Illinois football takes center stage

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Sep. 12—CHAMPAIGN — Fun idea, let's do some math.

Hall of Fame inductions + 25-year celebration of a Big Ten championship + local golf outing hosted by an Illini legend David Williams + a home game against the reigning ACC champion Duke = a five-star football weekend on the Illinois campus. So many famous faces spanning six decades of football. Selfies to take, autographs to sign. Bordering on the overwhelming.

The highlight of the weekend has to be the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame, which is inducting former football stars Howard Griffith and Brandon Lloyd.

They will be honored on the field, along with the rest of their stellar class, at Gies Memorial Stadium during Saturday's game.

Or is it the 25-year anniversary of Illinois' 2001 Big Ten championship team? It was the first outright title won by Illinois since Mike White's 1983 team.

Coached by Ron Turner and quarterbacked by Kurt Kittner that team lost its league opener against Michigan then ran off seven wins in a row to knock out the Wolverines. The dream double-whammy for Illinois fans: winning it all while inflicting pain on the folks in Ann Arbor. The champs are also being recognized during Saturday's game.

Catching up

Lloyd started his Illinois career with a bang, grabbing 30 passes for 511 yards in his rookie year. He helped the 1999 team to an 8-4 season with wins against ranked Michigan and Ohio State, both on the road. He threw a touchdown pass to Kittner in the Bowl.

The good times went on pause, however.

Lloyd missed the 2000 season with a broken leg suffered in an off-field accident.

Lloyd, who trails only Williams in career receiving yards, came back strong in 2001. He had 65 catches for 1,062 yards and 10 touchdowns.

"For me, I was making up for lost time," Lloyd said. "I just felt personally that I had let down the seniors, Josh Whitman's class. Missing that season was embarrassing. I was unsure of my standing with the team and where I was going to be."

Lloyd had another 65 catches for 1,010 yards in 2002.

"What I hope people remember is I was a catalyst for the turning of this program," Lloyd said. "The program was going the wrong way, and we did a complete 180. That's what I hope the current players remember and the future players remember about my game."

Lloyd, who spent more than a decade in the NFL, is now living in Florida. He is in the insurance business.

Lloyd is serving as an honorary captain for the Illinois-Duke game. He is happy what he hears from coach Bret Bielema.

"I like that Coach is talking about playoffs," Lloyd said. "That's a big thing. For so long, the fan base and supporters have been accepting of seven wins and just going to a bowl game. Quite frankly, that's unacceptable. Especially for a coach of Bielema's stature. He expects more."

Lloyd keeps in touch with Kittner "weekly." Not much talk about the old days.

"We find ourselves talking more about the business world," Lloyd said.

Eight is enough

Griffith holds an FBS record that has stood for more than three decades: eight rushing touchdowns in a 1990 game against Southern Illinois. (Though Buffalo's Jaret Patterson tied it in 2020).

Griffith's eight scores also broke Red Grange's school record. Griffith got to meet the legend in Florida.

"I'm glad the experience happened," Griffith said.

Griffith won two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos, scoring two touchdowns in one of the wins.

Which is bigger, eight TDs in a college game or two in the Super Bowl? "I would say the eight touchdowns," Griffith said.

Today's fans likely know Griffith more for his two decades in the college football studio at BTN. The network is giving him Saturday off to be at the Illinois game.

"I can show that I'm a fan this week," Griffith said.

And he is a fan.

"I'm excited about where they are now," Griffith said.

Griffith is one of the best running backs in school history, the all-time program leader with 31 rushing touchdowns and 12th in yards (2,485 for his career).

Originally a walk-on at Illinois, Griffith never dreamed of a spot in the hall of fame. Though to be fair, it didn't exist during his playing days.

"I was just trying to get an opportunity," he said.

Griffith will have a wave of family and friends in C-U this weekend. His son Houston has an excused absence because of his duties as an Iowa State assistant coach.

Showing support

Illinois' all-time best receiver and College Football Hall of Famer David Williams held his annual golf outing Friday at the University of Illinois Orange and Blue Courses.

Williams was thrilled to see two more football players, Griffith and Lloyd, entering the Illinois Athletics Hall.

"That's awesome," Williams said. "It will be a good thing to see."

Lloyd's entry thrilled Williams.

"I call Brandon No. 2. When I see Brandon, I say, 'What's up, No. 2?'" Williams said. "He was a great player, and I loved watching him. He had some of the best hands to ever play here."

Williams is happy with the direction of the program with Bielema in charge.

"With his track record for the last few years, we're getting better and better," Williams said. "We'll know in about four more weeks where we sit in the Big Ten."

Williams feels much better about the program than 10 years ago, when it went more than a decade without a winning season.

"It used to hurt my soul watching some of the games," he said. "Now, we're at the point where we are beating those teams we are supposed to beat. We weren't doing that 10 years ago. We would play down to teams that shouldn't beat us, and we would lose. Now, those games are going into the win column for us. That's how you progress. It takes time."

Friday's golf outing was the first since Williams' coach at Illinois, Mike White, passed away in December at age 89.

"Of course, it was hard," Williams said. "He was like a mentor. All the football success I had, I attribute to his tutelage, teaching me and sending me on the way with the knowledge he gave me."

Dee for tee

Illinois basketball legend Dee Brown participated in the Williams outing along with fellow 2005 star Deron Williams. They were in Champaign-Urbana for James Augustine's hall of fame induction.

"We all support each other, all love each other," Brown said. "We know how to celebrate each other's success."

Brown is coaching at Division II Roosevelt in Chicago. Augustine comes to the games.

Brown and Augustine played high school football. The players on the 2005 NCAA runners-up were Illinois football fans.

"I love Illinois football," Brown said. "Brandon Lloyd is my favorite player of all time. I used to have his jersey. The catches he used to make, he was before his time.

"I love Illinois football. Bret is one of those coaches who is not going to beat himself. Every year, he is going to be consistently winning because of how he picks his personnel and how he commands."

Brown is excited about the upcoming basketball season. Brad Underwood's team is coming off a Final Four appearance.

"I think they're really good," Brown said. "I think Brad has found his niche on personnel."

Back in town

Griffith's induction adds to the growing list of running backs in the Illinois Hall.

Rashard Mendenhall went in three years ago.

"It's an exciting weekend every time," said Mendenhall. "I came to see Howard and Brandon go in. Those guys have done a lot for this program and brought a lot of positive notoriety to the university. It's great to be a part of it all."

Mendenhall has a writing production company based in Pittsburgh. Rashard and wife Sandra also own a salt cave, which is good for respiratory health.

"Being 45 minutes in a cave is the equivalent to spending three days on the beach in California," Mendenhall said.

When Mendenhall came to Illinois, the goal was to turn the program.

It happened in 2007, when the team earned a spot in the Rose Bowl.

"That was the beginning of being able to see a program that could win consistently," Mendenhall said.

Staying close

Sam Carson, a linebacker recruited by Ron Turner, returns to campus for at least one game each season.

Carson is a managing director of an insurance brokerage firm in Chicago. He lives in Downers Grove, his hometown, with wife Courtney, son Sam IV and daughter Madison. Sam IV, 7, is playing flag football and "really enjoys it."

Carson is pleased to see his alma mater playing winning football.

"They look great," Carson said. "It's great to see them consistently making bowl games and putting a product out there all the fans can enjoy watching."

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