Betsy Barringer was working in her yard, covered in mud, when a car pulled up to her Savoy home.
Out popped a familiar face. One she had rooted for back in the day. Or, back in the Dee, to be more precise.
Dee Brown, special assistant to Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas, stopped for a 10-minute chat with the longtime Illinois fan.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Barringer said. “Surprise isn’t the word for it. I was amazed, astounded. It was fun. We just talked, and it was great.”
Barringer’s been telling everybody she knows about the impromptu visit.