Illinois Football: The 30 greatest Illini players of all time

Do you want to see a great running back for the Illinois football team hog the record books? You don’t need to look any further than Howard Griffith. This guy is on so many of the record lists for the Illini. He was a mainstay in the Illini offense in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Like previously mentioned, Griffith’s name pops up everywhere in the Illinois record books. He is No. 11 in career rushing yards with 2,485. He had 1,115 yards rushing in 1990, which ranks No. 9 in history of the program.

He rushed for 263 yards against Northwestern back in 1990, which is the third-highest single-game rushing total. He is No. 1 in program history in career rushing touchdowns with 31. He is No. 3 in single-season rushing touchdowns with 15 touchdowns. Griffith also leads the Illini and the NCAA in single-game rushing touchdowns with eight touchdowns.

Griffith was a part of three bowl appearances in the four years he was with the program. That is a great run that is truly underappreciated. He was never given a lot of credit for how good he was on the college level. He did receive All-American honorable mention during his senior year, though.

After the Illini, Griffith would go on to have a solid NFL career. He played for five different teams and even won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos. He is one of the most underrated players on this list, but will always be a legend in the history of Illinois football.