Illinois Fighting Illini football

NCAAFootballSchool
TeamName = Illinois Fighting Illini football


ImageSize = 145px
HeadCoachDisplay = Ron Zook
HeadCoachLink = Ron Zook
HeadCoachYear = 4th
HCWins = 16
HCLosses = 25
HCTies =
Stadium = Memorial Stadium (Champaign)
StadCapacity = 62,872
StadSurface = FieldTurf
Location = Champaign, Illinois
ConferenceDisplay= Big Ten
ConferenceLink = Big Ten Conference
FirstYear = 1890
AthlDirectorDisp = Ron Guenther
AthlDirectorLink = Ron Guenther
WebsiteName = CoachRonZook.com
WebsiteURL = http://www.coachronzook.com
ATWins = 595
ATLosses = 456
ATTies = 49
ATPercentage = .541
BowlWins = 6
BowlLosses = 9
BowlTies =
NatlTitles = 4
ConfTitles = 15
Heismans =
AllAmericans = 15
Color1 = Orange
Color1Hex = FF7F00
Color2 = Blue
Color2Hex = 000099
FightSong = Illinois Loyalty and Oskee Wow Wow
MascotDisplay =
MascotLink =
MarchingBand = Marching Illini
PagFreeLabel = Outfitter
PagFreeValue = Nike
PagFreeLabel = Major Rivals
PagFreeValue = Indiana Hoosiers
Northwestern Wildcats
Ohio State Buckeyes
Purdue BoilermakersThe Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.

Current Team and Head Coach

The Illinois Fighting Illini went 9-4 in 2007, having earned a berth in the 2008 Rose Bowl against the USC Trojans. This Rose Bowl berth was the Illini's first since 1984 (The Illini won the Big Ten title in 2001, but the National Championship was at the Rose Bowl that year, so they played in the Sugar Bowl). Although USC won 49-17, Illinois had an amazingly successful season coming off two consecutive 2 win seasons. RB Rashard Mendenhall, the Big Ten Offensive Player of The Year, QB Juice Williams, and Senior All-American LB J Leman, led the Illini to victories over Penn State, then #5 Wisconsin, and then #1 Ohio State, while setting numerous Fighting Illini rushing records. Following the season, Head coach Ron Zook was named Big Ten Coach of the Year and was awarded the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award.

Stadium

*Memorial Stadium

All-Time Win/Loss/Tie Record

*594-453-49 [ [http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/bigten/illinois/index.php All-Time Win/Loss/Tie Record] ]

*See: "Illinois Fighting Illini football year-by-year record"

National Championships

The University of Illinois claims four national championships in football: 1914, 1919, 1923, and 1927. The Illini were also named 1951 National Champions by the Boand selecting body, and the Illini do now officially recognize this championship. [http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ill/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2008MediaGuide--Records.pdf] However, as recently as 2006 this was not mentioned officially by the school. [http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/ill/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2006MG-TheRecordBook.pdf]

=Trophy Games=

*Illibuck - Ohio State Buckeyes
*Purdue Cannon - Purdue Boilermakers
*Sweet Sioux Tomahawk - Northwestern Wildcats

Individual Award Winners

*Dick Butkus Award:Dana Howard - 1994:Kevin Hardy - 1995
*Chicago Tribune Silver Football:Red Grange - 1924:Alex Agase - 1946:Bill Burrell - 1959:Dick Butkus - 1963:Jim Grabowski - 1965:Don Thorp - 1983:Rashard Mendenhall - 2007
*Dave McClain Coach of the Year:Mike White - 1983:John Mackovic - 1988:John Mackovic - 1989:Ron Turner - 2001:Ron Zook - 2007

College Football Hall of Famers

*Alex Agase (Guard, 1941-1942; 1946)
*Bob Blackman (Head Coach, 1971-1976)
*Al Brosky (Safety, 1950-1952)
*Dick Butkus (Center/Linebacker, 1962-1964)
*Chuck Carney (End, 1918-1921)
*J.C. Caroline (Halfback, 1953-1954)
*Pete Elliott (Head Coach, 1960-1966)
*Jim Grabowski (Fullback, 1963-1965)
*Red Grange (Halfback, 1923-1925)
*Ed Hall (Head Coach, 1892-1893)
*Bart Macomber (Halfback, 1914-1916)
*Bernie Shively (Guard, 1924-1926)
*David Williams (Wide Receiver, 1983-1985)
*George Woodruff (Head Coach, 1903)
*Claude "Buddy" Young (Halfback, 1944, 1946)
*Bob Zuppke (Head Coach, 1913-1941) [ [http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php College Football Hall of Famers] ]

Pro Football Hall of Famers

*Dick Butkus
*Red Grange
*George Halas
*Bobby Mitchell
*Ray Nitschke
*Hugh "Shorty" Ray [ [http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/colleges.html Pro Football Hall of Famers] ]

Current NFL Players

*Alan Ball
*Sean Bubin
*Danny Clark
*Jameel Cook
*Carey Davis
*David Diehl
*Mike Gomez
*Kelvin Hayden
*Nathan Hodel
*Robert Holcombe
*Greg Lewis
*Brandon Lloyd
*Rashard Mendenhall
*Brandon Moore
*Aaron Moorehead
*Christian Morton
*Tony Pashos
*Duke Preston
*Neil Rackers
*Simeon Rice
*Pierre Thomas
*Fred Wakefield
*Eugene Wilson
*Walter Young [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/college?letter=i Current NFL Players] ]

Other Famous Players

*Bill Brown
*Bill Burrell
*Ken Dilger
*Tony Eason
*Dwight Eddleman
*Kevin Hardy
*Jeff George
*Howard Griffith
*John Holecek
*Brad Hopkins
*Kurt Kittner
*Ryan McPartlin
*Ed O'Bradovich
*Jack Trudeau
*Scott Turner
*Buddy Young

External links

* [http://fightingillini.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/ill-m-footbl-body.html Official Site]

References