That time...

Fighting Illini football had three straight top ten recruiting classes.

Old football recruiting cliche' from coaches....'1/3 of a recruiting class works out, 1/3 just guys, 1/3 disappear from your roster never to be seen again'...with national letter of intent signing for football prospects this month...blast from the past that time Illinois football had three straight top ten recruiting classes....how it happened.

Spring 1980 would listen to 'Sports Talk' show on WOC radio Davenport, Iowa 6PM to 7PM....it was mostly baseball, Hawkeye talk...one evening they had this 'football recruiting analyst' named Joe Terranova on to talk about the Hawkeye class that year....Terranova the host said had a report that rated the top college football recruiting classes every year....after the Iowa talk host asked about Illinois football recruiting? Terranova, 'Well they seem to be very excited about the three quarterbacks they signed (Wilson, Eason, Jenner) in-state they did OK but have to do better next year, I am sure they will'.....wrote his name down,….Terranova had an ad back of the yearly Street&Smith's college football preview mag, cut it out, sent in that twelve-dollar money order...rest is history.

Who was Joe Terranova and what connection did he have to Illinois? Terranova the godfather of the football recruiting guru industry....He was a Ford Motors executive then living in Michigan.

"For almost a decade, dating to his days as a graduate student at Illinois, Terranova had compiled the data to satisfy a football curiosity. He would spend hours in the school library, poring over high-school sports stories from the library's collection of national newspapers.

His interest peaked at Illinois, where he acquired the degree that eventually got him a marketing job at the Ford Motor Company.

As an undergrad at Notre Dame, Terranova watched the nation's most-storied football program struggle to reach .500. Then at Illinois, he watched a program with far less tradition, but with a young linebacker named Dick Butkus, win the 1963 Big Ten title.

"Illinois had been in nowheresville," Terranova said. "But they built the program up by recruiting [the state of] Illinois very well. That stuck with me."

And so began the research, which a decade later became a homemade magazine. The early ones mirrored the books -- his notes, organized and typed on 81/2 x 11-inch sheets of paper, which his wife, Carol, took to a local printer to be collated and bound.

The first "Handbook of College Football Recruiting" pamphlet contained eight pages and the next had 24, Terranova said. By the mid-1970s, Terranova had created National Prep Publications. Eventually, the one-man company produced three football recruiting guides a year and another for basketball." (Courtesy the Orlando Sentinel)

Mike White's first recruiting coordinator at Illinois was Gary Horton....Terranova wrote a letter to White/Horton introducing himself sending his pamphlet wishing the new staff good luck...Gary Moeller's staff wanted nothing to do with Terranova or any 'recruiting ranking' guys...Horton saw Terranova and his enthusiasm for the Illini as a way to promote their program with positive pub about recruiting classes....Terranova was invited down to CU, friend of program given the Illini master football recruiting list (every top prospect listed/ranked which is like having the answers to the test if you are in the business of making recruit lists).....in exchange for the information invites to Illini games, great tailgating....Terranova always ranked White's classes highly in his end of year recap.

1982 Terranova ranked the Illini football recruiting class 10th...led by the ‘JC Earl Campbell’ 5-star back Elton Veals (we know how that one turned out) .....Harbor (Cal.) JC wide receiver David Williams 'could be better than his older brother Oliver now at Illinois'...1981 class Terranova had ranked Oliver Williams the top JC wide receiver in the country........4-star safety Craig Swoope out of Fort Pierce (Fla.).....Staff beat out Notre Dame for two blue chip in-state offensive linemen Jim Juriga and Brian Ward.....first time Illinois had beaten Notre Dame for Chicagoland prospects White era.

1983 Terranova ranked the Illini 6th best recruiting class....blue chip defensive backs out of New Jersey Keith Taylor, African Nigerian Grant....4-star in-state tight end prospect Scott Davis...best JC quarterback in the country Shane Lamb...4-star 'jumbo' defender DeWayne Pugh out of Fork Union (Val.) Military Academy....'top' in-state offensive lineman Mark Dennis out of Washington High School....'mighty mite' 4-star wide receiver out of Montini Catholic Bob Westerkamp yes his son played at Nebraska....Westerkamp never lived up to the hype cause of some bizarre injuries while in Champaign......Terranova loved him some Illini recruiting classes.

1984 coming off a Rose Bowl appearance/Big Ten championship...Terranova ranked White's class number one in the country....writing 'Illini had signed many of the 'top' high school prospects in the state while adding talented JC prospects'....White's staff looking to replace nine starters on defense from the Rose Bowl team went heavy with junior college recruits this class....Terranova over the top concluded, 'Illini signed the best JC defensive class in the country;....After the 1983 season Horton left Illinois to work in the personnel department of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Bucs...opinion around the program as favor to his friend, Terranova gave Illinois/Horton a final salute ranking his last class number one.....remember those days each program had 95 scholarships to give out….no academic progress report to abide….if a player didn't work out find a way to get him off-campus replace next class.

*1984 Fighting Illini top ranked recruiting class player by player...

Todd Avery cornerback Santa Monica (Cal.) Junior College-3-star prospect....two-year starter at cornerback.

Jim Bennett quarterback West Aurora (Ill.) High School-Top in-state QB recruit......Terranova had Bennett rated 3rd best QB prospect behind Raymond Roundtree (Penn State) Rodney Peete (USC) in his rankings.....Bennett proclaimed the next great Illini QB talented but quit the team after the 1985 season never to be seen again...remember talking to White at the Rose Bowl practice 2008 he said about Bennett.....'Jim I don't know...he had more talent than those other guys we thought but I don't think he loved football'...Illini hired his high school coach John Wrenn as a grad assistant 1985 to help coach him up...didn't help...Wrenn left to become head coach at Homewood-Flossmoor (Ill.) after the 1986 season.

Steve Brazas running back Costa Mesa (Cal.) Newport Harbor High School-6-foot-2, 220-pound player of the year in his conference....could play running back or linebacker...lettered in 1984 returned kicks played special teams....homesick left program after one year back to SoCal....high school coach was Mike Giddings Sr......Mike Giddings Jr. an Illini defensive back/holder for Chris White's kicks...Giddings Sr. and White long-time friends from their coaching days on the west coast.

Ed Collins wide receiver Delray Beach (Cal.) Boca Raton High School-3-star prospect...nothing shows that he ever played at Illinois.

Stan Fit wide receiver Chicago De La Salle High School-Four-year letterman special teamer started four games over that period of time at wide receiver.

James Finch linebacker Triton (Ill.) Community College-Originally signed by the Illini class of 1982 out of Indianapolis....didn't qualify placed at Triton....two-year letterman special teamer/reserve linebacker...involved in the infamous 'axe handle' fight got him suspended during the 86' season.

Alec Gibson defensive end Ventura (Cal.) Community College-started 18 games in his two-year career at Illinois.

Ray Hairston defensive end San Bernadino (Cal.) Community College-reserve linebacker/special teamer....three-year letterman.

Randy Hoggard running back Urbana (Ill.) High School-one of the top prep athletes ever out of Urbana...moved to cornerback....injuries ended his career never lettered.

Jeffrey Jackson running back Anderson (Ind.) High School-Illinois signed his high school teammate Ray Wilson in the class of 1983....Wilson helluva good running back at Illinois....Jackson not so much...no record of him ever playing a down in Champaign.

Tucker Jenkins linebacker San Bernadino (Cal.) Community College-Jersey City (N.J.) native started three games in his Illini career at linebacker....two-year letterman.

Jackie Johnson running back Cerritos (Cal.) Community College-2nd team JC All American who was moved to cornerback....lettered in 1985.

Tony Johnson offensive lineman Farmington (Ill.) High School-had to look up Farmington outside of Peoria....3-star prospect picked Illinois over offers from Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin....6-foot-5, 250-pounder never lettered at Illinois.

Keith Jones running back Rock Hill (Mo.) Webster Groves High School-'top prospect' in St Louis per Terranova...4-star back…three-year starter at Illinois all Big Ten mention…NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons.

Shawn Jones defensive tackle Long Beach City College (Cal.)-two-year letterman reserve nose guard....went to San Pedro High School LA’s south bay....San Pedro home of the band the Minutemen/Shipwreck Joey's bar.....one of my all-time favorite movies 'To Live and Die in LA' majority shot in San Pedro/Long Beach docks....opening scene of that movie filmed at the Beverly Hilton 'media' hotel for the 2008 Rose Bowl...can see the room I stayed in at the Hilton as the presidential motorcade arrives…I digress…on with the countdown.

Jay Lynch linebacker Chabot (Cal.) Junior College-reserve linebacker...two-year letterman got suspended from the team after 'reportedly' whacking some frat boy over the head with an axe handle....earlier that Saturday Illinois had gotten beat 69-13 by Michigan.

Jeff Martin linebacker Homewood-Flossmoor (Ill.) High School-Terranova rated Martin a 4-star 'top linebacker in the state'....three-year letterman....maybe 1986 remember Illini football play-by-play guy late Dick Martin getting all excited cause, 'Grabo, it looks like Jeff Martin in there playing guard for the Illini....doing whatever he can to help the team came here as a linebacker'.....who knows with ol' Dick and his spotting but that's what he said.

Mark McGowan offensive line Chicago St. Rita-Terranova had McGowan 4-star 'top offensive lineman in the state'....four-year letterman...three-year starter (guard/tackle)....team captain...All Big Ten pick.

Stephen Pierce wide receiver Southwestern (Cal.) Community College-Two-year letterman....what a game he had vs. Ohio State 1985.

Pat Quigley linebacker Carmel (Ind.) High School-3-star prospect one of those recruits that disappeared....find nothing about him ever playing at Illinois.

Jerry Reese tight end Sacramento (Cal.) Junior College-teamed with Cap Boso to replace Tim Brewster at tight end 1984 season...two-year letterman who played a few games with the New York Giants.

Joe Skubisz offensive lineman Hammond (Ind.) Bishop Noll High School-lived in Lansing, Illinois went to high school in northwest Indiana....two-year letterman...started 12 games at right guard 1988...daughter an All-Big Ten goalkeeper on the Northwestern field hockey team.

Ed Smith defensive line Chicago Robeson High School-4-star prospect 'top rated defensive lineman in the state' per Terranova....committed to Michigan State all fall till at the last minute White/Illinois came in late to 'steal' Smith....IIRC story was Illini coaches going in to pick Smith up early on signing day (before the sun came up) 'stash' him away from the Spartans coaches so they wouldn't talk to him before he signed....gunfire in Smith's hood' while they were driving young man away (not at the Illini coaches).....White hated Michigan State/then head coach George Perles...the 'biting Illini’ nickname Perles' team came up with...constant negative recruiting Spartans did against Illinois with in-state prospects.....1987 fight between the two teams in the tunnel at half in East Lansing......Champaign 1984 Illini beat Spartans 40-7 game over White running across the field pumping his fist yelling, 'fuck yeah fuck yeah fuck yeah' slaps Perles' hand and keeps yelling 'fuck yeah fuck yeah' on his way to the locker room..Smith spent a year at Illinois, went back to Chicago for a year then played a year at Alcorn State...no idea what happened to him after that.

Matt Studtmann linebacker Belleville (Ill.) West High School-6-foot-3, 230-pounder rated a 4-star prospect by Terranova....top linebacker prospect in downstate Illinois....moved to the defensive line after his frosh season....nothing after that.....'top linebacker prospect' reminds of a recruiting story from early 80's....three Chicago area linebacker prospects all visit Notre Dame same weekend....none of the three have a Fighting Irish offer...trio are talking to each other, first says, 'well if they (Notre Dame) don't offer I can go to Illinois, they told me I am their top linebacker recruit'....other linebacker says, 'Illinois told me the same thing'...third linebacker, 'they told me the same thing I am their top linebacker recruit'.....one of the three got an Notre Dame offer committed to the Fighting Irish....other went to Wisconsin, third to Minnesota.....good ol' days of recruiting.

Guy Teafatiller defensive tackle Cerritos (Cal.) Community College-5-star defensive line recruit...First team JC Grid Wire all American...only White JC recruit that had offers from both USC and UCLA....Two-time All Big Ten selection...6th round pick of the Vikings....lived up to the hype on the field but off the field...if you were on-campus/campus town bars during his time in Champaign probably have a Teafatiller story....any trouble in around campus 'big guy with a mustache' involved, CU/campus cops always would pull out the Illini football program, point at Teafatiller asking their witness, 'this the guy?'....urban legend of Teafatiller giving a forearm shiver knocking a parking meter off it’s attached pole....after the 1985 Peach Bowl team gets off the plane in CU few hours later Teafatiller had his Z-28 all loaded up drove back to SoCal that night...Teafatiller quite the character in an era full of 'characters'.

Greg Turner running back Galesburg (Ill.) High School-moved to fullback...three-year letterman.

Shawn Turner linebacker Edwardsville (Ill.) High School-Terranova rated him a 4-star....three-year letterman....in the White doghouse 1987...got a 2nd chance when John Mackovic hired as head coach…..started four games at outside linebacker 1988.

Anthony Williams tight end New Orleans Booker T. Washington High School-4-star recruit...listed at 6-foot-4...Williams was always around when I lived in Champaign and if he was 6-foot-4 I am 2....four-year letterman....two-year starter at tight end.

Reginald Williams cornerback Atlanta Therrel High School-in the Illini newcomers photo that fall…after that? no mention of Williams.

Eric Wycoff running back Pasadena (Cal.) Community College-Went to high school in Virginia before making his way out to Pasadena.....Terranova 4-star the 'next Chuck Muncie'...rated top JC running back on the west coast....of course White coached Muncie at Cal why that comp....Wycoff 6-foot-3, 220-pounds good size like Muncie had but that's about where the comparison ends....two-year letterman backed up Thomas Rooks.....IMDB page says he is a cinematographer in Hollywood.

After Horton left....Rick George took over as Illini recruiting coordinator....Terranova still a 'friend' of the program, always welcome....Illini didn't cater to Terranova as much with George in charge...staff paid more attention to Chicago based recruiting guy Tom Lemming (the original MILF hunter) ....Lemming had become good friends with then Illini assistants Bill Callahan, Kevin Cosgrove when all three were attending high school coaching clinic's in Chicago late 70's....Lemming much more of an 'activist' recruiting guy....Terranova talked to college coaches about recruits...Lemming was on the road talking to high school prospects and always painted Illinois in a positive light.....Way back as in now….Gary Horton understood how to keep a fanbase excited off season with positive recruiting news….Terranova happily scratched that itch for White's program early 80's.

(photo credit 247 sports)