- Jim Grabowski
James S. Grabowski (born September 9, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American football player and broadcaster. Grabowski played collegiately at the University of Illinois and professionally for the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, and currently serves as an analyst on University of Illinois football radio broadcasts. Grabowski attended the University of Illinois out of Taft High School in Chicago. At Illinois, Grabowski was a star running back, …
- Arrelious Benn
Arrelious Benn (born September 8,1988) is a wide receiver who used to play for Dunbar High School's football team. According to his profile on Scout.com, Benn is a 5-star recruit and is ranked number 2 amongst all high school wide receivers in the United States. Benn is widely known as the greatest player in Dunbar's history. On November 9, 2006, Benn verbally committed to the University of Illinois.
- Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. (born October 8, 1941) is a professional civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, and is a prominent leader of the American Christian left. He is the father of Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.
- Dick Butkus
Dick Butkus (born December 9, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former American football player and actor. Butkus starred as a football player for the University of Illinois and the Chicago Bears. He was best known for his punishing tackles. Terry Bradshaw once claimed Butkus to be "a killer on the field, but an angel sent by God from heaven above off the field".
- George Halas
George Stanley Halas (February 2 1895 - October 31 1983), nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was an American player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional football and the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears.
- Preston Pearson
Preston James Pearson (b. January 17, 1945 in Freeport, Illinois) is a former professional American Football running back who played for the Baltimore Colts (1967-1969), the Pittsburgh Steelers (1970-1974), and the Dallas Cowboys (1975-1980). Before his NFL career, he played for the University of Illinois, where he excelled at basketball. Throughout his NFL career, Pearson was used frequently as a rusher, receiver, and kickoff returner on special teams.
- David Williams
David Williams (born 1963) is a former American football player and wide receiver. Williams was named consensus All-American twice at the University of Illinois, and is an inducted member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Williams was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Williams attended Serra High School in Los Angeles, California.
- Alex Agase
Alexander Arrasi Agase (March 27, 1922 - May 3, 2007) is a former American football player and coach. Agase was born in Evanston IL to an Assyrian family. He graduated from Evanston Township High School in Evanston, Illinois. Agase played college football at the University of Illinois and Purdue University. Agase starred as a guard for Illinois in 1941 and 1942. In a 1942 game against the University of Minnesota, Agase scored two touchdowns for the Fighting Illini, …
- Simeon Rice
Simeon Rice (born February 24, 1974 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American football defensive end who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He went to University of Illinois and was drafted in 1996 by Arizona. He attended Mount Carmel High School on Chicago's south side, the same school as current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.
- Brad Hopkins
Bradley D. Hopkins (born September 5, 1970) is a former American football player. He played left tackle for 13 seasons in the National Football League, all of them with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans organization.
- Walter Young
Walter Lee Young, Jr. (born December 7, 1979 in Chicago Heights, Illinois, USA) is an American football wide receiver currently on the practice squad of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was originally a seventh round pick (226th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft out of the University of Illinois by the Carolina Panthers. Young attended Rich East High School in Park Forest, Illinois, where he earned all-state honors as a quarterback.
- Red Grange
Harold (Red) Edward Grange (June 13, 1903 - January 28, 1991), was a professional and college American football player. He was a charter member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- Buddy Young
Claude "Buddy" Young (January 5, 1926 to October 19, 1983) was a football player. A native of Chicago, the 5'5" Claude "Buddy" Young also known as the "Bronze Bullet," had exceptional quickness and acceleration. As a track star at the University of Illinois, he won the National Collegiate Championships in the 100 and a 220-yard dash, tied the world record for the 45 and 60-yard dashes, and was the Amateur Athletic Union's 100-meter champion.
- Luke Butkus
Lucas J. Butkus (born June 26, 1979 in Steger, Illinois) is the current assistant offensive line coach of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. Prior to joining the Bears, he spent the last two years as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Oregon. He attended training camp with the Bears in 2002 and the San Diego Chargers in 2003. Butkus also played center for the Rhein Fire of NFL Europa in 2003. He attended the University of Illinois.
- Ron Guenther
Ron Guenther (born October 3, 1945) is the Director of Athletics for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is best known for the hiring of Fighting Illini athletics coaches, the development of the men's tennis team into a national power (including an NCAA title in 2003), and the development of many athletics facilities.
- Brandon Moore
Brandon Moore (born June 3, 1980 in Gary, Indiana) is an American football player and a guard for the New York Jets. Moore signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent on April 26, 2002. After spending time with the practice squad, Moore first saw action in 2003, appearing in three games and starting one. Moore started 13 games in 2004, helping running back Curtis Martin lead the NFL in rushing yards. In 2005, Moore started all 16 games.
- William G. Kline
William G. Kline was a college football coach. In 1918, he coached at Nebraska, where he compiled a 2-3-1 record. His highlight came when Nebraska played Notre Dame to a 0-0 shutout. He joined World War 1, after coaching at Nebraska. From 1920 to 1922, he coached at Florida, where he compiled a 19-8-2 record. From 1923 to 1925, he came back to Nebraska, where he became the school's basketball coach. He compiled a 23-12 record in his two seasons there.
- Nathan Hodel
Nathan William Hodel (born November 11, 1977 in Fairview Heights, Illinois) is an American football long snapper currently playing for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL.
- Ray Nitschke
Raymond Ernest Nitschke was a professional football player who played middle linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the NFL. Wearing #66, he played fifteen seasons, from 1958 to 1972, and was named the greatest linebacker in NFL history in 1969, over many other greats, including Dick Butkus.
- Eugene Wilson
Eugene W. Wilson II (born August 17, 1980 in Merrillville, Indiana) is an American football safety for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He attended the University of Illinois and was drafted in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Patriots, with the fourth pick of the second round. He has helped the Patriots win Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2003 and Super Bowl XXXIX in 2004.
- Jeff George
Jeffrey Scott George (born December 8, 1967 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American football quarterback, currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was the first overall pick of the 1990 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts. Jeff played for the Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears.
- Bobby Mitchell
Robert Cornelius Mitchell (born June 6, 1935, Hot Springs, Arkansas) is a former American football running back and wide receiver who played for the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins. Mitchell was the first African-American to play for the Redskins. During his time playing for Cleveland, Mitchell was used as a running back. When he was traded to Washington, he was converted into a flanker. After retiring in 1968, Mitchell remained with the Redskins, …
- Jack Trudeau
Jack Francis Trudeau (born September 9, 1962 in Forest Lake, Minnesota), is a former American professional football player who was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2nd round of the 1986 NFL Draft. A 6'3", 213 lbs. quarterback from the University of Illinois, Trudeau played in 10 NFL seasons from 1986-1995. During his rookie season he split time at quarterback with Mike Pagel and in 1987-1988 he split time with Gary Hogeboom as did Chris Chandler.
- J Leman
J Leman is an All Big Ten linebacker for the University of Illinois. Sports Illustrated also named him to their honorable mention All-American team. He has one season of college eligibility left. J graduated from the U of I with a degree in speech communications in the summer of 2006. Currently, he is pursing a master's degree. "Personal Info" J is currently 21 years old and was born in 1985. He comes from a family of 4 other siblings.
- Sean Bubin
Sean Bubin (born January 26, 1981 in Houston, Texas) is a former American football offensive lineman of the National Football League. Originally a fifth-round pick out of the University of Illinois in 2004 by the Jacksonville Jaguars, Bubin has spent time with the Jaguars, Detroit Lions, and Minnesota Vikings. He has also played for the Hamburg Sea Devils of NFL Europe.
- Tim Brewster
Tim Brewster (born October 13, 1960, in Phillipsburg, New Jersey) is the head football coach at the University of Minnesota and the 26th head coach in team history. It is his first college head coach job. He is known well as a fierce recruiter.
- Scott Davis
Scott Davis (born July 8, 1965) is a former NFL player. He played defensive end. He played for the Los Angeles Raiders from 1988-1994. He attended the University of Illinois.
- Ryan McPartlin
Ryan McPartlin (born July 3, 1975 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American actor. Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, Ryan graduated with a degree in speech communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. McPartlin was a member of the Fighting Illini football team, and was awarded a letter for playing in the 1994 season.
- Neil Rackers
Neil W. Rackers (born August 16, 1976 in Florissant, Missouri) is a placekicker for the Arizona Cardinals. He was selected with the third pick of the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals out of the University of Illinois. He has had over 20 touchbacks in a season twice in his career. His streak of consecutive field goals without a miss ended at 31 on November 27, 2005 when he missed a 43-yard field goal against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
- Tony Eason
Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason, IV (born October 8, 1959 in Blythe, California) was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for the New England Patriots and New York Jets. Eason retired after the 1990 NFL season and is currently residing in California.
- Kelvin Hayden
Kelvin Darnell Hayden, Jr. (born July 28 1983 in Chicago, Illinois, USA) is a NFL cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts. He was originally selected in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Illinois. He returned a Rex Grossman interception for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLI. It was the first interception of his NFL career.
- Henry Jones
Henry Louis Jones (born December 29, 1967 in St. Louis, Missouri) is a former American football defensive back who played for the Buffalo Bills (1991-2000), Minnesota Vikings (2001), and Atlanta Falcons (2002). In just his second year in the NFL, Jones was a Pro Bowl selection as he led the league along with Minnesota's Audray McMillian with 8 interceptions. Jones's superb season in 1992 turned out the be the only significant highlight of his career.
- Keith Taylor
Keith Gerard Taylor (born December 21, 1964 in Pennsauken, New Jersey) was an American football safety in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts, the New Orleans Saints, and the Washington Redskins. He played college football for the University of Illinois.
- Brandon Lloyd
Brandon Matthew Lloyd (born July 5, 1981 in Kansas City, Missouri) is an American football wide receiver in the NFL for the Washington Redskins. Lloyd graduated from Blue Springs High School in Blue Springs, Missouri. He attended the University of Illinois. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 4th round (124th overall) in the 2003 NFL Draft. He was traded to the Redskins on March 11, 2006 for a 3rd round draft pick in 2006, and a 4th round draft pick in 2007.
- Danny Clark
Danny Clark IV (born May 9, 1977 in Blue Island, Illinois) is an American football player and a middle linebacker with the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was released by the Oakland Raiders prior to the 2006 season and signed with the Saints, whom he played for one year before signing with Houston in 2007. Clark was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft, with the 245th overall selection.
- Kurt Kittner
Kurt Kittner (born January 23, 1980 in Schaumburg, Illinois) is an American football player who most recently played quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. Prior to playing professional football, he was a record-setting quarterback for the University of Illinois, leading them to the 2001 Big Ten Championship.
- Jameel Cook
Jameel Cook (born February 8, 1979, in Miami, Florida) is an American football fullback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Cook was originally a sixth-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before signing with the Texans in the 2006 offseason.
- Darrick Brownlow
Darrick Dewayne Brownlow (born December 28, 1968 in Indianapolis, Indiana) was an American football linebacker in the NFL for the Washington Redskins, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football for the University of Illinois.
- Mel Agee
Mel Agee (born November 22, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former professional American football player who played defensive lineman for five seasons for the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons.
- Bill Brown
Bill Brown (born June 29, 1938 in Mendota, Illinois) is a former American football player. Brown was a running back in the National Football League for 14 seasons, including 13 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, and was named to the Pro Bowl four times. Brown attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At Illinois, Brown was an All-Big Ten fullback, and also won the Big Ten shot put title and set an Illinois record with a toss of 54 feet, 10.5 inches.