Illinois Football: The 30 greatest Illini players of all time

The start of the top 30 Illinois football players of all time begins with the defensive side of the ball. The late 1980s and early 1990s featured some great defensive tackle for the Orange and Blue. One of those great players was Darrick Brownlow.

Brownlow was a menace his entire career with the Illini. His talents enabled him to etch his name in the Illinois record books for the rest of time. Brownlow recorded 483 tackles in his time in Champaign.

That ranks No. 3 all time in career tackles for the Illini. His 1988 season, where he had 166 tackles, is No. 3 all time in single-season tackles. That was followed by his 1990 season, where had 161 tackles.

The team has a great stretch during Brownlow’s time with the program as well. Illinois only had one losing season, his freshman year, and went 10-2 overall during his junior campaign. When Brownlow was a senior in 1990, the Illini finished the season with an 8-4 record and won the Big Ten.

The great play by Brownlow earned him national notoriety. In 1988, he finished as an honorable mention All-American. The same applied to him for the 1989 season as well. In 1990, Brownlow broke through and earned First-Team All-American honors.

Brownlow’s great play and team success are the reasons he is on this list. He deserves to be listed here and will be remembered as one of the greatest defensive players to ever suit up for the Illini.