The University of Illinois has turned out some great players, and has sent many players into the pros. One of the most notable stars from the university is Dick Butkus, which was not only a player early on in his career, but also one of the most prolific NFL coaches that has gone throught the league. Although his playing career in the NFL was brief, Butkus coached in the league for nearly 20 years, and when playing at the University of Illinois, was also a star player for the team. Didn’t catch that? This explains it.
Another well known star from the school is Seattle Seahawks great Brandon Lloyd, who was a leading rusher when playing at the university, and is still a great back playing for the Seahawks in the NFL today. Pierre Thomas is another one of the most notable running backs to make it out of Illinois, and was a member of the New Orleans Saints Superbowl Championship team in recent years.
Alan Ball and Vontae Davis are two other big name alumni from the university. The school has turned out some great NFL stars, many of which are still playing for their respective teams in the NFL today, and are big name players in the league.