CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Chambana Today) — Former U of I football player and All-American Devon Witherspoon was selected to his third-straight Pro Bowl, as announced by the NFL on Tuesday. Witherspoon joined Dick Butkus as the only Illini in program history to earn Pro Bowl selections in each of their first three years in the NFL.
Witherspoon is the seventh Illini in program history to make three or more Pro Bowls in their NFL careers. He is the first Illini to earn three selections since Simeon Rice in 1999, 2002, and 2003.
The Seattle Seahawks player is just the fourth player in franchise history to be named a Pro Bowler in each of his first three seasons. This season, Witherspoon has 64 tackles, six passes defended, one interception, one fumble recovery, half a sack, two tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits.
“He’s part of the engine that makes the whole thing go. He’s probably the sparkplug behind the whole thing,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said.
Most Pro Bowls among former Illini
8 Dick Butkus, LB Chicago Bears (1965-72)
5 Abe Woodson, DB, San Francisco 49ers (1959-63)
4 Bill Brown, FB, Minnesota Vikings (1964-65, 67-68)
4 Ernie McMillen, RT, St. Louis Cardinals (1965, 67, 69, 70)
4 Bobby Mitchell, WR, Washington Redskins (1960, 62-64)
3 Simeon Rice, DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Arizona Cardinals (1999, 2002-03)
3 Devon Witherspoon, CB, Seattle Seahawks (2023-25)