop by Bates and a 64-yard sprint to the end zone by Caroline. When the dust had settled at Ohio Stadium, the Illini's dynamic duo had combined for 339 yards rushing and scored all six UI touchdowns in a 41-20 victory.
Said Eliot afterwards, "It was one of those days when just about everything went right for us."
Herb Badal said that neither he nor his teammates were surprised to see what Bates and Caroline did that day to the Buckeyes.
"Ohio Stadium was the biggest and loudest stadium we'd ever been in, but it was a hush for most of that afternoon because of Mickey and J.C.," Badal said.
Illinois went on to post four more consecutive wins before being temporarily derailed by Wisconsin and its All-America running back, Alan Ameche, in Madison. UI concluded the season with a 39-14 victory at Northwestern, creating a tie for the Big Ten title with Michigan State.
In the 1976 book entitled "The Fighting Illini", Eliot told author Lon Eubanks that he was confident that Illinois would again represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl. Instead, in a narrow vote, conference athletic directors selected MSU.
"I've always looked with askance on that decision," Eliot told Eubanks. "It was a great disappointment, but I called Biggie Munn the night it was decided and wished him and his team well."
Officials from the Sugar Bowl attempted to seize the moment and invited Illinois to play in its New Year's Day bowl. However, Big Ten officials stood firm on its policy of only one team being allowed to play a post-season game and Illini players spent their holidays at home.
Minor remembered Eliot as a master motivator, recalling his pep talk prior to Illinois's 19-3 victory at Memorial Stadium over Michigan.
"He told us that he had gone over to the Michigan locker room to welcome the coaches and he spotted All-American Ron Kramer in the locker room," Minor said. "Ray told us, 'I saw that great player put his pants on one leg at a time, just like you boys.' He went on to say that he wouldn't trade his two ends for one or more Ron Kramer. That gave us all the confidence we needed."
A unique member of the '53 Illini was senior tackle and music major Peter Palmer from St. Louis. Before each home game, resplendent in his Illini uniform, he'd take the microphone and lead the crowd in singing the national anthem.
"I came to Illinois known as a football player who could sing and left as a singer who could play football," Palmer said. "It was such a thrill for me to sing the anthem before the games. It ranks up there with anything I ever did."
After a stint in the U.S. Army, Palmer would go on to become a renowned Broadway star, winning the lead role as "Li'l' Abner" from 1956-58. He continued singing and acting in movies and television until 1994.
"I never retired," Palmer chuckled, "they just stopped calling."
Sixty-five years after having played their final game, the Illini players' love and admiration for their head coach has never ceased.
"Ray Eliot was a very inspiring individual and he was always for the little guy," said Badal. "He always told us 'It's not how big you are, it's how big your heart is.'"
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
'Everything good in my life happened on this campus'
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
We're loyal to you, Illinois.
That opening line of the University of Illinois's school song aptly describes the faithful devotion to the Orange and Blue of the eight men and women who were honored Friday night at the annual "Orange Affair" of Varsity "I" Weekend.
This year's award winners included:
•Achievement Award: Maria Salinas (Gymnastics '78) and Dennis Swanson (Basketball Manager '61)
•Merit Award: Ken Zimmerman (Football and Fencing '63)
•Honorary "I" Inductees: Jim Benson, Steve Elkins, Ron & Paula Filler, and Mary Henson
Special guests at Friday's event, emceed by men's basketball alumnus Deon Thomas, also included 16 members of Illini football's 1953 team, a squad that shared the Big Ten Conference title with Michigan State 65 years ago. Both the team and the award winners were introduced to the crowd at Saturday's Illinois-Western Illinois football game
In his opening remarks, Director of Athletics Josh Whitman, mentioned the importance of gathering the Illini family.
"The friendships that were developed between student-athletes and coaches at this place are very meaningful," Whitman said, "and events like this allow us to reunite, reminisce and celebrate those special memories. Wearing the Block I bonds us together for the rest of our years."
The Varsity Club's Achievement Award, presented to past letter winners for post-graduate accomplishment, were received by former gymnast Maria Salinas-Hayes and four-year basketball manager Dennis Swanson
A member of Illinois's first women's varsity gymnastics team, Salinas-Hayes won the IAIAW all-around title and helped lead the Illini to its initial Big Ten championship squad. She went on to become a cheerleader at the U of I. Following her graduation in 1978, Salinas-Hayes became highly successful in the technology industry, then was an accomplished executive in the field of medical devices.
She was married for 35 years to longtime UI Alumni Association administrator Patrick Hayes, who died in 2017. Salinas-Hayes stays involved with the University by attending athletic events and by participating in UI Foundation events. She also is a generous donor to the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. Salinas-Hayes is the third female recipient of the Achievement Award.
"I've been in Champaign-Urbana for the last 40 years and have seen a number of individuals win this award," she said. "In that respect, to be only one of three women to win this is very meaningful. It's taken us (women) a little while, but we're now getting the recognition that we deserve. I'm very grateful to have been considered. It's beyond anything I ever dreamed of."
As an undergraduate, Swanson served as a student manager for Coach Harry Combes' Illini basketball team and worked part time at WILL, the University's radio and television stations. He rose to the rank of captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, and then returned to the U of I to earn a Master's degree in communication and political science. Swanson began his illustrious media career in Chicago, and then made a substantial impact across America.
Swanson's executive positions include tenures as President of ABC Sports, President for ABCs Daytime and Children's Programming, President and General Manager of WNBC-TV in New York, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of CBS Television Stations Inc., and President of Station Operations for Fox Television Stations Group. In 2005, Swanson was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.
His other signature credits include hiring a young Oprah Winfrey, persuading the International Olympic Committee to stagger the summer and winter Olympic Games every two years, and pairing Kathie Lee Gifford with Regis Philbin.
"The University of Illinois has meant so much to me," Swanson said, who now resides in New Canaan, Conn. "I met my wife of 57 years here and my oldest daughter was born here. What makes the award really special for me is being a part of the 1959-60 basketball team. I've become the fifth person from that team to win this honor … Mannie Jackson, Jerry Colangelo, Doug Mills, Dave Downey and now me. This university has played a tremendous role in my life."
Former Illini football and fencing standout Ken Zimmerman, who was unable to attend Friday's event, was presented the Merit Award. Now a resident of Westminster, Colo., Zimmerman was co-captain and Most Valuable Player of Coach Pete Elliott's 1962 Illini football team. He also was a member of Coach Max Garret's 1962 conference champion fencing team. Zimmerman served as Director of the Fighting Illini Scholarship Fund from 1993 through 2004.
"Though we didn't win many football games during my days as a halfback, I'm very proud of setting the table for our great 1963 squad," Zimmerman said. "Those days created so many fond memories for me. And to win the Merit Award really caps off my career."
Among the individuals who were inducted as honorary Illini were Jim Benson (Boston, Mass.), Steve Elkins (Chicago), Ron and Paula Filler (Naples, Fla.), and Mary Henson (Champaign).
"Absolutely everything good in my life happened on this campus," Benson said. "It molded me into an adult both emotionally and attitudinally. Now, I want to be an All-American in serving and supporting the University of Illinois. While I've given a little bit back, this University has given far more back to me. I'm excited because everything is going well with the athletic department. As our leader, Josh Whitman isn't just a former student-athlete, he's a scholar-athlete. In accepting this honor, I delight in the opportunity to continue to support this fine school and its athletic department."
The wife of longtime Illini men's basketball coach Lou Henson, Mary Henson was overwhelmed by receiving an honorary I.
"I am thrilled to be chosen for this prestigious honor," she said. "It was always Lou's and my intention to make Illinois our last stop. We've called Champaign home for 33 years and this is our forever home."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Don Thorp: 'This is how you win'
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
The basic principles and skills that Don Thorp employed to transform him into an all-star football player at the University of Illinois have helped to shape his philosophy as a highly successful businessman.
In becoming Big Ten football's Most Valuable Player 35 years ago (1983), Thorp triumphantly combined the physical characteristics of size, strength, speed, quickness and durability. His Fighting Illini coaches also taught him that pregame preparation through film study, an ability to adapt to his opponent, and his natural instincts would pay additional dividends.
Thorp has practiced a similar strategy as the longtime President of his family business, Prinova, building his company's annual sales to more than $800 million. His company provides high-quality ingredients, flavors and value-added solutions to the global food, feed and wellness industries.
"If you look on the back of a can or a box or any food or beverage product, that little print is what we do," Thorp said.
"Prinova's tagline is 'This is how you win,'" Thorp said. "Many of our products involve sports nutrition. Using that phrase, we want to portray to our customers that 'This is how you win new business' and 'This is how to win in the marketplace.'"
When the Buffalo Grove High School star received a football scholarship to attend Illinois in 1980, his future plans didn't originally include his dad's (Richard) business, then called Greenfield Thorp Company.
A 1984 UI alum, Thorp earned a business finance degree.
"I like money," he chuckled, "so I wanted to know more about finance."
Thorp's dad would entertain his customers - Sara Lee and Quaker Oats, at the time - by bringing them to his son's Illini games and later to his NFL contests.
"Afterwards, I'd go to dinner with my dad and his customers," Thorp said. "By the time I retired from the game, joining the company made sense since I already knew the clients."
In 1989, he became the company's fourth employee. Thorp initially divided his skills between sales, customer service, warehousing and finances. Soon, the company began to evolve due to the new concepts and strategies he was bringing to the table.
"We got into distribution in 1992, changed the company's name to Premium Ingredients and, from there, things just kind of took off," Thorp said.
Don became the company's president in 1995 and, two years later, Premium Ingredients entered into the flavor industry. Global expansion followed in 2002 when the company acquired AMC Chemical in the United Kingdom. Three years later, it opened an in-house research and development applications laboratory at its headquarters in Carol Stream, Illinois. It also expanded its North American operation into Canada. And, in 2011, Premium Ingredients was renamed Prinova.
"Today, we have 915 employees, including, I'm happy to say, a bunch of University of Illinois alums," Thorp said. "We have operations on three different continents (North America, Europe and Asia) and a new corporate headquarters in Hanover Park. We now have the ability to supply our products around the world."
Thorp's company partners with numerous food and beverage industry giants, including General Mills, Kellogg's, Pepsi and Nestlé.
"We sell to all the top manufacturers, but we're also huge in sports nutrition," said Thorp. "We provide them with the amino acids and proteins, blend those things and flavor those things, and then we package them to top nutrition companies like GNC, Optimum Nutrition and Nutrabolt."
Each year, Prinova encounters new challenges.
"Today, most millennials want naturally healthy, non-organic products," Thorp said. "Not everything is made that way, so we're always looking for the new, innovative product. For example, the whey protein that all the athletes take nowadays is expanding into pea protein and rice protein. There's always something new."
With low unemployment, Thorp says that finding quality people is becoming more and more difficult.
"We want all of those Illinois grads to apply at Prinova," he says.
Thorp's family includes his wife, Kay, and three children. Twin sons Kevin and Michael both earned degrees from the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and now are third-generation employees for Prinova.
Thorp, now 56, says his mind often flashes back to his teammates and Illinois's storybook season in 1983.
"Since most of us played as freshmen, sophomores and juniors, we knew it was just a matter of time before we won," he said. "During our 10-game winning streak in '83, it seemed like the fans would rush the field every time we won. It was a magical season and obviously a lot of fun for all of us football players."
Individually, UI's All-America defensive lineman bested a talented bevy of Big Ten superstars to win most outstanding player honors.
"To be named the Big Ten MVP was an awesome thing," he said. "You can't do it without your teammates, of course, but to be recognized as the best player in the Big Ten was a huge honor for me. I was very proud of that."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Mikey Dudek's mantra: "Never Give Up!"
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Fighting Illini receiver Mikey Dudek is a football veteran. In fact, the number he wears on his familiar 18 jersey equals how many years he's actually been playing the sport.
"I started playing football when I was in kindergarten," he says.
Conveniently for his parents, Rick and Lynn, Mikey and brother Danny—exactly a year older—almost always played on the same teams as they were growing up.
"Football, baseball, basketball, lacrosse and track," Mikey said. "Danny and me always had some kind of a ball in our hands 'cause my family revolved around sports."
Orange and blue have been Dudek's favorite colors long before he came to Champaign-Urbana because, like his current squad, they were the shades of his favorite professional team, the Chicago Bears.
Dudek played football and ran track at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville. The coach primarily responsible for recruiting the Wildcats all-star to Illinois was UI football alum Mike Bellamy.
"Recruiting Mike was probably the most fun I've had," Bellamy remembers. "As young athletes, we both were faced with challenges as to whether we could be successful. I told our Illini staff at the time that he would either catch 300 catches for us or he'd catch 300 against us."
Dudek almost immediately lived up to his former coach's billing, leading FBS freshmen in receiving yards per game (79.8) in 2014. However, Dudek's path to stardom took a sharp detour when he suffered a debilitating knee injury during 2015 spring workouts. Misfortune once again fell his way in 2016 when he endured a second ACL injury.
"After the second surgery, I was in a wheel chair for five or six days, then I was in a brace for eight weeks," Dudek recalled. "It was tough. But my time away from the game (981 days between starts) allowed me to grow and mature."
In the 2017 season opener against Ball State, Dudek celebrated his triumphant return with a 16-yard touchdown catch. He admits that that particular grab was memorable, but not as personally satisfying as a reception he had as a freshman at Northwestern.
"That catch in Evanston was special because all of my family was there," he said. "All my cousins and all my friends were sitting just a few feet away from where I scored my touchdown there in the south end zone. It's something I'll never forget."
Now, just a few days shy of his 23rd birthday (August 21), the battle-scarred old-timer is an odds-on favorite to be bestowed the title of team captain. Few Illini players have earned that designation more than Dudek. His teammates have not only witnessed the leadership he's displayed on the field, but also the intestinal fortitude and courage he's shown in the training room.
"From a very young age, my mom and dad taught me to never give up on anything," Dudek said. "They taught me to help people out because there will be a point in time when you're going to need help, too. For me, leadership is helping people develop in every category that they want. I noticed the way my dad handled himself working; he always carried himself with kindness and confidence."
Nowadays, Dudek's daily conditioning routine is one of necessity.
"I usually get to the stadium an hour before practice to stretch out, get in the hot tub to loosen up my muscles, do some band stretches and what not," he said. "Then I warm up with the team. After practice, it's cold tub, hot tub, and just stretch. It's a fulltime job, but I love football so much I'm willing to do it."
Dudek's seemingly endless bout with injuries has ultimately paid meaningful dividends.
"Because I've had football taken away from me twice, I try to just go out there and have fun and try to help my teammates," he says. "If a make a bad play, I won't dwell on it and carry it over into life as well. I've been a happier person, a better man. It's amazing how much a negative thing can end up helping you."
Bellamy, now the receivers coach at the University of Toledo, showers praise on the entire Dudek family.
"They mean a lot to me because they have raised a 'Grade A' young man," he said. "I have no doubt that Mike will get an opportunity to live out his dreams."
As for the upcoming 2018 campaign, the recent marketing graduate and current Master's student exudes a quiet confidence.
"We've been working really hard since November," Dudek said. "We want to go out there and compete and finish every single game. I definitely think the Illini will put a much better product on the field this year."
UPDATE: Just 25 days after this story originally appeared on FightingIllini.com, Mikey Dudek was injured in Illini football's season opener (Sept. 1). He's since announced that he's retired from football.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Academia inspires Ade Adeyemo
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
It's a scenario that has played out thousands of times among promisingly talented athletes. The high school all-star advances on to college, only to have his dreams for professional stardom dashed by injuries.
And it's a story with which Fighting Illini football alum Adeoye "Ade" Adeyemo is all too familiar. His tale, however, features a happy ending, thanks to scholarly parents and sage advice from mentors.
An all-state receiver at Chicago's St. Rita High School, Adeyemo ultimately committed to play for Coach Ron Turner and the University of Illinois. Though he was awarded three varsity letters (2001, '03 and '04), a broken ankle and ribs interrupted Ade's collegiate career, markedly limiting his playing time and accomplishments.
Fortunately for Adeyemo, his parents - Horatio and Mojirol Adeyemo, natives of Nigeria - had fervently advocated the importance of an advanced education to Ade and his two sisters. His mother and father attended Alabama A&M as undergrads, then went on receive MBA degrees at the same university.
Originally, Ade thought he might follow in the footsteps of his father - currently an engineer for Chicago's Department of Transportation - taking introductory engineering classes at St. Rita. He eventually studied finance at the University of Illinois, receiving his bachelor's degree in December of 2004.
"Because of the pay scale and the prospects of having a good life and supporting a family, I thought I wanted to be in business in some capacity," he said.
Urged on by his parents, Adeyemo began pursuing his Master's degree in education at UIUC in January of 2005, but interrupted his progress by taking a fling as a receiver in the Arena Football League and serving as a stunt man in a 2008 football movie entitled "The Express".
After completing his Master's program in May of 2007, Adeyemo landed in Chicago with Northwestern Mutual, serving for nearly three years as a financial advisor. He was doing well, but he wasn't fulfilled by his work.
"It wasn't a passion for me," he said. "It took a while for me to understand what I really wanted to do. Finance wasn't who I was and what I wanted to accomplish."
During his search for a more meaningful career, Adeyemo met with a variety of individuals who encouraged him to pursue academia as an option. One of those people was Jerome Morris, then a professor of education at the University of Georgia.
"Jerome had been an athlete (at Austin Peay State University), so we had an ability to talk about sports and life, and the experience of black athletes," Adeyemo said.
"We discussed how that paralleled in many spaces with society, in terms of their identities, their aspirations, and their perceptions. I've always had an affinity for helping young people, particularly those who are under represented and who haven't had the opportunities or the resources to thrive in certain areas. It wasn't until I received encouragement from him and others that I committed myself to develop a platform for the work that I wanted to do."
In 2010, Adeyemo prepared for his dissertation at UGA. He focused his research on black athletes, studying how their identities and aspirations were shaped within their neighborhoods and schools.
"Many before me had studied the experiences of young adolescents at the collegiate level, focusing on their experiences at predominantly white institutions and at historically black institutions," he said. "But there were few examples of work that examined the experiences of adolescents in high school."
Adeyemo analyzed predominantly black neighborhoods in the south and west sides of Chicago, interviewing and engaging with eight students, their parents, and their community members.
"Because of my familiarity with these neighborhoods, I was able to provide a more nuanced understanding about the experiences in these spaces and describe what these young people were going through," he said.
Adeyemo challenged that the urban setting doesn't have to be impoverished or lack resources.
"We were able to understand that people who may have lived in those communities that were maybe more violent, that they were able to exhibit ideas of resilience and were able to overcome these environments through the support of their families," he said. "Because they knew the perpetrators of these violent crimes, they were shielded from not becoming involved.
"Research concluded it's important to become exposed to sports," he continued. "And to become engaged at an early age in other activities and programs that aren't sports related.
"We found that these were the adolescents who were able to excel athletically and academically at the same time. It's necessary to become aware about the importance of health care and nutrition, and to become engaged in a rigorous curriculum. It's important to have people and resources in place over a period of time so that young people can be inspired to succeed and excel and reach their highest level of achievement."
Adeyemo returned to UIUC in August of 2017 for a two-year appointment as a postdoctoral fellow in educational policy and organizational leadership. He hopes his work will transition into a tenure tract position at the University.
"I want to spend time with many of the young athletes here and cultivate and enhance their experience at the U of I, while also helping them realize their goals beyond athletics," Adeyemo said.
"The world is becoming much more technologically sophisticated. Every day we see those advancements. That being said, there are so many more opportunities that can be developed and created by individuals rather than by corporations.
"We want to facilitate those opportunities by providing resources to obtain those goals. How do you engage them to reach their goals and then welcome them back to the university family as well? That can be something that benefits both parties."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Chris James aims to be a 'hero' to Chicago's kids
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Growing up as a kid on the south side of Chicago, Chris James admits that he was clueless about what the long-term future held for him. He was more focused on surviving from one day to the next.
Little did he realize how instrumental he'd become in helping shape the lives of kids like him. In essence, he'd evolve into a role model and a hero.
Flash back to Chicago's Robert Taylor Housing Project, 52nd and State Streets. During the summer months, the son of Kyle Greer and the late Charles James spent most of the day at the playground with his friends, playing basketball and other games. There was little, if any, food in the refrigerator at home, so James relied upon the box lunches from the park district and the churches.
"Me and my (fraternal twin) sisters, Khaliah and Kyeesha, were there bright and early each day to pick up sandwiches, applesauce and juice," said James. "Most days, that was the only thing we had to eat."
He remembers going to the gas station to pump people's gas for change or to the grocery store where he'd push their carts to their car for a dollar or two. Chris would use the money to buy chicken wings and fries.
"In many ways, I was raising myself," he says.
When James was in fifth grade, the family moved out of the projects and got Section 8 housing at 69th and Dorchester. However, when the winter months descended upon Chicago, there was no heat in their apartment.
"I remember getting up one morning and there were dishes frozen in the sink," Chris said. "We had to heat the water up on a hot plate to use in the sink or the tub. Man, that's the bottom!
His life changed dramatically at the beginning of his sixth-grade year when he moved in with his grandmother, Gwendolyn Parker.
"My grandmother is my everything," he said. "Without her, I don't know where I would have been. She taught me that you have to work hard every day. When I came home from high school with C's and D's, she got on me in the softest way possible. Grandma would say 'that grade doesn't affect me; that's your grade. The decisions you make, they affect you, not me. Don't think about disappointing me or making me mad. You just gotta do what you gotta do, even when you don't want to do it.' That was her message. After a while, I understood what she was trying to teach me."
Grandma allowed "CJ" to play football and basketball as an eighth grader. One of his teammates was future NBA superstar Derrick Rose. Throughout, his grandmother's support remained unwavering.
"She never missed one of my games," said James. "Every basketball game, every football game, no matter if it was four degrees or if a game was in Rockford. Grandma was always there."
He continued his sports career at Morgan Park High School. A plethora of talented players kept the young wide receiver in the shadows until his junior season. Eventually, James became one of the primary targets of prep superstar Demetrius Jones, the number-two-rated prep quarterback who eventually got recruited by Notre Dame.
"Once everyone got a hold of Demetrius's tapes," he said, "our exposure went from zero to one hundred."
Illinois football coaches Ron Zook and Reggie Mitchell were the first to offer James a scholarship, followed by Michigan State, Tennessee, Notre Dame and others. He eventually picked the Illini, lettering in 2006, '08 and '09 during an injury-plagued college career.
Adjusting from his life in the projects to the University of Illinois campus was, in his words, "weird."
"Honestly, it was a culture shock," he said. "I learned as much culturally and socially as I did in the classroom. It was a weird feeling being around different people and getting different perspectives and different points of view. When you get exposed to a new world, you view things vastly different."
Besides the Illini coaching staff, James credits a number of individuals on the support staff, including Shari Shaw, Kathy Kaler, Pamela Green, Terry Elmore and former U of I learning specialist Carla Suber.
Suber served as his advisor throughout his career at Illinois and she remains as one of his must trusted confidants today.
"The 'CJ' I met in 2006 was just a typical freshman football player," said Suber. "He came in with a chip on his shoulder and wasn't really open to the whole school thing. Over time, he began to realize how talented he was off the field as well."
The turning point in James's life, she said, is when he suffered a debilitating knee injury that put him on the sideline for an entire season.
"That forced him to reevaluate what his priorities were," Suber said. "He became almost like another coach and the Illini players looked up to him."
It was a proud day for Chris and his family in 2010 when he strode across the stage to accept his sports management degree from the University of Illinois.
"When they announced my name, I was like, 'Damn, I really graduated.' That was a big step for my family and it changed the cycle of what we had done."
Since graduating, James has held positions at Allstate Insurance, The Common Core Institute, Follett's and U.S. Foods, but he's now devoting his fulltime focus towards his first love, serving the youth of Chicago.
"I wasn't totally prepared for college and the other Chicago Public League guys who also went to college all felt the same way," he said. "I've always wanted to make the process easier for the kids."
So, in 2014, with the assistance of his older brother, Marlon James, Tim O'Halloran, Paul Szczesny, National Football League star Laquon Treadwell, and the financial support of former Illini teammate and NFL standout Josh Brent and others, James established the HEROH Foundation.
The mission of HEROH - an acronym that stands for Heroic Effort Rising Over Humanity - is dedicated to providing athletic training, academic support and mentorship to the youth of under-served communities.
The organization's goal is to inspire student-athletes, build meaningful connections, and to fuel both their academic and athletic successes in preparation for college and careers.
HEROH serves youth aged 13 to 18 from the south and west sides of Chicago, though a handful of kids also come from the south suburbs and other communities. James has partnered with several schools in Chicago and also takes coaches' recommendations.
"We have a tryout to test a kid's work ethic," he said. "We put them through a ton of drills to tire them out, just to see who's going to quit. We're not choosing kids based on athletic ability. We just want to know how far they're willing to go. Kids just have to be willing to be part of our organization and have a desire to be great. We're going to use their huge appetite for sports to lead them into other directions."
James receives valuable volunteer assistance from Kamilah Hampton, HEROH's Director of Academics. Hampton is in the midst of completing her principal internship with the Chicago Public Schools and earning her doctorate in educational leadership, but she still finds the time to connect with HEROH.
"The passion that Chris and I have for youth is very similar," Hampton said. "We do individualized tutoring, helping them build upon what they're learning in their schools. We'll help them prepare for their SAT and ACT tests, then provide skills to help prepare for what college is going to be like. HEROH tailors its resources to the needs of the students."
"Miss Kamilah plays a huge role in everything that we do," James says. "She's the one that changes the kids' perception of what school is supposed to be. She has devoted her time to us, so without her, a lot of what's been accomplished wouldn't have been possible."
HEROH currently uses area high schools and fitness centers for training, but James says the Foundation has recently acquired a building at 47th and State Streets to serve as its future home.
"Now I have to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to renovate it," he said. "When it's done, we'll be able to do all of our athletic and academic training. My goal is to have a kid walk into the building at 3 o'clock then go home in the early evening. It will be a safe environment and serve as a place for them to be with like-minded young people."
One of HEROH's most prominent graduates is rising Illini sophomore receiver Ricky Smalling.
"When Ricky joined us as a sophomore, school wasn't important to him because he was so talented," James said. "But as much time as we spent practicing his craft, we'd spend more time to get him where he needed to be academically. We had just a ton of conversations about life, how you become a man, and how you deal with certain things."
Smalling had a great rookie season with the Illini in 2017, both on the field (31 catches for 510 yards and two touchdowns) and in the classroom (3.2 GPA).
"HEROH surrounds us with good mentors, but CJ changed my life the most," Smalling said. "He's not just there for me though, he's there for everyone. It's always been a dream of mine to play in the NFL and, thanks to Chris and the Illini coaches, I'm getting closer and closer to that goal everyday."
In 2018, about 150 participants are enrolled in the HEROH program and nearly a third of them will pursue higher education this coming fall. With its funding limited, it's necessary for the foundation to cap the number of kids who can engage.
"Turning kids away is the most frustrating thing now," James said, "but I feel like we're going to take a major step soon."
Dozens of James's former Illini teammates have contributed to HEROH.
"They've all been extremely generous to me," he says.
Brent, now a scout for the Dallas Cowboys, was happy to get the ball rolling.
"Anyone can donate money, but I give all the accolades to Chris for the time he's given to HEROH," Brent said. "I'm happy to partner with him and give as much as I can, but Chris still has to do a lot of fundraising on his own. These young kids are our most valuable resource and HEROH has established a blueprint for what needs to be done."
Another of James's teammates, Isiah "Juice" Williams, now a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch in Washington D.C., says CJ is positively affecting young peoples lives.
"He is sparking the motivation of these kids," Williams said. "If anyone can donate financially or through volunteering their time, I would highly recommend it."
James refuses to allow the thought of failure to enter his mind.
"Often, people are scared to do something because they are afraid of how people will look at them when they fail," he says. "Growing up in the situation I did, I didn't have that fear. I told myself, 'it can't get worse than this.' Some people look at the glass that's half empty, but if you have a glass half full attitude, you can do something special and help people. There is a risk, but the reward is way bigger."
James, whose family includes an eight-year-old daughter named Kambry, would eventually like to roll out new chapters of HEROH in New York City and Miami.
In time, he expects his students to become the driving force for his foundation.
"We want to create an expectation level," he says. "Eventually it's not going to be as much about me as it will be the standard that's being set by our kids."
***
Financial contributions to HEROH support the acquisition of learning materials, preparation of programs for SAT and ACT testing, the acquisition of technology learning tools and athletic apparel, support of college visits and student participation in competitions, and helping send student-athletes to college.
How you can help …
• The 25/500 CAMPAIGN: HEROH’s goal is to get 500 individuals to donate $25. James said that this campaign is nearly halfway complete.
• Become a Sponsor: Support individual students, travel to events, and college campus visits.
• Serve as a tutor: If you have skills and expertise in math, language or other subjects, HEROH needs volunteer tutors to work with the student-athletes via Skype.
***
CONTACT INFORMATION:
• Visit The HEROH FOUNDATION’s website at www.SuperHeroh.com and follow their efforts on Facebook and on Twitter (@HEROH_ ).
Call Chris James in Chicago at (773) 383-4083 or e-mail him at Chris@superheroh.com to see how you can be involved.
UPDATE: In late June of 2018, former Illini wide receiver Chris James was hired as the head football coach at Chicago's Morgan Park High School. The new job for the Morgan Park alum puts him in a prime position to be a role model to students who are in a place he found himself in not so long ago.
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
The Wandering Enginerds: Former Illini trek the globe
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
"If you're twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them – wherever you go."
ANTHONY BOURDAIN
***
In June of 2017, former Fighting Illini athletes Jenna Carosio and Doug Schumacher took the above advice to heart, beginning an 18-month travel caravan that they're still on today.
Jenna, a soccer letterwinner from 2008-11, and Doug, an Illini baseball player during that same timeframe—both University of Illinois civil engineering graduates—are in the midst of a world excursion that has taken them to the jungles of South America, the wilds of Africa, and to the tranquility of the Swiss Alps.
It was the death of Jenna's mother, Mary Anne, that originally inspired her to take time for her adventure.
"Three years ago, my mom died of breast cancer," Jenna said. "That whole process just made me rethink how I was living life. My parents were planning on doing a bunch of traveling. They were a year away from retiring, then that all happened and they didn't get to do it. So I kind of took some life lessons out of that tragedy and tried to make the most out of it."
Doug's inspiration came directly from his college buddy.
"Jenna and I hung out quite a bit after our time at Illinois and her friends would often ask about her trip," he said. "One day I thought, 'Why am I not doing something like this?' So I threw my hat in the ring and off we went."
The two friends informed their respective employers of their plans, saved their money, planned their itineraries, packed their bags, and departed for Leon, Nicaragua on June 1, 2017. For the next month, they explored Central America's volcanoes, lakes and cities, primarily through modes of hiking, biking, kayaking and scuba diving.
"Starting the trip, I was like 'I've got to do all of these things and do them right now'," Jenna said. "We were moving way too fast in the beginning. You soon realize that it wasn't a pace that was sustainable and that if you finish your bucket list, then what's next? The first couple of months, I learned that it's OK to leave some things on your list."
Often attired in Orange and Blue, they displayed their Illini pride by unfurling a UI flag in each country they visited and taking a group photo.
The Wandering Enginerds - a name they called themselves because of their vocations - departed for their next continent, South America, in mid June, investigating Colombia, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. One of the first big highlights came on July 5th in Peru when they hiked a nearly 8,000-foot mountainside to see the centuries old Machu Picchu ruins, the icon of Inca civilization.
"Looking down on that area was pretty surreal," Doug said.
Next was a tour of Bolivia, including the Pampas and the Amazon River. The wildlife included monkeys, dolphins, anaconda and boa snakes, macaw and a wide variety of other species.
They then flew out of Montevideo, Uruguay for an overnight flight to London, England. There they lodged several nights with Jenna's former Illini soccer teammate, Courtney Bell.
From the UK, it was off to the land of Vikings: Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The incredible natural landscapes varied from mountains and waterfalls to fjords and raging rapids. Another former Illini soccer player, Ella Masar, hosted Jenna and Doug upon their arrival in Malmö, Sweden.
A 31-hour train ride across Eastern Europe came next. There they explored the architecture and scenery of Hungary, Croatia and Bosnia, occasionally indulging in cliff diving and bridge jumping.
Italy presented the Enginerds with even more hiking, mountain lodge breaks, gondola rides through the canals, and a visit to the origin of Jenna's family in Genoa.
Their European tour concluded in the Swiss Alps, where Jenna met up in Zurich with another Illini soccer alum, Noelle Leary. They traversed a 2,000-foot high via ferrata suspension bridge in Mürren that consisted of three steel cables, one supporting the traveler's feet and the remaining two for hands and harnesses. They celebrated their nerve-racking traverse the next night by downing steins of Germany's finest brews at Oktoberfest in Munich.
Jenna and Doug returned to the States for two weeks in October of 2017 for weddings, rest and relaxation, then re-boarded a jet bound for Reykjavik, Iceland. Scotland was next on the itinerary and among the stops were Edinburgh Castle, a Celtic vs. Barcelona Champions League game in Glasgow, and Loch Ness, where "Nessie" decided to stay hidden. They also kissed the Blarney Stone and searched for leprechauns in Ireland.
More teammate weddings in November brought Jenna and Doug back to the U.S., but they quickly repacked their bags for a 40-hour journey to New Zealand. Based at an Auckland hostel on the North Island, there were several hiking excursions to observe the country's natural beauty and a pleasurable stop on Thanksgiving Day in wine country. They ferried over to New Zealand's South Island for more spectacular scenery plus skydiving and bungee jumping.
"If it wasn't so far away from family and friends, I would totally live in New Zealand," Jenna said. "The Kiwis have this relaxed culture. They're not trying to get to the top in their careers."
The Enginerds returned home to spend Christmas with their respective families in Detroit and Chicago, then retreated westward to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Idaho for several days of skiing.
After a month of winter in America, they regrouped for their "summer" trip to the "Land Down Under": Australia. They experienced Australia Day (January 26) by dining on kangaroo meat, then went scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef and visited Sydney's famed Opera House and Botanical Gardens.
From there, the Illini friends made their way to Southeast Asia, but were dismayed by the intensely polluted air they encountered.
"I never thought that there would be a place on Earth where people wouldn't be guaranteed clean air, but that's it," Jenna said. "Now I understand why Asian people wear those masks when they came to the U.S. The air was so bad that I couldn't even go for a run for fear of injuring my lungs."
They separated this past February for solo trips. Doug continued traveling through Southeast Asia, visiting Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and other destinations. Soon after, he visited Jordan and Egypt.
"Personal highlights for me during that portion of the trip was the diving I was able to do and viewing the pyramids and the Sphinx in Egypt," Doug said.
Jenna headed for Nepal and a hike of the Three Passes for breathtaking views of Mount Everest. A trip to the Middle East and Jordan followed, occasionally finding her atop a camel. Following a memorable visit to the holy land in Israel, she reunited with friend Courtney in Istanbul, Turkey to begin a weeklong adventure in Kyrgyzstan.
Both Enginerds headed for the African continent for separate photographic safaris, Jenna in Kenya and Doug in Tanzania. There they captured images of giraffes, zebras, hippos and a variety of big cats, then hiked together to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
In South Africa, they visited the Cape of Good Hope, the southwestern-most point on the continent, and went shark cage diving.
On June 6, 2018, they returned to the U.S. for a short break. Jenna resumed exploring the western-based National Parks last month, a journey that has included the Washington section of the Pacific Crest Trail. She will return home to Michigan in September for a hundred mile race, then will travel to the Northeast and down the Atlantic coast.
Doug is hiking and sight-seeing in the U.S. and Canada for the next few months, then will strategically plan his travels so that he'll end up in the southeast or southwest states by November.
"The world is such a smaller place than we all think it is," Doug said. "As long as you're accepting and willing to try new experiences, people are really friendly and welcoming."
Jenna expects to return to work this winter to restock her bank account, but indicated that she may explore careers in sports nutrition, training or coaching.
Doug will return to work in January or February of 2019 as a project engineer for White Construction, a renewable energy company.
"The news focuses on the negative aspects, but there's so much good and love in the world," Jenna said. "However, you need to experience other cultures to see it."
What you've just read is but a fraction of Jenna and Doug's adventures. For a detailed description and a plethora of photos, visit their "Wandering Enginerds" travel blog at http://thewanderingenginerds.blogspot.com/
This feature and some amazing photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Sister Stephanie Baliga now running for a different cause
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Sister Stephanie Baliga used to compete for the Illini cross country team, then a foot injury took her on a life-altering detour. Now she runs for God in Chicago.
Born and raised in Rockford, young Stephanie was always on the move.
"I had a lot of energy and, compared to other kids, I could run fast," she said. "So at age nine I asked my mom if I could run cross country."
Quickly, running became central to her life.
"It was so central that I ignored things in my life I probably shouldn't have ignored," Baliga said. "Everything in my life had to do with running."
Once she reached Rockford's Auburn High School, she dominated her competition, earning conference MVP honors in each of her four years (2003-06).
Ever the over-achiever, Baliga rejected scholarship offers from smaller schools to walk on as a freshman to Coach Jeremy Rasmussen's 2007 Illini squad.
"I wanted to reach my maximum potential, so I was willing to take the risk of walking on to a really good team, which we were," she said. "The skill of my teammates and some really good coaching helped me to improve almost every day."
An economics and geography double major, Baliga also was focused on her education and anticipated career.
"I wanted to work in environmental policy for either the government or the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)," she said. "I saw a lot of inefficiencies in the government's treatment of environmental issues and that the public wasn't being served appropriately."
But on Valentine's Day of 2009, Baliga suffered a broken bone in her foot and her seemingly idyllic world came crashing down on her.
Going from 70 hours per week of training to struggling around campus on crutches was more than she could handle and she slipped into a depressive state of mind.
"It was much worse than the injury itself," she said. "It was a call to re-evaluate my life. I valued running way, way too much and clearly defined myself by it. I asked myself, who am I, what am I doing, where am I going."
Baliga was raised Catholic, but admits that she wasn't totally invested in her faith. She turned to a group of friends who attended the UI's St. John's Catholic Church on Armory Street. They invited her to go on a retreat and it was during a communion at the retreat that she affirmed her faith.
"I had this very powerful experience," she said. "Catholics believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist and that you pray with Him. And, that evening, I believed that Jesus was there with me."
At this unexpected turning point in her life, Baliga then understood and believed.
"Running had become a form of god to me," she said. "So when I was running away from Him, literally and figuratively, God drew me back closer to His heart."
It was during her junior year at Illinois when she knew there was something "way more to this than just taking my faith more seriously."
Baliga reached out to Sister Sarah Roy at the Newman Center and took Catholic classes from UI Adjunct Professor Dr. Ken Howell to discern what God was doing in her life. Soon, she dedicated her life to Jesus and the church.
Since her graduation from the University of Illinois in 2009, Sister Stephanie has served the community of Franciscans of the Eucharist of Chicago at the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels (OLA) on Chicago's West Side.
"It's essentially a protestant neighborhood that's very poor and very violent and very challenging on multiple levels," Baliga said.
Through a regular series of food banks, the donation of clothes and material goods, and faith-based after-school programs, the families of Humboldt Park are the primary benefactors of the OLA Mission.
"Our main goal is to bring Christ to the neighborhood in various capacities through all of our work," Baliga said. "We try to be that presence of God's love that is so desperately needed."
Sister Stephanie says she's always had a desire to serve the poor.
"I've never been one to follow the traditional path of getting a job and earning a lot of money," she said. "To me, those who help others and do positive things for the world are the ones who change history. Once I had my conversion experience, it became clear to me why God planted that seed in my heart."
After being called to become a Sister, Baliga battled with God about her passion for running.
"I said 'God, if this is something you want me to do, I will stop running'," she said. "But God has since given running back to me as a gift that I'm able to use for Him. Running has become a very powerful form of prayer for me and a way for me to raise money to glorify God."
She organizes the running group Team OLA (Our Lady of Angels) to compete annually in October's Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Through individual and corporate pledges, her team raised more than $130,000 in 2017 and has totaled almost a half million dollars in gifts over the past several years.
"It's been an incredible blessing," she said. "Team OLA has been really, really key to keep our Mission open and working."
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Former Illini finds new life as actor
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
The list of football players who’ve transformed into actors is a long and impressive one. Jim Brown. Bubba Smith. Alex Karras. O.J. Simpson. Merlin Olsen. And Mark Kelly.
Mark Kelly? The former Illini football player from the ‘80s? That Mark Kelly?
Yup, that’s the one.
Okay, so Kelly hasn’t yet slugged a horse to the ground like “Mongo” did in “Blazing Saddles”. Nor has he stolen a scene like Bubba did as “Hightower” in “Police Academy”. But give it time … Kelly is still somewhat of a rookie thespian.
His big break came earlier this year when he had a supporting role as an FBI agent in an episode of NBC-TV’s “Chicago Fire.” More about that in a little bit, but first let’s retrace some of Kelly’s steps that led him to prime time television.
The former University of Illinois walk-on from Chicago’s St. Rita High School, who earned varsity letters in 1985, ’86 and ’87 for Coach Mike White, then one more in ’88 for Coach John Mackovic, had a steady though unspectacular career in Champaign-Urbana.
It was an October 1988 Illini victory at Ohio State, the first of five wins in a row over the Buckeyes, that Kelly remembers best.
“I was starting on special teams and also playing nickel back,” he recalled. “(Defensive backs coach) Steve Bernstein had done a great job of scouting them, so he blitzed me off the edge and we had a lot of success that day.”
Kelly wound up sacking Buckeye quarterback Greg Frey twice and intercepting a fumble, earning him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Following his graduation in 1989, majoring in communications and minoring in business, Kelly had eyes for a career in sports broadcasting and following the path of one of his idols, Dick Enberg. During his last semester at Illinois, he interned for Rick Zurak at WAND-TV in Decatur, serving as a local reporter.
Still, Kelly yearned to extend his football career just a little longer. So when an opportunity came to play professional football in Finland, he was eager to make the trip overseas.
“
An Illini, Bob Sebring, had played there the year before,” Kelly said, “so I joined Lou Campos in May of 1989 to play for former teammate Joe Skubisz, then the head coach of Vantaan Taft (in Vantaa, Finland). Lou and I were both players and assistant coaches. Being young and learning how to assimilate with people from all over the world, then travelling throughout Europe for three weeks, it was a great experience for me.”
Kelly intended to continue pursuing his career in broadcasting when he returned from abroad, but those plans were altered when he began what he thought would be a temporary stint with the Chicago Board of Trade, dealing with corn options.
“It was game day every day for me in the ‘pits’,” he said. “With all of the hand gestures and the screaming and yelling, I describe it as organized chaos. It was our own language and our own culture.”
In 2015, after trading for 25 years, Kelly noticed that the market was turning more electronic. He wanted no part of sitting in front of a computer so, during a conversation at his 50th birthday party, a friend suggested that he take acting lessons at Chicago’s famed Second City.
“I absolutely loved it,” he said. “It was liberating to let myself go. As a risk taker, I’m not afraid of failing or trying something new. So I took more and more acting classes at schools throughout the city.”
After distributing his resume, a couple of agencies picked Kelly up. His first was a print audition for a pharmaceutical ad. Soon after came jobs as an extra for NBC’s “Chicago Justice”, then as a featured extra for “Chicago PD”.
“My non-speaking role on PD was as a father of some pretty screwed-up kids,” he chuckled.
Kelly also has ventured into industrial acting, serving in video ads for businesses and organizations such as Lincoln Navigator and Concordia University.
His biggest break was landing a speaking role last February as an FBI agent on a season six episode of “Chicago Fire”, entitled “When they see us coming.”
“The crew of ‘Chicago Fire’ could not have been more welcoming during my six days on the set,” Kelly said. “They genuinely seem to love what they are doing. Chief Boden (Eamonn Walker) was the first to welcome me. I had a scene with Joe Minoso who plays Joe Cruz and he was just incredibly nice in helping me figure out some nuances of a scene that we were going to be in together. Joe really helped me relax.”
Now, says Kelly, it’s a matter of continuing to pursue auditions.
“The more I can build up my resume tapes, the more jobs I’ll land,” he said. “Now, I think that my confidence is opening the door for me. Reoccurring roles would be a wonderful next step.”
Kelly’s wife of 23 years, Jennie, and their five children—Duffy, Connor, Eva, Quinn and Lyla—remain his primary focus. Connor spent last fall as a walk-on quarterback for the Illini.
“With my wife’s support, all of the kids’ activities and my new career, it’s an exciting time for our entire family.”
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
Forty years ago, UI's Robinson twins started the Illini women's sports movement
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
It was the summer of 1972 and young sports-minded girls all over America had no idea just how much the legislative bill that President Richard Nixon was signing into law would eventually change their lives.
The act, popularly known as Title IX, read as follows: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
About a year later, among growing pressure from campus faculty and staff, University of Illinois Chancellor J.W. “Jack” Peltason appointed a committee to study the future of women’s sports. Peltason’s group was directed by Dr. Laura Huelster, a retired physical education instructor.
Following a yearlong study, the recommendations of Huelster, UI athletics director Cecil Coleman, Department of Physical Education head Dr. Rollin Wright and physical education professor Phyllis Hill were approved by the Board of Trustees on May 15, 1974.
Just nineteen days later, Coleman hired Dr. Karol Kahrs, a UI faculty member, to oversee the Athletic Association’s new addition.
Kahrs was presented with an initial budget of $82,500 for her seven-sport program. Because her budget was so small, it was decided that there wouldn’t be any athletic scholarships for women in year one.
She immediately began her search for coaches, first landing Betsy Kimpel to coach the women’s golf team. Kimpel’s ten-month salary was $2,900.
UI’s women’s program slowly began to achieve success. Its tennis program won the school’s first AIAW state title in 1976 and a state championship in golf followed in 1977.
But it wasn’t until May 2, 1978, that UI’s athletic program jumped in with both feet, offering full scholarships to Annawan, Illinois basketball phenoms Lisa and Lynnette Robinson.
“I had an eye on the Robinson twins long before 1978,” Kahrs said. “I knew that they could make a real impact on our basketball program, so we went all out in our efforts to land them.”
As they were growing up, Clarence and Priscilla Robinson’s 5-foot-11-inch twins regularly played hoops with their two brothers and other neighborhood boys, preparing them for the tougher, more physical play they’d eventually face in college.
The Robinson’s prep coach at Annawan High School, Dr. Clarence “Pete” Hughes, had a lot of orange and blue ties in his closet, having been a doctoral student at the University of Illinois.
“We were probably more leaning toward Illinois State because they were offering us a scholarship-and-a-half, but Dr. Hughes urged us to consider the Illini,” said Lisa. “Honestly, we didn’t know what to do. We were almost in tears.”
Then one day, prompted by Illini women’s coach Carla Thompson, the twins got a telephone call from Lou Henson.
“Coach Henson, along with Dr. Hughes, asked us to visit the University of Illinois,” Lisa said. “Our campus visit included an inspirational conversation with Ray Eliot. After that, we immediately knew that Illinois was where we wanted to be.”
Both women developed into premier players for the Fighting Illini. In four years, Lisa became the Illini’s all-time leading scorer (1,906 points) while sister Lynnette placed second in scoring and finishing atop the school’s career rebounding list (894). Lisa also was a first-team Academic All-America selection and the winner of the 1982 Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor.
Their top thrill came in 1982 when Illinois was included in the NCAA Tournament field.
“We were at the Illini men’s game when they announced we’d been invited,” Lisa remembered. “I’ll never forgot the experience of playing at Kentucky, with our band and so many Illini fans in attendance.”
The Robinsons stayed involved with the game after they graduated, entering the coaching ranks.
Lynnette served at Missouri State from 1987 through 2002, where the Lady Bears enjoyed national prominence in both prestige and attendance. Robinson’s highlight came in her fifth season at MSU, 1991-92, when the Bears made it all the way to the NCAA semifinals. She’s also been an assistant coach for four seasons at Michigan and for three years at Missouri. Last March, Robinson was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Now in semi-retirement, she’s an administrator at Target, Inc. in Columbia, Mo.
Lisa’s 30-year coaching career included stops at Illinois State (1983-98), Normal Community High School (1998-99), Augustana College (1999-2001), Wyoming (2001-02), Air Force (2002-10) and Bradley (2010-11). Today, she resides in Colorado Springs, Colo. where she works at the Air Force Academy as an academic advisor and learning strategies instructor.
Forty years after presenting the Robinsons with their full scholarships, Kahrs is more pleased than ever before about women’s progress in intercollegiate athletics.
“From day one, we had a plan in place to be the best that we could be,” she said. “Both the women and the men deserve that.”
This feature and additional photos also can be viewed at FightingIllini.com.
The Birth of Memorial Stadium
By Mike Pearson
Pearson is a staff writer for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and author of ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE (Third Edition).
Traditionally, intercollegiate athletics has served as a common thread towards building the public perception of a university.
While academics will always be the primary reason for driving the university’s mission in becoming a center of higher learning, a successful athletic program helps create a sense of community among its students and alumni.
The University of Illinois is no different, says Mike Small, head coach of Illinois’s defending Big Ten champion men’s golf team.
“Athletics is probably the most visible part of the university,” he said. “But being an alum, I know how great this University is and I know about the excellence in academics and research. So we need to be on point as an athletic department and to go out and carry that banner as a representative of the university.”
On October 13, 2017, in concert with celebrating its 150-year bicentennial anniversary, the University of Illinois launched it most ambitious philanthropic campaign ever, a $2.25 billion effort to implement its vision for the future.
“Win with Illinois”, the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics’ aggressive $300 million capital campaign, seeks funding for a new football performance center, renovation of the outdoor track and field and soccer complex, and improvements to Huff Hall and various other athletic facilities.
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“All universities require some big thing, the doing of which will unite students, alumni, faculty and friends—something they can feel is their own work. For Illinois, the Memorial Stadium is the thing.”
-- Frank B. “Shorty” Long, 1887
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Using athletics to advance the interest of a total university is by no means a new idea. In fact, the first major capital campaign, organized by then Athletic Association director George Huff, dates back nearly a century.
The year was 1920 and the golden age of sport was dawning across America. Just two years removed from the conclusion of World War I, the American public was driven by an unquenched passion for sport.
It was highly common in 1920 that a baseball headline included the mention of home run slugger Babe Ruth. Jack Dempsey ruled the boxing ring. And a chestnut thoroughbred named Man O’ War emerged from Lexington to post wins in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
On the college campuses, football was thriving. California and Princeton dominated the gridiron, succeeding Coach Bob Zuppke’s 1919 University of Illinois squad as the national champion.
On November 20, 1920, Zup’s 5-1 Illlini hosted undefeated Ohio State at antiquated Illinois Field. A share of the Big Ten title was at stake. An overflow crowd of 22,000 packed the wooden stands, while tens of thousands more fans milled outside the gates. The outcome wasn’t decided until the contest’s final play when the Buckeyes completed a game-winning 37-yard touchdown pass.
Afterwards, in a conversation with a local reporter, Huff lamented the inadequacy of his outdated facility.
“I haven’t the slightest doubt that we could have sold more than 40,000 tickets, and possibly 50,000 if we had had the seating facilities,” he said. “With the growing interest in our athletic teams, it is no idle guess to prophesy that a larger stadium is a necessity.”
Conversations between Huff and campus planners quickly ensued. Huff argued that Yale and Harvard Universities already had massive stadiums, and that Ohio State itself was in the midst of a multi-million dollar stadium campaign.
“I am thinking of something like these,” said Huff, “but something greater somehow.”
“Our Stadium will be many things,” said Huff. “It will be a memorial to the Illinois boys who were killed in the World War, a recreation field, and an imposing place for our varsity games. It will be an unprecedented expression of Illinois Loyalty.”
Immediately, offices for Illinois’s plan were opened in the Old Union Building. Committees were quickly formed and selling the idea of a new stadium to the student body began.
It was determined that a campaign for $2 million would need to be mounted. This was akin to more than $26 million in 2018 terms.
“BUILD THAT STADIUM FOR FIGHTING ILLINI” was the battle cry.
After five months of strategic planning, concurrent meetings were called on Monday, April 21, 1921, at the Old Gym Annex and at the Auditorium.
The scenes were described as “bands playing and horns tooting. The platforms swarmed with University executives, athletes, coaches and committeemen.”
As Huff, and then head football coach Bob Zuppke, rose to speak, the rafters of the building on Springfield Avenue shook with deafening cheers from the student body. Following their impassioned speeches, Zup ended with a request for voluntary donations of $1,000.
A deep hush of expectancy filled the gymnasium. After a few seconds, a voice shouted, “I will give, sir!”
Bedlam ensued and “the youth was carried bodily over to the platform.”
Zup announced his name as Ruy de Lima Cavalcanti of Bernabuco, Brazil.
Similar pledges followed in rapid succession from Princess Tirhata Kiram of The Phillipines and J.C. Aquilar of Mexico, and when the pronouncements were tallied, officials announced that their anticipated student quota of $350,000 had been doubled!
Zuppke and Huff then took off on a journey that numbered thousands of miles and hundreds of handshakes. Their visits gained widespread support throughout the country.
George Halas, a 1918 UI graduate and eventual founder of the National Football League, praised the Athletic Association’s efforts.
“The stadium drive is the greatest undertaking in the history of the University,” he said, “and its success or failure will determine whether Illinois will be greater than ever or fall back.”
Illini basketball alum Ralf Woods also extended his support.
“I shall be glad to do all I can for the Illinois Stadium,” he pledged.
For turn-of-the-century football letterman Charles Moynihan, “the question was not whether or not I favored the stadium, but what is the most I can give?”
Following months of planning and fund-raising, the groundbreaking ceremony for Memorial Stadium took place on September 11, 1922. The $1.7 million edifice arose from out of the ground just 418 days later and on November 3, 1923, the Fighting Illini hosted the University of Chicago in the facility’s first-ever football game.
Huff and Zuppke’s far-fetched dream had indeed become a reality, thanks to the unified spirit of the university’s students and alumni.