CHAMPAIGN — Lovie Smith opened Monday afternoon's press conference talking about a player who left the program.
The third-year Illinois football coach mentioned the life-threatening head injury suffered Saturday by former Illini Christion Abercrombie.
"We all know that injuries are a big part of our game," Smith said. "But when it touched home like this, it's pretty tough."
Atlanta native Abercrombie, now playing at Tennessee State, was injured in the second quarter against Vanderbilt.
He left the field and collapsed on the sidelines after complaining about a headache.
He was rushed to the nearby Vanderbilt Medical Center, where he underwent emergency brain surgery.