Darrick Brownlow's Illinois teammates jokingly call him "Pudding"

Good Ol' 48 turned 55 last week...

*Good ol' #48 Darrick Brownlow turned 55 last week.....what a middle linebacker he was for the Illini...forgotten too much when former 'greats' at the position remembered in my opinion....5-foot-10 1987 recruit out of Indianapolis Cathedral High School....Brownlow high school teammates with another all-time great Moe Gardner (recruiting class of 1986).....#48 runner-up for Butkus Award senior season...all bullshit....Colorado's Alfred Williams won it that year....Williams was a 'rush' linebacker in a 3-4 scheme pass rusher like Simeon Rice was at Illinois...Buffs player wasn't a 'linebacker' he was defensive end listed as linebacker....Brownlow left Illinois 2nd on the school's all-time tackle list.

Below thoughts on how good Brownlow was at Illinois....plus review of his recruiting class....how much did I enjoy the linebacker's playing days in Champaign? Bought an Illini jersey without a number on it, had someone press #48 on it....never wore it but could have...jersey still around someplace in my Illini sports library.

*Pro Football Weekly's scouting report of Brownlow 1991 draft....taken by the Washington Redskins (then) in the fifth round.....six-year NFL career.

Brownlow career at Illinois review....5-foot-10, 231-pounds 4.82 forty….Special teams captain as true freshman....teams leading tackler...All-Big Ten pick last three years.

Positives: Bulit for power....18-inch neck...48-inch chest...405-pound bench press...great work ethic...Fiery and emotional leader...Enthusiastic player gives you everything he has...big hitter will knock a back into the hole...always hustling makes many plays on effort...should do well on special teams.

Negatives: Lack of height...has trouble seeing over offensive linemen finding the ball when play isn't run directly towards him...struggles to get off blocks...too many times goes for the big hit vs. wrapping up the ballcarrier leading to missed tackles....struggles in pass coverage.

Summary: Over-achiever with a big heart and great motor....makes plays because he is so relentless....Lack of height biggest negative.

*'Darrick Brownlow's Illinois teammates jokingly call him "Pudding," insisting he's really a softie and not the tough-talking, mean-walking, hard-hitting inside linebacker he seems. Yeah, right. "The biggest thing for Darrick was him getting over the bigger-is-better complex," said Illinois defensive coordinator and assistant head coach Lou Tepper. "It's movement. Quickness. Not how tall you are."

"Darrick's really the spiritual leader of this football team," Illinois coach John Mackovic said. "He's the one stirring them up in the locker room and the huddle. He's very vocal and is very tough."

"I coached both the top two Butkus Award finalists and Alfred is an outstanding player, but I don't see how Darrick could've been passed up," said Tepper, who left Colorado in February 1988. "Darrick's as good a linebacker as anyone in the country."

When he started at Illinois, Brownlow weighed 250 pounds. Now he's about 230 and has the speed to keep pace with running backs when they circle out of the backfield as potential pass receivers. (Courtesy Tampa Times written before the Illinois vs. Clemson 1991 Hall of Fame bowl in Tampa)

*A look back...

Last newsletter wrote about roster turnover in college football....in the classes of 1986/1987 Mike White's staff signed 66 recruits (had 95 scholarships to give out/no academic progress report like now)...34 in 86'....32 in 87'....White quoted about the 87' class, 'well we went more with high school players'....ummm OK coach...Ilinois signed 12 JC prospects majority coming in January so weren't included signing day release in February....remember getting a recruiting magazine that listed this class ‘best’ to 'worst'/2-stars....bottom two on the list? Brownlow and Tim Simpson.

-Class of 1987 Illini junior college recruits...

Mike Bellamy wide receiver College of DuPage (Ill.)-All-Big Ten pick...2nd round selection by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Glenn Cobb safety Pasadena (Cal.) City College-Two-year starter...All-Big Ten pick.

Greg Conradt defensive end Saddleback (Cal.) Junior College-two-year letterman...versatile played defensive end/defensive tackle/rush end in his 11 starts at Illinois.

Dan Donovan Cerritos (Cal.) Community College-two-year letterman...started two games at Illinois.....tipped pass away from being a part of Illini 'lore'....1989 Michigan at Illinois for Big Ten championship.....Donovan wide open in end zone Jeff George's pass tipped before it got to the tight end....incomplete...ending the Illini's Rose Bowl bid.

Stephen Jordan cornerback Sacramento (Cal.) City College-two-year starter at cornerback.

Scott Mohr quarterback College of San Mateo (Cal.)-written about Mohr before...'next great Illini JC QB' that wasn't much good at playing the position.

Scott Murnick place-kicker College of DuPage (Ill.)-A 260-pound kicker! no record of him every playing/kicking for the Illini.

Stephen Shaw running back Long Beach (Cal.) City College-Highly touted....6-foot-2, 220-pound JC All-American...no record of him ever getting on the field at Illinois.

David Silva wide receiver American River (Cal.) Community College-5-foot-9 wideout from same school as Tony Eason....special teamer had 12 catches in his Illini career....two-year letterman.

Ken Thomas running back Taft (Cal.) Community College-5-foot-7 running back originally from Milledgeville, Georgia....started eight games during his Illini career...two-year letterman...also a kick returner.

Roosevelt Wardell safety San Joaquin Valley (Cal.) Junior College-5-foot-9, 200-pound strong safety that also played linebacker....lettered 1988.

-1987 Illini high school recruiting class...

Doug Amaya tight end/linebacker Oak Park (Ill.) River Forest High School-four-star prospect picked Illinois over Michigan.....two-year letterman/five starts at tight end before transferring to Southern Illinois.

Romero Brice linebacker New Orleans McDonough High School-Three-year starter...All-Big Ten pick.

Julyon Brown linebacker East St Louis (Ill.) High School-Four-year letterman....started 14 games during his career at Illinois....whenever Zook's staff would 'need help' with a recruit in the East St. Louis area...Brown their first call....if I recall correctly he is a minister in his hometown.

Darrick Brownlow fullback/linebacker Indianapolis Cathedral High School-his high school coaches told recruiters about Brownlow, 'just sign him and worry about where to play him later'…..All-American at Illinois.

Linzy Collins wide receiver Hazelwood (MO.) East High School-One of the top five players in the state.....didn't qualify....Illini placed Collins at Bakerfield (Cal.) Community College...due to a Big Ten rule....conference schools couldn't recruit JC players who weren't qualifiers out of high school....Mackovic's staff could not re-recruit Collins...signed with Mizzou...NFL draft pick.

Kirk Davenport running back/defensive back New Orleans McDonough High School-City player of the year....didn't qualify...ended up at Southern University....All-Conference/signed with the Redskins as a free agent.

Gabe De La Garza linebacker transfer SMU-NCAA gave the Ponies the death penalty....Illinois picked up a much needed linebacker....earned All-Big Ten honors one season in Champaign.

Jon Gustafsson defensive tackle Buffalo Grove (Ill.) High School-one of the top three in-state prospects.......five-star recruit....started 12 games in 1991 only year he lettered....could never stay healthy.....tried on both sides of the line...claim to fame being one of Dennis Rodman's bodyguard's when the forward played for the Chicago Bulls.

Bill Henkel Decatur (Ill.) St. Teresa High School-Four-year letterman....14 career starts at linebacker....committed to Illinois before his season senior which in 1986 was un-heard of.

Tony Laster tackle Carbondale (Ill.) High School-Three-year letterman....36 career starts at tackle for Illinois.

Bryan McGrone linebacker Terre Haute (Ind.) South Vigo High School-lettered on speical teams 87' season......didn't stick around when Mackovic was hired....someone told me McGrone was afraid to fly? anyway one of the NCAA violations that got Whtie fired involved the linebacker....McGrone official visit to Illinois....he brought along with parents, younger brother who was handicapped....'Illinois supplied un-authorized meals' to a family member.....family member was McGrone's handicapped brother....'meals'? two McDonald's hamburgers.

Gus Palma wide receiver Bellport (NY) High School-Five-star recruit....Parade All-American....picked Illinois over Tennessee....didn't qualify but was accepted into UIUC as a Prop 48 recruit...meant could take classes couldn't practice/play with the team....always seemed to be hurt...two-year letterman...decent senior season 1991.

Mike Poloskey linebacker Joliet (Ill.) Central High School-Two-year letterman...1991 led conference with 15 sacks/23 tackles for loss from his rush linebacker position....First team All-Big Ten pick....Illini MVP of the John Hancock Bowl.

Marlon Primous safety Wilmington (Cal.) Banning High School-Illinois staff 'thought' they had a package deal getting Primous and his five-star teammate/defensive back Marvin Pollard....signing day Pollard 'p$cks' USC...Primous four-year starter/two-time All-Big Pick....his position coach at Illinois Steve Bernstein, 'Loved Marlon always enjoyed chewing his ass out (laughing) He liked to play the games...the rest? So talented but didn't love football, liked football...we did everything to motivate Marlon...he was a good player could have been great we just never seemed to get that thru to him.'

Jim Shaffer DeKalb (Ill.) High School-started a few games at linebacker...two-year letterman...don't remember him.

Tim Simpson offensive line East Peoria (Ill.) High School-Like Henkel...Simpson committed to Illinois before his senior season....Four-year starter....All-Big Ten pick....First team All-American selection.

Sean Streeter defensive line Chicago Julian High School-Recruited by then Illini d-line coach Bill Kollar.... Future College Hall of Famer Kollar helluva' salesman for White's program.....Streeter three-year letterman/starter.

Elbert Turner wide receiver Gary (Ind.) Roosevelt High School-High School track star....155-pounds when he enrolled at Illinois...Like Palma Prop 48....three-year letterman....All-Big Ten pick....NFL career with the Bengals.

Mark Zitnik defensive line Lockport (Ill.) High School-gotta be tough when your nickname is 'Zit'....Gardner's backup at nose guard.....four-year letterman....16 starts for the Illini.

1987 class...participated in four bowl games/part of the 1990 Big Ten co-champs....two All-Americans...plenty of All-Big Ten selections....looking at last 30 years of the program....1981-1991 'Glory Days' of Illinois football and the class of 87' played a big role in the success of that glorious era.