“You take out 21 points on three plays and we’re in this football game.”

Hugh Thornton turns 33, Illini football pick up another Florida commitment...

*’We have a birthday tonight here at Happy Joe’s’…

-Former Illini offensive lineman Hugh Thornton turned 33 last week...time flies...remember spring 2008...then offensive line coach Eric Wolford letting me know, 'hey I found this kid in Ohio....he is going to be an NFL lineman...don't want anyone to know about him'....me, 'name?'...Wolford, 'keep it a secret, Hugh Thornton Oberlin High School'...course looked him up...was in all the on-line recruiting databases/had PAC-12 offers....told the Illini assistant, 'your secret is out'....his response...’F#&*’.’

Thornton back story...twelve years old sound asleep when his mother/sister murdered in their house by the mother's ex-boyfriend....went to live with his father in Idaho...won a wrestling state championship there...didn't get along with the dad....moved in with an aunt his mother's Ohio hometown senior year of high school....how Wolford found him when recruiting the Buckeye state...already had offers from Washington State, Idaho, and Oregon State when he arrived....wasn't a 'secret'.

Wolford got an early commitment from Thornton beating out Michigan State....then Spartans assistant Pat Narduzzi/head coach Mark Dantonio both reportedly told Thornton over and over, 'guys from Ohio never do well at Illinois'....didn't work...Wolford leaves for South Carolina after 08' season....Zook and staff convince the three-star to stay true to his commitment.

6-foot-3, 310-pounds.….mean fucker with a wrestling background and guys would still want to fight him in CU bars......starts a few games as a true freshman 2008...four-year letterman starting at both guard/tackle...All-Big Ten mention....came to Illinois with quite the temper which landed him in trouble a few times....stories....disliked new head coach Tim Beckman so much...teammates had to hide his car keys to make sure he didn't take off in the middle of the night back to Ohio....after a frustrating loss….next week’s first practice....Beckman 'demotes’ offensive line coach Luke Butkus…..head coach was going to coach the position that week...lasted one practice...head coach Thornton got into it verbally...Beckman decided next day to let Butkus coach the position again.

Head coach purportedly trashed Thornton to NFL scouts when draft came around (Didn’t buy in/temper/can’t trust him)....Joe Gilbert had coached Hugh first three years with the Illini....Gilbert then Indianapolis Colts o-line coach called 'bullshit' on what Beckman reportedly said....Indy took Thornton third round 2013 draft.....played with the Colts 2013-2016 bounced around different teams till 2022....never could get healthy...my opinion surgeries he had playing for the Illini...never done properly...plagued him whole career.

Knew Hugh from the beginning of his recruitment...always liked him....quiet kid that once he got temper under control flourished till his run-in's with 'Tiny' Tim Beckman...glad he was able to make some money playing in the NFL.

Do I rip/mock Beckman every chance I get? Yep…you don’t treat people like he treated people when he took over at Illinois…guy was/is a fuckin’ asshole…knew most of the older players on team after Zook fired….new head coach treated them all like they were ‘the problem’…’going to clean it all up’ with his mind games/’discipline’…..head coach was the ‘problem’….parents of many of those players calling the former head coach and his wife in desperation, ‘how do I get my kid out of here?’

*Illini pick up another 2025 Florida commitment...

Jershaun Newton athlete Clearwater (Fla.) Central Catholic High School-'Little' brother of Illini great Johnny Newton committed to Bret Bielema's program Fourth of July….listed at 6-foot, 190-pounds on film looks that size....plays quarterback and pass rushing defensive end/linebacker at Central Catholic...recruited as an athlete...can play slot receiver/running back/weakside linebacker or safety in college...staff told Newton they would give him a shot at quarterback...great....in the end see him as an Isaiah Williams type of player better with the ball after catch than Chandler WR who de-committed from Illinois/chose Indiana instead....Newton one of my top three recruits so far class of 2025.

*Random thoughts...

-Joliet’s class of 2025 four-star point guard Jeremy Fears last week 'de-committed' from Brad Underwood's Fighting Illini.....'spin' all over the place on why...'wanted to re-classify like Will Riley did with Illinois but staff didn't think he was ready to do that'....don’t know if that’s true it’s a valid point about not being ready at least physically…..'admissions didn't accept him'...old stand by of course those fuckin' admissions people...reality?...Fears a good player... difference maker?  Nope...always want to keep the top players in state no doubt...with the transfer portal now...you can find prospects like Fears every year looking for a new place to play…my two cents.

Off the beaten path…..Fears recruitment great example of 'media/website' types that carry the water of parents of recruits/players....learned my lesson about that years ago...yes you want the 'scoop' to feed your addicted subscribers/readers...such a slippery slope cause parents have their own agenda when feeding info. to ‘reporters’...leads down a road..…..that usually ends up messy for all involved.

-New rule in college football this fall...two-minute warning timeout like the NFL twice a game...hey two time-out’s Illini won't be able to screw up..….again no one in the ‘media’ will drill down asking head coach/staff what they did this off-season to improve as coaches?….after 2023….‘coaching/game sideline decisions’ my biggest concern heading into 2024 season.

-Sportsline WDWS radio Champaign recently discussed 'Last six months Texas A&M talking to the Big Ten about moving to the conference'....A&M's baseball team loses in the final of the College World Series, next day the Aggies head coach leaves College Station to take the University of Texas head coaching job...you know A&M can't get out of the SEC fast enough with the Longhorns joining the SEC/getting their coach ‘stolen’ after a successful season by those cowardly UT types.

Ironic if A&M leaves for the Big Ten….Early 90's B1G commish Jim Delany brought Penn State into the conference...mutual interest in University of Texas coming in at the same time to form a 'super conference'...'Easier to get to Austin than Happy Valley for Big Ten schools' part of the rationale…..in the end Longhorns decided they would rather 'dominate' the Big 12 than compete in football with Ohio State/Michigan/Penn State....that was back when Joe Paterno’s program was regarded as a 'national power'.

Speaking of ‘getting to Happy Valley’…help me out here…was it 1993 when Lou Tepper had team fly into Pittsburgh take the train to Happy Valley? Seem to remember something like that happening….Illini lost to the Nittany Lions 28-14 that season.

-Terrance Shannon Jr. first round pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves...Meyers Leonard 2012 last Illini 1st rounder.... will give AD Josh Whitman/DIA credit...they had their information ready to go when Shannon charged...knew he would get back sooner than later cause night Whitman made his public comments about the young man/arrest (still shocked by AD going in front of the media)....school/athletic department knew what was going on....don't always give them credit but in this case….handled the issue in a timely/professional manner….vindicated in the end.