Walk-on tryout informational meeting set for January 14

Dan · Dec 21, 2012, 06:50 AM

Quote:

University of Illinois students interested in joining the Fighting Illini football team should attend an informational meeting at 2 p.m. on Monday, January 14th, in the squad room, which is located on the lower level of the football complex in the northeast tower of Memorial Stadium. Members of head coach Tim Beckman's staff will provide those in attendance with the materials and information they need to walk on the Illini squad. If you have any questions on the meeting, please contact Coach Mike Bellamy at mbellamy@illinois.edu.

http://www.fightingillini.com/sports...122112aaa.html

GilThorpe · Dec 21, 2012, 07:02 AM

this got me to thinking

who have been some of our walk ons the past 25 years that were real solid contributors to the team on Saturday afternoons?

quhawks12 · Dec 21, 2012, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GilThorpe

this got me to thinking

who have been some of our walk ons the past 25 years that were real solid contributors to the team on Saturday afternoons?

*crickets*

bleed orange · Dec 21, 2012, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quhawks12

*crickets*

I sure hope you can come up with some names. Real programs seem to find them every year. I am a huge believer in it. Bad programs pass by walkons and dont give them fair shake cuz nobody wanted to offer them. Lets face it most walkons are either to slow, cant find the ball, have bodies like animals and just cant play, have ton of speed but fall down. something is missing to play big time football. More than you think guys are overlooked or just poorly recruited and are diamonds. As you know I love this Bonahoom kid and believe he is a major contributor one day. Has too much speed and great ball skills to be buried on depth chart.

My point is that a mark of a good program is that sometimes when a kid gets money to go to a mac or a eastern illinois for example and turns it down to walkon to illinois to follow dream of playing in the big ten those kids must be evaluated hard and given oportunties to shine. Surely once in a while you will find one of those type of kids who end up motivting an entire football team. I am just making that scenario up as an example. Could be a kid from illinois suburbs. Their hearts are enomorous and those kids make plays when it counts. These kids sometimes end up having more heart than a lazy 5 star recruit. Of course we have to recruit great kids who play the game with passion. All I am saying is illini program has long way to go because you just dont hear these stories alot. The draw to come to illinois has to improve. I have felt that way for years.. Illinois kids growing up to play Illini football just is not there. I always wondered how do you improve that instate loyalty and desire. I know the answer its called winning and playing in real bowl games. The state is waiting and the guy who does it and puts program on the map nationally would be a folk hero.

chiefini · Dec 21, 2012, 07:42 AM

Although he was recruited by Zook, I'm pretty sure Derek Dimke was a preferred walk on his freshman year.

quhawks12 · Dec 21, 2012, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefini

Although he was recruited by Zook, I'm pretty sure Derek Dimke was a preferred walk on his freshman year.

Most kickers are.

bleed orange · Dec 21, 2012, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quhawks12

Most kickers are.

Very true.. That is the trend...bring in the best kickers you can find. let them compete and the winner is rewarded. That is the life of a kicker unless you are one of best in country coming out....

AHSIllini32 · Dec 21, 2012, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bleed orange

I sure hope you can come up with some names. Real programs seem to find them every year. I am a huge believer in it. Bad programs pass by walkons and dont give them fair shake cuz nobody wanted to offer them. Lets face it most walkons are either to slow, cant find the ball, have bodies like animals and just cant play, have ton of speed but fall down. something is missing to play big time football. More than you think guys are overlooked or just poorly recruited and are diamonds. As you know I love this Bonahoom kid and believe he is a major contributor one day. Has too much speed and great ball skills to be buried on depth chart.

My point is that a mark of a good program is that sometimes when a kid gets money to go to a mac or a eastern illinois for example and turns it down to walkon to illinois to follow dream of playing in the big ten those kids must be evaluated hard and given oportunties to shine. Surely once in a while you will find one of those type of kids who end up motivting an entire football team. I am just making that scenario up as an example. Could be a kid from illinois suburbs. Their hearts are enomorous and those kids make plays when it counts. These kids sometimes end up having more heart than a lazy 5 star recruit. Of course we have to recruit great kids who play the game with passion. All I am saying is illini program has long way to go because you just dont hear these stories alot. The draw to come to illinois has to improve. I have felt that way for years.. Illinois kids growing up to play Illini football just is not there. I always wondered how do you improve that instate loyalty and desire. I know the answer its called winning and playing in real bowl games. The state is waiting and the guy who does it and puts program on the map nationally would be a folk hero.

The reason we are not a "real program" is more certainly not because we haven't had a walk on make it yet.

It's not like we don't take walk ons. We do. We just haven't had one produce significantly yet. It doesn't really mean one thing or another.

quhawks12 · Dec 21, 2012, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bleed orange

My point is that a mark of a good program is that sometimes when a kid gets money to go to a mac or a eastern illinois for example and turns it down to walkon to illinois to follow dream of playing in the big ten

We have at least one now I think. Austin Abner turned down a couple of D1 offers if i remember correctly?

quhawks12 · Dec 21, 2012, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bleed orange

As you know I love this Bonahoom kid and believe he is a major contributor one day.

Oh we know!

Groundhogday · Dec 21, 2012, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GilThorpe

this got me to thinking

who have been some of our walk ons the past 25 years that were real solid contributors to the team on Saturday afternoons?

Greg Lewis. He didn't even try out for football his freshman year at Illinois, but was starting as a "redshirt" sophomore walk on WR (1999). He was undrafted out of college, but played 8 years in the NFL.

OrangeandBlue33 · Dec 21, 2012, 09:07 AM

Wasn't Howard Griffith a walk-on?

Groundhogday · Dec 21, 2012, 09:25 AM

David Lindquist, a starting DT on the 2007 Rose Bowl team, came to Illinois as a walk on.

CaliforniaIllini · Dec 21, 2012, 09:45 AM

I remember reading an article about how Wisconsin regularly sends walk ons to the NFL

bleed orange · Dec 21, 2012, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AHSIllini32

The reason we are not a "real program" is more certainly not because we haven't had a walk on make it yet.

It's not like we don't take walk ons. We do. We just haven't had one produce significantly yet. It doesn't really mean one thing or another.

The premise behind my post it that its not a real program becasue instate kids who are players dont care if they stay home and play. I am saying that having no walk ons produce is a big sign of the ultimate problem... not having a walk on make it is ridiculous. Sometimes they are passed by becasue we are so busy looking trying to reward a kid who does not derserve it just becasue they were highly recruited coming out. Illini gets blinded by talent and sometimes the talent stirs the ship

AngryOrange · Dec 21, 2012, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Groundhogday

David Lindquist, a starting DT on the 2007 Rose Bowl team, came to Illinois as a walk on.

Josh Norris who was a DT before Lindquist was as well.

bleed orange · Dec 21, 2012, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quhawks12

Oh we know!

so funny... get yourself a bonahoom jersey when he blows up in the media and is a captain in 2015...

bleed orange · Dec 21, 2012, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliforniaIllini

I remember reading an article about how Wisconsin regularly sends walk ons to the NFL

Its a great article... read it. google wisconsin top walkons and you will see it. Its a sign of an established program. Kids would rather walk on at wisconsin then sometimes go free to a smaller school or if unrecruited wisconsin gives them opportunties to be evaluated. wisconsin coaches starting with barry always stated that the W on your helmet gives you an opportunity to play wisconsin football. from walkons to the scholarship athletes. no politics just performance. Illini has not had guts to make changes anywhere especially in 2012.....marshall said it best from the bears. time for people to start to realize that your job is on the line. that is the mentality this team needs. no position is safe no matter whom you are. I believe that is how 2012 should have began....certain players were annointed for past perfomance. hopefully those days are over or we will struggle in big ten for the fourth year in a row.

bleed orange · Dec 21, 2012, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Groundhogday

David Lindquist, a starting DT on the 2007 Rose Bowl team, came to Illinois as a walk on.

great example. kid played with courage..

AHSIllini32 · Dec 21, 2012, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bleed orange

The premise behind my post it that its not a real program becasue instate kids who are players dont care if they stay home and play. I am saying that having no walk ons produce is a big sign of the ultimate problem... not having a walk on make it is ridiculous. Sometimes they are passed by becasue we are so busy looking trying to reward a kid who does not derserve it just becasue they were highly recruited coming out. Illini gets blinded by talent and sometimes the talent stirs the ship

No, it isn't for reasons already discussed.

bleed orange · Dec 21, 2012, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AHSIllini32

No, it isn't for reasons already discussed.

Well I disagree for reasons already discussed....When you have walk ons emerging and coaches calling from all over the county to get their player prefered or walk on in general its a sign a place kids want to be.

champaignchris · Dec 21, 2012, 11:03 AM

Wasn't Johnny Johnson a walk-on?

quhawks12 · Dec 21, 2012, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bleed orange

Well I disagree for reasons already discussed....When you have walk ons emerging and coaches calling from all over the county to get their player prefered or walk on in general its a sign a place kids want to be.

That happens now. Here. A lot.

quhawks12 · Dec 21, 2012, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bleed orange

so funny... get yourself a bonahoom jersey when he blows up in the media and is a captain in 2015...

I told you I am rooting like hell for him! We need a WR to step up. So, I will wear that jersey when he does...happily! And I'll post a picture too! I might do it anyway if we just start winning games!

Paignt It Orange · Dec 21, 2012, 07:31 PM

Wasn't Zach Becker a walk on? Before his injuries, he was pretty solid.

Dec 21, 2012, 07:42 AM	#5
chiefini Location: Rockford, Illinois Posts: 382	Although he was recruited by Zook, I'm pretty sure Derek Dimke was a preferred walk on his freshman year. __________________ ‎"There is an uncommon spirit known only by those who call themselves Illini...It is a dignified spirit portrayed by the Chief. It is a spirit of orange and blue blood and of the young and the old. Once it enters your veins, you will never be the same again." Illini Spirit William Branom, '54 (1932-2012)

Dec 21, 2012, 09:25 AM	#13
Groundhogday Posts: 18,074	David Lindquist, a starting DT on the 2007 Rose Bowl team, came to Illinois as a walk on. __________________ ONLY ORANGE!

Dec 21, 2012, 07:31 PM	#25
Paignt It Orange Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 1,202	Wasn't Zach Becker a walk on? Before his injuries, he was pretty solid. __________________ CHIEF

Dec 21, 2012, 07:02 AM	#2
GilThorpe Location: Hinsdale Posts: 854	this got me to thinking who have been some of our walk ons the past 25 years that were real solid contributors to the team on Saturday afternoons?

Dec 21, 2012, 09:07 AM	#12
OrangeandBlue33 Posts: 18	Wasn't Howard Griffith a walk-on?

Dec 21, 2012, 09:45 AM	#14
CaliforniaIllini Posts: 166	I remember reading an article about how Wisconsin regularly sends walk ons to the NFL

Dec 21, 2012, 11:03 AM	#22
champaignchris Posts: 170	Wasn't Johnny Johnson a walk-on?