Illinois Football: The 30 greatest Illini players of all time

It was extremely tough to figure out where to put Ray Nitschke on the list of the top players in the history of Illinois football. This guy was a great player who did everything he could for the team to win. I think the No. 12 spot is exactly where he belongs on this list.

Nitschke wasn’t the most decorated college player. He didn’t even come to Illinois playing the positions he would end up excelling at during his career. According to his biography, Nitschke was a great high school quarterback and that is the position he came to Champaign to play. But that didn’t turn out to be the case after his freshman season.

During his sophomore campaign, Nitschke moved from quarterback to running back and played linebacker as well. He would finish his Illinois career with 998 yards rushing and led the team in rushing in 1957.

He would end up making the All-Big Ten Second Team in 1957 as well. While he isn’t on many lists for the Illini, he was a legendary linebacker for the program. At one time Paul Brown, who founded the Cleveland Browns, dubbed Nitschke as the best linebacker in college football.

Historically, Nitschke was one of the toughest and great players to come through the Illinois football program. He doesn’t have amazing numbers, but it is documented that this guy was one of the best.