CHAMPAIGN — Rod Smith had plenty of reasons to want Verdis Brown to make the switch from defensive tackle to offensive line.
The Illini offensive line has had depth problems for several years and this upcoming season was going to be no different. There's also the matter of Brown being an absolute mauler at 6-foot-4 and 325 pounds. And don't forget the Chicago native was recruited by a multitude of high-major programs as a consensus four-star offensive lineman.
So Smith, Illinois' second-year offensive coordinator, stayed in Brown's ear.
"He's an o-lineman at heart is what he is," Smith said.