URBANA — He still looks like he can play. Maybe not at cornerback, but at safety. Or as a really fast linebacker.
Back in the day — not very long ago — Terry Hawthorne was a cover corner at Illinois. Good enough to be drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Good enough to beat UCLA in the 2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl with a backbreaking pick six.
In the last 30 years of Illinois bowls (12 games) Hawthorne's play stands out as the most dramatic. His team was losing. He went to work. His team won.
Pretty basic stuff.