CHAMPAIGN — The Head & Shoulders commercial is wrong. Luke Butkus has a second chance to make a first impression.
A star center on the 2001 Big Ten championship team at Illinois, Butkus spent the 2012 season as Tim Beckman’s offensive line coach. He returned to the NFL in 2013, working for Jacksonville. Butkus always hoped he would get a second chance at his old school.
“In this profession, you’re all over the place,” Butkus said. “I’ve lived from Eugene, Oregon, to Jacksonville, Florida.”
When Lovie Smith took over at Illinois, one of his first calls was to Butkus.