Illini in the NFL

Illini in the NFL Hall of Fame
Red Grange, Running Back, Bears, 1925-1934
George Halas, Head Coach primarily for Bears, 6 NFL Championships, 1920-1967
Hugh "Shorty" Ray, Supervisor of Officials, 1938-1952
Bobby Mitchell, Running Back/Returner, 4-time Pro Bowler, 1958-1968
Ray Nitschke, Linebacker, Packers, 5 NFL Championships, 1958-1972
Dick Butkus, Linebacker, Drafted #3 overall by Bears, 8-time Pro Bowler, 1965-1973

Notable Current Illini in the NFL, sorted by draft date


Neil Rackers, Kicker, Texans, at Illinois 1996-1999, Drafted 6th round 2000.
11 years in the league, went 40/42 in 2005.

Eugene Wilson, Safety, Texans, 1999-2002, Drafted 2nd round 2003.
Won 2003 and 2004 Super Bowl with Patriots, 14 interceptions and 354 tackles through 8 years.

David Diehl, Offensive Tackle, Giants, at Illinois 1999-2002, Drafted 5th round 2003.
Started every game since being drafted, won 2007 Super Bowl, 2009 Pro Bowl.

Brandon Lloyd, Receiver, Broncos, at Illinois 1999-2002, Drafted 4th round 2003.
This is his 8th year. His best year for yardage was his 3rd year, 733 yards. This year he has 454 yards through four games.

Greg Lewis, Receiver, Vikings, at Illinois 1999-2002, undrafted.
After 8 years between the Eagles and Vikings, he has only 140 receptions and 8 touchdowns. But he was the one that caught the Hail Mary from Favre in 2009, receiving ESPY for Best Play.

Kelvin Hayden, Cornerback, Colts, at Illinois 2003-2004 (transferred after 2 seasons at junior college), Drafted 2nd round 2005.
A full-time starter for 6 years, 7 picks, plus a pick six that helped win the 2006 Super Bowl.

Pierre Thomas, Running Back, Saints, at Illinois 2003-2006, undrafted.
Solid running back for the Saints, scored on a screen pass that helped win 2009 Super Bowl.

Rashard Mendenhall, Running Back, Steelers, at Illinois 2005-2007, Drafted 1st round 2008.
Was on the winning team for the 2008 Super Bowl, but didn't play due to injury. Last year ran for over 1100 yards, and is averaging more per carry this year.

Vontae Davis, Cornerback, Dolphins, at Illinois 2006-2008, Drafted 1st round 2009.
Through his second year, he has 65 tackles and 5 interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.

Michael Hoomanawanui, Tight End, Rams, at Illinois 2006-2009, Drafted 5th round 2010.
Signed a 4-year contract worth 2 million, including a $215,000 signing bonus. Suffered an injury, so far 1 catch for 8 yards.

Arrelious Benn, Wide Receiver, Bucs, at Illinois 2007-2009, Drafted 2nd round 2010.
He caught his first NFL pass in week 3--3 for 33 on the year.