Where I Come From: Memorable Moments in Illini Football

(This Post Sponsored By EA Sports NCAA Football 2011)

There have been plenty of memorable moments in the last decade or so of Illini football, from the pantsing of Virginia in the MicronPC.com bowl to Terry Hawthorne becoming the last great hope for the future when he ran down Roy Roundtree and saved some semblance of pride for the Illini in 2009.

For the purposes of this post at least we will be using the memorable moments that conveniently available via Youtube.

Let us think again to that moment last season. Terry Hawthorne, moved from wide receiver to his "other" position in high school, defensive back. The Illini sat at 6 losses, one away from being formally eliminated from the post season, Michigan at 5 wins, one win away from securing Rich Rod's first bowl in Ann Arbor.  Michigan Receiver Roy Roundtree seemed to be on his way to an easy score to put the Wolverines ahead by two scores and possibly the game out of reach even in the third quarter. Then Terry Hawthorne pulled a Terry Hawthorne.

The Wolverines would not score again, and the Illini rolled off 21 straight points in the quarter. Michigan did not win another game, the Illini, well, lost to Northwestern, Fresno and Cincinnati.

All things being equal, suffering at Michigan is pretty nice too.

How about Kurt Kitner guys. The pride of Schaumburg, the current color analyst for Illini radio, and the captain of the last Illini team to have won a Big Ten Championship (or a bowl game, for that matter.) Kurt is a throwback for an Illini fans, though not for much longer, a true pocket pro style QB who could sling it all over the field, to the likes of Brandon Lloyd or Aaron Moorehead, here is one such pass by Kurt from 2001. A year we won our homecoming game, one the Big Ten, and finished the season in the top 15. Man, how good was that guy?

Last but not least, the best moment of football that I have ever been a part of, the Illini knocking of a #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes team in Columbus, a game I saw in person. Here it is. Juice being Juice.

We are from Illinois, and that is where we come from.