They are two significant moments in Illinois athletics history — on completely opposite ends of the emotional spectrum.
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By James Boyd Decatur (Ill.) Herald & Review
A few years ago, while I was a student at Illinois, I was also an official for intramural sports. It was a fun job and an easy way to make money, but perhaps one of the funniest memories I have — which I was reminded of unfortunately because of Roundtree’s untimely death — is how he tried to sneak into a game.
There aren’t that many rules for intramural sports at Illinois, but one is that Illini athletes can’t play the same (or similar) sports in which they participate for the university. And despite being 6 feet 5 and 245 pounds, Roundtree really tried to convince me and my coworkers that he wasn’t on the football team, even though he was donning Illinois gear from head to toe.
It was a hilarious moment because when I told him he couldn’t play, he broke out in this sheepish smile and laugh as if he knew how unfair it would be. I mean, could you imagine Roundtree in a flag football game? Of course it’s a noncontact sport, so there’s no tackling, but there also isn’t much of an offensive line either because players aren’t allowed to use their hands to block.
However, I feel pretty confident in saying that Roundtree has an undeniable legacy, too, that Illini fans will cherish long after his death. That smile and laugh are permanent reminders that regardless of what he did on any field, Roundtree was larger than life.
And just as I shared my memory, I’m sure there are countless others who have done — and will continue to do — the same.