ESPN College Football

Howard was the first of several Illinois defensive superstars during an incredible stretch in the early to mid-1990s and was a first-team All-American in 1993 and '94.

He became the first Illinois player to win the Butkus Award -- named after former Illini star Dick Butkus -- as the nation's top linebacker, while teammate Kevin Hardy claimed it the next year. Howard set a Big Ten record with 595 career tackles, eclipsing 100 stops in all four seasons.

A fifth-round pick in the 1995 NFL draft, Howard couldn't match his collegiate production in the pros. He appeared in just 19 games with two teams.

-- Adam Rittenberg