Currently there are 18 former Fighting Illini football players in the National Football League, 16 of whom are on active rosters. Here's how they fared in Week 13 of the regular season.
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Alan Ball
CB
Dallas Cowboys |
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Ball recorded three tackles in the Cowboys' 34-9 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Ball has eight tackles in eight games so far this season for Dallas.
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Danny Clark
LB
New York Giants |
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Clark started and recorded three tackles in the Giants 23-7 win over the Washington Redskins. Clark has started in all 12 Giants games this season, recording 49 tackles.
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Jason Davis
FB, Chicago Bears |
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Davis had one carry for no gain in the Bears' 34-14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
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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' 33-10 win over the New England Patriots. Davis has seen action in 10 games with 11 carries for 24 yards and three catches for 13 yards.
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Dave Diehl
OL
New York Giants |
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Diehl made his 92nd consecutive start in the New York Giants' 23-7 win over the Washington Redskins. Diehl helped pave the way for 404 yards of total offense. Diehl has started in all 12 games for the Giants so far this season, leading them to an NFC-best 11-1 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 recorded four tackles and one pass deflection in the Colts' 10-6 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Hayden now has 27 tackles in six games for the Colts so far this season.
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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 six times in the Cardinals' 48-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles
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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' 48-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Lewis has seen action in 12 games for the Eagles, recording 16 catches for 225 yards so far this season.
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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 one catch for 24 yards in the Bears' 34-14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Lloyd has 19 catches for 293 yards in seven 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 74th consecutive start in the Jets' 34-17 loss to the Denver Broncos. Moore helped pave the way for 383 yards of total offense.
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Tony Pashos
OL
Jacksonville Jaguars |
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Pashos and the Jaguars' offensive line paved the way for 388 yards in total offense but permitted three sacks in Jacksonville's 30-17 loss at Houston in Monday Night Football.
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Duke Preston
OL
Buffalo Bills |
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Preston made his seventh start of the season in the Bills' 10-3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
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Neil Rackers
K
Arizona Cardinals |
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Rackers was 2-2 in extra point attempts in the Cardinals' 48-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
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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 a 20-yard touchdown catch and rushed for 34 yards on 11 attempts in the Saints' 23-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Steve Weatherford
P
Jacksonville Jaguars |
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Weatherford punted three times for an average of 40.3 yards and booted a long punt of 46 yards in his debut with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who lost in Monday Night Football, 30-17, at Houston.
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Eugene Wilson
DB
Houston Texans |
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Wilson had eight tackles in the Texans' 30-17 home victory over Jacksonville in Monday Night Football.
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