CHAMPAIGN — Two summers ago, Carroll Phillips proclaimed he wanted to shatter the single-season sacks record established by former Illinois greats Whitney Mercilus and Simeon Rice.
“My goal is to beat Simeon’s record,” Phillips said at the time. “I’m already striving to get that.”
The defensive end, who just wrapped up his third and final season with the Illini, didn’t reach the desired 16 sacks Mercilus compiled in 2011 and Rice did in 1994.
But the nine sacks Phillips had this season are the most since Mercilus had his breakout season five years ago, and on Tuesday, Phillips joined Rice and Mercilus in another exclusive company: first-team All-Big Ten selection.