CHAMPAIGN — Josh Whitman strode across the grass practice fields on the east side of Memorial Stadium looking like he could still play football.
The 38-year-old Illinois athletic director, sporting orange shorts and a navy blue Illinois T-shirt featuring an Illinois shield logo, spoke to Lovie Smith’s team near the end of Thursday afternoon’s first workout under the coach he hired in early March.
What was the main message delivered by Whitman, a former Illinois tight end under Ron Turner?
“Just reminiscing a little bit,” Smith said, “and let them know what it feels like to wear the colors, what’s expected from the alumni and what they want to see from their football team.