PMP 2024: Best Illini Football Players From St. Louis

See, now THIS PERSON knows how to ask a PMP question. "Hey Robert, guy who grew up in the Metro East and then lived in St. Louis for 24 years after college - who are the best players on your favorite football team from your favorite city?" Yes, please.

Actually, I should give you his exact words since this is a Pick My Post:

Who are the top 10 greatest Illini FB players from the St. Louis area?

~Thomas B.

It's important that I link his exact words because his question was "greatest", not "favorite." And that's important. I certainly have some favorites, but this specific question was "greatest."

I'm going to restrict this to my fandom, so 1983 to today. And the '80's are a little fuzzy because I didn't turn 18 until 1990. Also, I'm including all of metro St. Louis (including the Metro East). As you've heard me say (read me type?) one hundred times, the 700,000 people in the Metro East – many of them closer to the arch than someone in the west suburbs – are not only part of the St. Louis area, they're the single most dedicated concentration of Illini fans outside of greater Champaign. So players from the Metro East need to be on here.

And yes, I spoiled #1 with the photo. But anyone who knows anything about me is going to know that #1 will be Dana Howard. When a player from the Metro East attends school at the same time as you and they win the award for best college linebacker, and award named after the greatest college linebacker in history who also played at Illinois, there is a 100.0% chance that they will be #1 on my list.

Let me tell you, this was difficult. I made myself a list of the best 20-or-so and then whittled it down to 10. That whittling was really hard. I feel like I should only have one Davis fullback so is it Carey Davis or Jason Davis? Keith Randolph is St. Louis area but would I really put him on at the cost of taking someone like Michael Young off? Christian Morton and Tony Adams both played a ton of snaps in the defensive backfield and then played in the NFL - which of those two would be "better?"

OK, here we go. From 10 to 1.

10. Carey Davis (Hazelwood Central)

This really was a decision between Carey Davis and Jason Davis (both fullbacks from the St. Louis area, both playing for Ron Turner, and both the same "great hands for a big tailback" player). I went with Carey because A) he was a 1,000-yard rusher for his career and B) he's #4 on the all-time receptions by tailbacks list (behind Josh Ferguson, Ty Douthard, and Keith Jones).

9. Tony Adams (St. Louis University High)

My 9-10-11-12 here were the two Davises, Tony Adams, and Christian Morton. So this one was a competition between Adams and Morton. Adams played a ton of snaps in his five seasons AND he had maybe the biggest Illini interception in the last 15 years (to set up the game-winning field goal to beat #6 Wisconsin) so I'm using recency bias to pick Adams.

8. Michael Young (Hazelwood East)

Michael Young started 42 games his four seasons (and then played four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals). He was a classmate of Josh Whitman so he probably gets forgotten a bit because the 1997 and 1998 seasons were so bad (as Turner was starting over and playing a bunch of true freshmen). But Young was a really solid outside linebacker for us. Absolutely needs to be on this list.

7. Matt Sinclair (St. Louis University High)

Another player who gets punished (recollection-wise) by the bad teams he was on. But he was our leading tackler in 2003 and 2004 (and he also led the team in sacks both of those years). He then went on to play in the NFL for four years (Miami and Washington). Put him at middle linebacker for the 2001 team and he'd have had a billion tackles.

6. Terry Hawthorne (East St. Louis)

Sixth feels too low here but that's where I have him. Started as a true freshman (and had that insane run-down tackle to flip the Michigan game) in 2009. Finally got the chance to return punts in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl and showed what he could do (as well as grabbing a pick-six in that game to be voted MVP). One of the fastest Illini players ever.

5. Jason Dulick (St. Louis University High)

He'll forever be listed on every "underrated Illini" list. When Isaiah Williams moved to #2 on the all-time receptions list last fall (behind David Williams), do you remember who he passed? Jason Dulick. Everyone always thinks the guys behind David Williams would be Brandon Lloyd and AJ Jenkins but they're 5th and 6th (with Josh Ferguson 4th). The top three pass-catchers in Illini history: David Williams, Isaiah Williams, and Jason Dulick.

4. Isaiah Williams (Trinity Catholic)

Hey, did you know that he was the #2 pass-catcher in Illini history? You did? How did you know that? Oh, I told you ten seconds ago.

I don't think I really need to write a blurb for One. He came in as a 5-star recruit and then proved it by catching 214 passes.

3. Thomas Rooks (Lutheran North)

Yes, Taylor Rooks' dad could ball. I should be linking some YouTube videos here so let me go find Rooks' run in the 1983 Ohio State game so we can all watch it again.

"Robert, why do you always act like the crazy Netherlands crowds at European soccer competitions could somehow happen in Memorial Stadium?"

Because it happened before.

2. Henry Jones (St. Louis University High)

This is the perfect "you kids have no idea how good he was" player. Not only was he a great safety on those super-talented late-80's Illini teams, he was then a first-round draft pick for the Buffalo Bills and stayed with them for ten years (including three of their four Super Bowl appearances). He played two more years for the Vikings and Falcons before retiring.

1. Dana Howard (East St. Louis)

Two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Won the Butkus Award in 1994. Elected to the College Football Hall Of Fame. The leading tackler in Big Ten history. #1 on the Illini all-time tackles list with 595 and the next-closest guy has 501 so it's a record that might not ever be broken. Guaranteed victory in 1994 at Ohio State and then backed it up with 14 tackles and an interception in the end zone.

He's on every "top 10 Ilini" list and he's clearly #1 on this St. Louis area list. What a monster.

I'm gonna go search for old games online just to watch him dominate again.