Currently there are 19 former Fighting Illini football players in the National Football League, 15 of whom are on active rosters. Here's how they fared in Week 11 of the regular season.
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Alan Ball
CB
Dallas Cowboys |
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Ball saw action but did not record any tackles in the Cowboys' 14-10 win over the Redskins.
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Danny Clark
LB
New York Giants |
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Clark forced a fumble and recorded a combined seven tackles in the Giants' 30-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Clark has started in all 10 Giants games this season, recording 44 tackles.
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Carey Davis
FB
Pittsburgh Steelers |
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Davis saw action but did not record any statistics in the Steelers' 11-10 win over the San Diego Chargers. Davis has seen action in eight games with 10 carries for 18 yards and three catches for 13 yards.
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Jason Davis
FB, Oakland Raiders |
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Was picked up by the Oakland Raiders on Oct. 28 and has played in one game so far, with no statistics.
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Dave Diehl
OL
New York Giants |
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Diehl made his 90th consecutive start in the New York Giants' 30-10 victory over the over the Baltimore Ravens. Diehl helped pave the way for 353 total offense yards. Diehl has started in all 10 games for the Giants so far this season, leading them to an NFC-best 9-1 overall record.
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| "Illinois football is really a huge family, and that's the great thing, because every time you go back you are bound to run into a couple of alumni who played at Illinois. It's fun to share your experiences with them and see where they are. It's kind of a fraternity in itself, and seeing all the alumni who come back, you can tell how much the program means to them." - Dave Diehl |
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Kelvin Hayden
CB
Indianapolis Colts |
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Hayden did not play in the Colts' 33-27 win over the Houston Texans. Hayden started in four games recording 17 tackles and six pass deflections with one interception for 28 yards for the Colts before being sidelined with an injury for the past six games.
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"I consider my time playing football at the University of Illinois as a great privilege. There are so many guys who play at the college football level who dream of the chance to play at the NFL, and I feel that the University of Illinois was a big reason that I am blessed to have that opportunity. I will never forget my first and last games at Illinois. I had waited so long to play college football, and coming out of junior college, it seemed like it took forever to get to that first game. We were able to get the victory that day. Winning our last home game on Senior Day really meant a lot to me, and in a year where we expected bigger things, it was great to get a win in our last home game in Memorial Stadium.
"The fans at Illinois are extremely loyal. At times when I was there, we didn't give them a lot to cheer for, but they were always there at the games and always making sure you knew they were behind you. In addition the fans, I think the facilities at Illinois are top-notch. Most of the teams I visited in the NFL had very similar facilities to the ones at Illinois, and they are really at the top of the line.
"It's awesome to be a part of the Illinois football family, and I really believe the Illini fans have a lot to look forward to." - Kelvin Hayden |
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Nathan Hodel
LS
Arizona Cardinals |
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Hodel snapped the ball back eight times in the Cardinals' 26-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
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"Both of my parents went to Illinois and, as a kid, I would get Illinois football tickets as birthday presents. It was a dream for me to be a part of something that I grew up watching and being able to play for Illinois was special for me and my family.
"I have been able to make it back to the spring game tailgate a few times, and I have had the opportunity to talk to guys who got out after me and guys who helped develop the program 30 years ago. There is no doubt there is a common bond between everyone who wore the uniform, and it's something I am proud to be a part of." - Nathan Hodel |
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Greg Lewis
WR
Philadelphia Eagles |
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Lewis did not have any receptions in the Eagles' 13-13 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals. Lewis has seen action in 10 games for the Eagles, recording 16 catches for 225 yards.
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"It was great to go to Illinois, and it was an experience I won't ever forget. To start at the bottom and bring the program back to the top with the 2001 Big Ten Championship was a great experience.
"One of the things I was most proud of in my time at Illinois was helping to carry on that walk-on tradition. When I first got there, some other walk-ons there told me that the walk-ons at Illinois have a lot of pride in what they do and they aren't there to feel sorry and not play. A lot of the guys through the years at Illinois have done great things to help build the program, and I look forward to that tradition continuing in the future.
"The Illinois fans have been tremendous to me. When I was down there they were always giving us support. Whether we lost or won they were there to cheer us on and make sure that we felt good about what we were doing. Illini fans are everywhere and I run into them in different cities and they are always interested in how things are going." - Greg Lewis |
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Brandon Lloyd
WR
Chicago Bears |
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Lloyd had two catches for 17 yards in the Bears 37-3 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Lloyd has 17 catches for 266 yards in five games of action so far this season.
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"Playing football at the University of Illinois meant way more to me than just playing football. The standards and the foundation that were left by the players before me are the standards that I want to live up to as a football player. One of the great things about playing football at Illinois is that it prepared me for the next level. Everything we did at Illinois we did first class--from training camp in Rantoul, to traveling and playing in first-class facilities.
"Playing in Memorial Stadium on Saturdays is an once-in-a-lifetime experience. People always ask me where my favorite place to play college ball was, and I say Memorial Stadium--any day, all day! You'll never see so many people wearing their school colors and loving it. I will never forget winning the Big Ten Championship on Thanksgiving Day! After the game the field was covered with students and media and they rolled out a big stage. Our captains were up there with the coach and they all gave speeches to the crowd and I think we all felt like we had accomplished a tremendous feat." - Brandon Lloyd |
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Rashard Mendenhall
RB
Pittsburgh Steelers |
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Mendenhall suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 4 and is on injured reserve.
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Brandon Moore
OL
New York Jets |
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Moore made his 72nd-consecutive start in the Jets' 34-31 win over the New England Patriots. Moore helped pave the way for 375 total offense yards.
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Tony Pashos
OL
Jacksonville Jaguars |
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Pashos started and helped pave the way for 257 total offense yards in the Jaguars' 24-14 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Pashos has started in all 10 games so far this season for the Jaguars.
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Duke Preston
OL
Buffalo Bills |
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Preston and the Bills square off against the Cleveland Browns in Monday Night Football.
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Neil Rackers
K
Arizona Cardinals |
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Rackers was 4-of-4 on field goal attempts and 2-of-2 in extra point attempts in the Cardinals' 26-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
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Matt Sinclair
LB
Washington Redskins |
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LB--2nd year in
NFL (2008) - on injured reserve
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Pierre Thomas
RB
New Orleans Saints |
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Thomas had 16 carries for 88 yards and one touchdown in the Saints' 30-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Thomas also had four catches for 56 yards in the victory. Thomas has seen action in 10 games so far this season, rushing for 238 yards on 52 attempts, for four touchdowns. He has also recorded 16 catches for 138 yards.
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Fred Wakefield
OL
Oakland Raiders |
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Wakefield is currently on injured reserve with the Raiders.
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Russ Weil
FB
St. Louis Rams |
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Made the Rams' practice squad as a rookie.
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Eugene Wilson
DB
Houston Texans |
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Wilson recorded six tackles in the Texans' 33-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Wilson has started in four games and seen action in five, recording a total of 25 tackles.
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