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 14 of the regular season.
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Alan Ball
CB
Dallas Cowboys |
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Ball had one tackle in the Cowboys' 20-8 win over the New York Giants. Ball has nine tackles in ten games so far this season for Dallas.
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Danny Clark
LB
New York Giants |
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Clark recorded three tackles in the Giants' 20-8 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Clark has started in 13 Giants games this season, recording 60 tackles.
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Jason Davis
FB, Chicago Bears |
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Davis had one catch for 12 yards in the Bears' 27-24 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night.
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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' 13-9 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Davis has seen action in 12 games with 12 carries for 24 yards and four catches for 13 yards.
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Dave Diehl
OL
New York Giants |
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Diehl made his 94th consecutive start in the New York Giants' 20-8 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Diehl has started in all 14 games for the Giants so far this season, leading them to an 11-3 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 six solo tackles in the Colts' 31-21 win over the Detroit Lions. Hayden now has 37 tackles in eight 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 eight times in the Cardinals' 35-14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
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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 and the Eagles square off against the Cleveland Browns in Monday Night Football.
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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 21 yards in the Bears' 27-24 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints Thursday night. Lloyd has 21 catches for 314 yards in nine 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 76th consecutive start in the Jets' 31-27 win over the Buffalo Bills. Moore helped pave the way for 372 total offense yards.
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Tony Pashos
OL
Jacksonville Jaguars |
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Pashos made his 14th start of the season in the Jaguars' 20-16 win over the Green Bay Packers. Pashos helped pave the way for 323 total yards of total offense in the victory.
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Duke Preston
OL
Buffalo Bills |
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Preston made his ninth start of the season in the Bills' 31-27 loss to the New York Jets.
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Neil Rackers
K
Arizona Cardinals |
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Rackers was 2-2 in extra point attempts in the Cardinals' 35-14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
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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 exploded for two touchdowns Thursday night in the Saints' 27-24 overtime loss to the Chicago Bears. Thomas rushed 22 times for 87 yards and caught seven passes for 59 yards in the loss.
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Steve Weatherford
P
Jacksonville Jaguars |
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Weatherford had four punts for 198 yards with a long of 54 in the Jaguars' 20-16 win over the Green Bay Packers.
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Eugene Wilson
DB
Houston Texans |
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Wilson started and recorded five tackles in the Texans' 13-12 win over the Tennessee Titans.
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