Illinois will honor the 1983 Big Ten champs Saturday night during the season opener, and former defensive lineman Don Thorp will be the honorary captain.
The program announced the plans for Thorp on Friday. He played for the Illini from 1980-83 and was the captain of the ‘83 team that went to the Rose Bowl.
According to FightingIllini.com, Thorp finished his Illini career as the program’s all-time leader in tackles for loss (40). A native of Buffalo Grove (like me!), Thorp played 14 games in his NFL career.