In a perfect world, Mikey Dudek would trot onto the Memorial Stadium turf today with a chance for his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season.
That's where the Illinois receiver was headed in 2014, when he burst into college football with 76 catches for 1,038 yards and six touchdowns. A freshman All-American.
More important to Dudek, his team won, taking its last two games to earn a bowl bid.
But football doesn't always go as planned. Three knee injuries and two surgeries limited his playing time.
After two years on the sidelines, Dudek caught 24 passes in 2017.