CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Chambana Today) — All-time Illini great Howard Griffith will serve as the No. 23 Illinois football team’s honorary captain against #21 USC on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on FOX.
Griffith was a three-year starter for Illinois and captain and MVP of the 1990 Big Ten co-championship team. He is Illinois’ career record holder for rushing touchdowns with 31 and set the NCAA’s single-game record for rushing touchdowns with eight against Southern Illinois on September 22, 1990.
After his collegiate career, Griffith was a ninth-round pick in the 1991 NFL Draft before going on to an NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams, Carolina Panthers, and Denver Broncos. He was a standout player for the two-time Super Bowl champion Broncos, scoring two touchdowns in Super Bowl XXXIII against Atlanta.
Griffith previously served as an analyst for the Illini Radio Network before moving to Big Ten Network in 2007. He appears on Big Ten Network’s studio shows throughout the football season.