Sunday would have been former Illini receiver Darryl Usher’s 50th birthday. He died on Feb. 24, 1990, in a double homicide in Phoenix at age 26. Recruited by coach Mike White to the University of Illinois in 1983 from San Mateo, Calif., the 5-foot-8, 168-pound speed burner starred in football and on the track team. Usher played sparingly on the UI’s ’83 Big Ten champs, but his strong work ethic helped him attain second-team All-Big Ten honors as a senior in 1987. That season, he led the Illini in receiving (43 catches for 723 yards and four touchdowns), kickoff returns (15 for 445 yards, 29.
Illini Legends, Lists and Lore: Happy birthday, Mike White!
