Friday, February 03, 2012
XLVI
Congrats to the two Illini who will be on the field for the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI Sunday night. Guard David Diehl will do his best to keep Eli Manning on his feet, while punter Steve Weatherford will do what he can to keep the Patriots pinned deep. I enjoy cheering for Illini at the highest level - so all the best for a good game on Sunday, guys!
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Labels: former Illini
# posted by Alma Mater : 12:49 PM
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Illini in XLIII
After the Illini face Iowa in Champaign on Sunday, our attention will turn (with the rest of the world) to Tampa, where the Arizona Cardinals will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Here are the Illini to watch (in alphabetical order):
Carey Davis: Fullback for the Steelers. This former Illini bounced around as a free agent before landing a contract in Pittsburgh.
Nathan Hodel: Long snapper for the Cardinals. He has played in 96 consecutive games, the longest streak on the team. He was also a pitcher at Illinois.
Rashard Mendenhall: Ok, so Rashard won't be playing, after suffering a season-ending injury in his first start, but he's worth mentioning. I can't help but have a soft spot for the team that took this Illini record holder in the first round of the draft.
Neil Rackers: The Cardinals kicker was one of the few bright spots during some long Illini football seasons. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2005, and has is very consistent.
So the question is, which team to cheer for Sunday? I'm hoping for a competitive game, but I'll gladly cheer for the Arizona kicking game, and I'll be looking for contributions from #38 (Davis) when Pittsburgh as the ball.
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Here are the Illini to watch (in alphabetical order):
Carey Davis: Fullback for the Steelers. This former Illini bounced around as a free agent before landing a contract in Pittsburgh.
Nathan Hodel: Long snapper for the Cardinals. He has played in 96 consecutive games, the longest streak on the team. He was also a pitcher at Illinois.
Rashard Mendenhall: Ok, so Rashard won't be playing, after suffering a season-ending injury in his first start, but he's worth mentioning. I can't help but have a soft spot for the team that took this Illini record holder in the first round of the draft.
Neil Rackers: The Cardinals kicker was one of the few bright spots during some long Illini football seasons. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2005, and has is very consistent.
So the question is, which team to cheer for Sunday? I'm hoping for a competitive game, but I'll gladly cheer for the Arizona kicking game, and I'll be looking for contributions from #38 (Davis) when Pittsburgh as the ball.
Labels: former Illini
# posted by Alma Mater : 7:28 PM
Monday, September 22, 2008
Off-Week Action
Coach Zook and the Illini football team had the weekend off, but thanks to NC State's upset of East Carolina and other upsets, the Illini remain ranked #22 in the AP, and moved up to #21 in the coaches' poll.
Penn State rolled over Temple, and head into the Big Ten opener ranked #12 in both polls. Next weekend will be a tough game, but the Illini should be the toughest competition JoePa and company have faced this season.
But even as the Illini had time off, several guys who now play on Sundays saw some action. In 2008, 17 former Illini are on active NFL rosters. Highlights include Dave Diehl of the Giants, who started his 83rd consecutive game on the O-line, Kelvin Hayden's interception for the Colts, Brandon Lloyd's TD reception for the Bears and 2 TDs by Pierre Thomas for the Saints. Sure, many of these guys were on the short end of the final score, but it's always good to see Illini contributing on Sundays.
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Penn State rolled over Temple, and head into the Big Ten opener ranked #12 in both polls. Next weekend will be a tough game, but the Illini should be the toughest competition JoePa and company have faced this season.
But even as the Illini had time off, several guys who now play on Sundays saw some action. In 2008, 17 former Illini are on active NFL rosters. Highlights include Dave Diehl of the Giants, who started his 83rd consecutive game on the O-line, Kelvin Hayden's interception for the Colts, Brandon Lloyd's TD reception for the Bears and 2 TDs by Pierre Thomas for the Saints. Sure, many of these guys were on the short end of the final score, but it's always good to see Illini contributing on Sundays.
Labels: former Illini, Illini football, NFL Illini
# posted by Alma Mater : 9:47 PM
