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Alan Ball
lettered 2003-06 at Illinois
CB
Dallas Cowboys |
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Ball posted nine tackles and broke up one pass in 10 games for Dallas, which went 9-7 and finished thired in the NFC East.
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Danny Clark
lettered 1996-99 at Illinois
LB
New York Giants |
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Clark recorded 70 tackles, broke up one pass and forced two fumbles while starting 15 games and playing in all 16 games for the New York Giants, which won the NFC East with a 12-4 regular-season record and fell to the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs.
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Jason Davis
lettered 2002-05 at Illinois
FB, Chicago Bears |
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Spent time with Philadelphia (DNP), Oakland (one game) and Chicago (five games) in 2008; had one carry for no yards and one reception for 12 yards with the Bears, who finished second in the NFC North with a 9-7 season record.
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Carey Davis
lettered 2000-03 at Illinois
FB
Pittsburgh Steelers |
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Davis has started three games and has played in 14 contests for the Super Bowl-bound Steelers, recording 12 rushes for 35 yards and five receptions for 27 yards.
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Dave Diehl
lettered 1999-2002 at Illinois
OL
New York Giants |
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Diehl has started 97 consecutive games (including all 17 in 2008-09) for the Giants, who finished 12-5 after falling to Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs.
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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
lettered 2003-04 at Illinois
CB
Indianapolis Colts |
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Hayden started all 10 games he played in for the Colts, who took second in the NFC South with a 12-4 regular-season record; he posted 42 tackles, 12 PBUs, 3 interceptions and one TD.
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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
lettered 1997-2000 at Illinois
LS
New England Patriots |
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Hodel snapped the ball in all of the Cardinals' 2008 games, including Super Bowl 43.
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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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J Leman
lettered 2004-07 at Illinois
LB
Carolina Panthers |
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Leman signed a free agent contract with the Panthers in January, 2009.
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Greg Lewis
lettered 1999-2002 at Illinois
WR
New England Patriots |
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Lewis started and played in 18 of the Eagles' (11-8-1, 2nd in NFC East) 19 games, recording 20 receptions for 245 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
lettered 1999-2002 at Illinois
WR
Chicago Bears |
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Lloyd started five games and played in 11 contests for the Bears (9-7, 2nd in NFC North), recording 26 receptions for 364 yards.
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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
lettered 2005-07 at Illinois
RB
Pittsburgh Steelers |
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Mendenhall suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 4 and remained on injured reserve the rest of the 2008 season; he totalled 19 carries for 58 yards and two receptions for 15 yards in four games.
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Brandon Moore
lettered 1998-2001 at Illinois
OL
New York Jets |
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Moore started all 16 games for the Jets (9-7, third in AFC East), upping his total of consecutive starts to 78.
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Tony Pashos
lettered 1999-2002 at Illinois
OL
Jacksonville Jaguars |
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Pashos started all 16 games for the Jaguars (5-11, 4th in AFC South) in 2008.
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Duke Preston
lettered 2002-04 at Illinois
OL
Green Bay Packers |
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Preston started 11 times and played in 15 games for the Buffalo Bills (7-9, 4th in AFC East) in 2008.
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Neil Rackers
lettered 1996-99 at Illinois
K
Arizona Cardinals |
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Playing in all 19 games for the Super Bowl-bound Cardinals this season, Rackers has hit on 30 of 35 field goal attempts and all 54 of his PAT attempts.
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Matt Sinclair
lettered 2001-04 at Illinois
LB
Washington Redskins |
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LB--2nd year in
NFL (2008) - on injured reserve all season
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Pierre Thomas
lettered 2003-06 at Illinois
RB
New Orleans Saints |
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Thomas started in five games and played in 15 games for the Saints (8-8, 4th in NFC South) in 2008, recording 129 rushing attempts and gaining 625 yards; he also had 31 receptions for 284 yards.
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Steve Weatherford
lettered 2002-05 at Illinois
P
Jacksonville Jaguars |
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Weatherford played in seven games for New Orleans, two games for Kansas City and five for Jacksonville, punting 59 times for an average of 42.7 yards per kick.
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Russ Weil
lettered 2004-07 at Illinois
FB
Green Bay Packers |
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Eugene Wilson
lettered 1999-2002 at Illinois
DB
Houston Texans |
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Wilson started in 10 and played in 12 games for the Texans (8-8, 3rd in AFC South), recording 63 tackles, breaking up seven passes and intercepting two passes.
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