Training Camp Central
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini held their 14th Training Camp practice on Friday morning inside the Irwin Indoor Football Complex. Heavy rains Thursday night drenched the grass practice fields and the turf inside Memorial Stadium was unavailable due to the University of Illinois new student convocation, pushing the Illini inside for their second to last practice of Training Camp.
"We are getting better each day," head coach Lovie Smith said after practice No. 14. "You can definitly say we're in the fourth quarter of our training camp practices and we're excited about taking that next step. We're in fairly good shape health-wise and feel like we're going to be a good football team."
"After two weeks of work like this, the guys can't wait for school to start on Monday. It's almost here."
The Illini return to practice Saturday afternoon from 2:30-4:30 p.m., the final Training Camp practice that is open to the public. Once school starts, practices will be closed to the public.
Special Guests On hand
Several familiar faces took in Friday's practice, including for Illini men's basketball ball coach, Hall of Famer Lou Henson. Henson and Coach Smith chatted for several minutes after practice.
In addition, two former Fighting Illini players – Dana Howard and Carey Davis – watched practice and spoke to the team afterward. Howard was the 1994 Butkus Award winner and is still the program's all-time leading tackler (595 from 1991-94). Davis, the current sideline reporter for the Fighting Illini Sports Network, helped the Pittsburgh Steelers to a Super Bowl title after his Illini career (2000-03).
