SPRING ILLINOIS FOOTBALL 2013 fightingillini.com facebook.com/IlliniFootball @IlliniFootball #ILLINI CoachBeckman.com facebook.com/IlliniAthletics @IlliniAthletics QUICK FACTS 2013 SPRING FOOTBALL INFORMATION Illinois football coach Tim Beckman and the Fighting Illini begin spring football practices on UNIVERSITY INFORMATION Tuesday, March 5, marking the first of 15 spring workouts for the Fighting Illini. Spring practices Location: Urbana-Champaign culminate in the annual Orange and Blue Spring Game April 12 under the lights at Memorial Founded: 1867 Stadium, which will be televised live on the Big Ten Network at 8 p.m. CT. Admission and parking Enrollment: 42,605 for the Spring Game are free. Parking will be available in the lots surrounding Memorial Stadium Colors: Orange & Blue and the Assembly Hall. Nickname: Fighting Illini Conference: Big Ten President: Michael J. Hogan In addition to the Spring Game, four practices will be open to the public: March 9, 15, 29, and Chancellor: Phyllis Wise April 5. The remaining practices are closed to the public. All practices in Champaign will be held Director of Athletics: Mike Thomas at either the East Practice Fields, inside Memorial Stadium or in the Iwrin Indoor Practice Facility Stadium: Memorial Stadium (FieldTurf – 60,670) depending on the weather. The March 29 practice will be at Chicago’s Gately Stadium (810 E. 103rd Street). COACHING STAFF Head Coach: Tim Beckman 2013 Spring Football Practice Schedule Alma Mater: Findlay, 1988 Tues., March 5 Practice #1 (3:30-5:30 pm) Record at Illinois: 2-10 (1 season) Overall Record: 23-26 (4 seasons) Thur., March 7 Practice #2 (3:30-5:30 pm) Assistant Coaches: Sat., March 9 Practice #3 (Noon-2 pm) open to public Tim Banks: Defensive Coordinator / Secondary Mon., March 11 Practice #4 (3:30-5:30 pm) Bill Cubit: Offensive Coordinator / QB Wed., March 13 Practice #5 (3:30-5:30 pm) Mike Bellamy: Wide Receivers Fri., March 15 Practice #6 (5:30-7:30 pm) open to public Greg Colby: Defensive Line Alex Golesh: TE / Specialists / Recruiting Coord. March 16-24 University of Illinois Spring Break Tim Salem: Running Backs / Special Teams Mon., March 25 Practice #7 (3:30-5:30 pm) Al Seamonson: Outside Linebackers Wed., March 27 Practice #8 (3:30-5:30 pm) Mike Ward: Inside Linebackers Fri., March 29 Practice #9 at Gately Stadium, Chicago (5:30-7:30 pm) open to public TBA: Offensive Line Mon., April 1 Practice #10 (3:30-5:30 pm) Wed., April 3 Practice #11 (3:30-5:30 pm) SUPPORT STAFF Fri., April 5 Practice #12 (5:30-7:30 pm) Director of Player Personnel: Marcus Berry open to public Director of Football Operations: Tim Knox Mon., April 8 Practice #13 (3:30-5:30 pm) Head Strength & Conditioning Coach: Aaron Hillman Wed., April 10 Practice #14 (3:30-5:30 pm) Sports Medicine: Toby Harkins Fri., April 12 Orange and Blue Spring Game (8 pm, BTN) Equipment Manager: Trent Chesnut Video Coordinator: George Anasis PRO TIMING DAY SET FOR MARCH 7 Former Fighting Illini players will work out for NFL scouts at Pro Timing Day on Thursday, March FOOTBALL INFORMATION 7, at 8:15 a.m. The participants will be measured and will lift weights in the Performance Center 2012 Record: 2-10, 0-8 (6th Big Ten Leaders Division) Offensive Formation: Spread / Multiple at Memorial Stadium before moving over to the Irwin Indoor Complex for speed and agility drills. Defensive Formation: Multiple All-Time Record (Years): 582-544-51 (123) All-Time Big Ten Record (Years): 333-392-32 (117) 2013 ILLINOIS SCHEDULE Memorial Stadium Record (Years): 254-217-14 (90) Big Ten Championship (Last): 15 (2001) DATE OPPONENT TIME LOCATION 2012 REC SERIES HISTORY (LAST) Aug. 31 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS TBA MEMORIAL STADIUM 6-5 ILL leads 3-0 (2010) National Championships (Last): 5 (1951) Sept. 7 CINCINNATI TBA MEMORIAL STADIUM 10-3 CIN leads 1-0 (2009) Bowl Appearances (Last): 17 (2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl) Sept. 14 vs. Washington TBA Soldier Field, Chicago 7-6 WASH leads 5-4 (1972) All-Time Bowl Record: 8-9 (.471) Sept. 28 MIAMI (OHIO) TBA MEMORIAL STADIUM 4-8 ILL leads 2-0 (1941) 2012 Starters Returning: 14 Oct. 5 at Nebraska TBA Lincoln, Neb. 10-4 NEB leads 7-2-1 (1986) Offense: 9 Oct. 19 WISCONSIN TBA MEMORIAL STADIUM 8-6 Tied 36-36-7 (2012) Oct. 26 MICHIGAN STATE (Homecoming) TBA MEMORIAL STADIUM 7-6 MSU leads 25-17-2 (2010) Defense: 4 Nov. 2 at Penn State TBA University Park, Pa. 8-4 PSU leads 16-4 (2012) Special Teams (PK/P): 1 Nov. 9 at Indiana TBA Bloomington, Ind. 4-8 ILL leads 45-22-3 (2012) 2012 Letterwinners Returning: 35 Nov. 16 OHIO STATE TBA MEMORIAL STADIUM 12-0 OSU leads 65-30-4 (2012) Offense: 21 Nov. 23 at Purdue TBA West Lafayette, Ind. 6-7 ILL leads 42-40-6 (2012) Defense: 12 Nov. 30 NORTHWESTERN TBA MEMORIAL STADIUM 10-3 ILL leads 54-47-5 (2012) Special Teams (PK/P): 2 Dec. 7 Big Ten Championship Game TBA Indianapolis, Ind. 1 // 2013 ILLINOIS SPRING FOOTBALL // WWW.FIGHTINGILLINI.COM 2013 ILLINOIS FOOTBALL // SPRING NOTES NEW FACES 2012 ILLINOIS TEAM AWARDS Ten early enrollees – five mid-year high school graduates and five junior college transfers – are on Outstanding Offensive Player: Graham Pocic, C campus and will participate in spring practices, hoping to get a jump on playing time for the fall. Outstanding Defensive Player: Michael Buchanan, DE The early high school grads are defensive backs Dillan Cazley and Darius Mosely and offensive Outstanding Special Teams Player: Justin Green, DB linemen Jesse Chadwell, Christian Dilauro and Austin Schmidt. The junior college transfers are wide receiver Martize Barr, defensive tackle Abe Cajuste, star Eric Finney, offensive lineman 2012 Team Captains: Graham Pocic, C, Ashante Williams, STAR Dallas Hinkhouse and safety Zane Petty. Wright Commitment to Excellence Award: Zach Becker, FB/TE Bruce Capel Award: Eddie Viliunas, TE In additon to the new faces on the field, five new assistant coaches have joined Tim Beckman’s staff for the 2013 season. Former Western Michigan head coach Bill Cubit will take over as Nathan Scheelhaase, QB Scholar-Athlete Award: offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. A pair of former Illini players, (wide Service Above Self Award: Zak Pedersen, LS Mike Bellamy Illini Warrior Effort Award (Weight Room): Ashante Williams, star receivers) and Greg Colby (defensive line), returned to their alma mater as coaches. Also joining Off. Scout Team Player of the Year: LaKeith Walls, RB the staff this season is Al Seamonson (outside linebackers), most recently at Central Florida. Def. Scout Team Players of the Year: Beau Sullivan, LB, T.J. Neal, LB Spec. Teams Scout Team Player of the Year: Davontay Kwaaning, DB NEW SCOREBOARD ON THE WAY Illinois Point Awards (based off season production points) When the 2013 season kicks off, Fighting Illini fans will see a new Daktronics video display at Offensive Skill (QB/WR): Ryan Lankford, WR Memorial Stadium. The south end zone is set to receive a new HD video display measuring 36 Offensive Big Skill (TE/RB/FB): Donovonn Young, RB feet tall by 96 feet wide. Directly below the main video display, a new custom football scoreboard Offensive Line: Hugh Thornton, OT Defensive Skill (CB/S): Terry Hawthorne, CB will be installed to show the score, time outs left, down and distance, game time remaining, and Defensive Big Skill (LB/Star): Mason Monheim, LB quarter information. An identical scoreboard (without video display) will be installed above the Defensive Line: Michael Buchanan, DR north end zone seats. In addition, a new supplemental ribbon display will be installed below the Specialists (K/P/LS): Zak Pedersen, LS custom football scoreboard that will measure over 50 feet wide. The new video board will not be Special Teams (return/coverage): Ashante Williams, STAR installed in time for the Spring Game on April 12, but will be ready for the 2013 season. ILLINI TO PLAY AT SOLDIER FIELD SEPT. 14 2012 LETTERWINNERS On Aug. 7, 2012, Illinois Athletics Director Mike Thomas announced that the Fighting Illini will play the Washington Huskies at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sept. 14, 2013. The game will mark Fourth Year: Second Year: Illinois’ second game at the historic home of the Chicago Bears. Illinois’ only other game at Sol- Zach Becker Houston Bates Michael Buchanan Ralph Cooper dier Field was against current Pac-12 member Washington State on Sept. 1, 1994, a 10-9 victory Justin Green Simon Cvijanovic Terry Hawthorne Jon Davis Patrick Nixon-Youman Justin DuVernois Graham Pocic Michael Heitz FOOTBALL MEDIA RELATIONS STAFF Jack Ramsey Alex Hill Supo Sanni Tim Kynard Justin Staples Matt LaCosse Hugh Thornton Miles Osei Ashante Williams Reilly O’Toole Tim Russell Third Year: Tyler Sands Jonathan Brown Austin Teitsma Glenn Foster Earnest Thomas Spencer Harris Donovonn Young Steve Hull Ryan Lankford First Year: Darius Millines Dami Ayoola Zak Pedersen V’Angelo Bentley Kent Brown Derek Neal Ben Taylor Nathan Scheelhaase Darrius Caldwell Assistant A.D./Communications Assistant SID Assistant SID Akeem Spence Tommy Davis 217-244-6533 (office) 217-244-3707 (office) 217-244-5045 (office) Addie Viliunas Jacob Feldmeyer 217-493-9795 (cell) 309-241-0804 (cell) 217-714-3555 (cell) Evan Wilson Josh Ferguson [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Zeph Grimes James Hallendorff Football Practice Requests Justin Hardee Ted Karras Please send your post-practice player and coach interview requests to Derek Neal ([email protected]) Sean McGushin prior to practice starting on that day. Kaeman Mitchell Mason Monheim Pro Timing Day Eaton Spence Media planning on attending Pro Timing Day on March 7 will need to check in and get a pass at the lobby Beau Sullivan area in the North End Zone of Memorial Stadium.