Former Fighting Illini running back Daniel Dufrene has passed away at the age of 29, The News-Gazette confirmed on Tuesday. Dufrene was a member of Illinois’ 2007 Rose Bowl team, and he ran for 1,234 yards during his career (2007-09).
The Fort Lauderdale, FL native originally signed with Vanderbilt out of high school and attended for one semester before transferring to a junior college. He eventually elected to join Illinois over other offers from UCLA and Louisville.
During his first year with the Orange and Blue, Dufrene played in all 13 games as a backup to Rashard Mendenhall.