He looks like he could still go out and make 10 tackles in a game. But the new Illinois defensive coordinator is far removed from his playing days, having retired from the NFL after a 16-year career in 2002. Illinois is the first college coaching gig for the 50-year-old. Sports editor MATT DANIELS chatted with Nickerson about, among other topics, how he landed at Illinois, how he’ll recruit and how long he’s known Lovie Smith:
What was the big draw in coming here?
The opportunity to coach under Coach Smith, I think, was one of the biggest things, and the opportunity to be a defensive coordinator also played a huge role.