What a cruel trick the football gods played on seldom rewarded Illinois football fans. Along came this lightly recruited adonis from the Chicago suburbs with spring-loaded legs and quickness to burn - and then, poof. After a 1,000 yard freshman All-American season his magic was taken from us in back-to-back springs.
Mike Dudek, you deserve a healthy season as much as Illini fans deserve to watch you again on Saturdays.
During Dudek’s breakout freshman year he caught 76 passes for 1,038 yards and six touchdowns. What heights did those numbers project to in Illini fans dreams?