Happy 56th birthday to two-time letter-winning Illini receiver Kirby Wilson.
Recruited to Champaign-Urbana by coach Mike White from Pasadena Community College, Wilson made a huge impact at Illinois in 1981.
Not only did he catch 18 passes for 247 yards, his 20.2-yards-per-kickoff-return average ranked third best in Illini history. As a senior in 1982, Wilson caught 16 passes, including one that scored a touchdown, and he repeated as Illinois' most effective kickoff and punt returner.
He played two seasons in the Canadian Football League as a defensive back and kick returner for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1983) and Toronto Argonauts (1984), then began his coaching career at Pasadena C.