Senior Bowl Website | Rosters
Fighting Illini pass rushers Carroll Phillips and Dawuane Smoot will represent the Fighting Illini in the 68th edition of the Reese's Senior Bowl on Saturday. The game will be played on Jan. 28 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. Both players will suit up for the North roster, coached by the Chicago Bears head coach John Fox and the Bears coaching staff. While both Phillips and Smoot played defensive end for the Illini in 2016, they're both practicing as rush linebackers at the Senior Bowl.
DE/LB Carroll Phillips » Phillips, measuring 6-3, 240, had a monster senior season, earning first team All-Big Ten honors, the first Illini to do so since 2011, after racking up 56 tackles, 20.0 TFLs, 9.0 sacks, 3 QB hurries, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery. He ranked sixth in FBS in TFLs per game (1.7) and his 20.0 TFLs tied for the fifth-most in a season in Illinois history.
DE/LB Dawuane Smoot » Smoot, a 6-3, 255-pound defensive end for the Illini, posted 56 tackles, 15.0 TFLs, 5.0 sacks, 10 QB hurries, one PBU, two forced fumbles in 2016 to earn third-team All-Big Ten honors. He finished his UI career ranked sixth in program history in career TFLs (38.5) and eighth in career sacks (16.5).
Two Illini played in last year's senior bowl – DL Jihad Ward (currently with the Raiders) and WR Geronimo Allison (currently with the Packers). In addition, three Illini took part in last week's East West Shrine Game – QB Wes Lunt, LB Hardy Nickerson and DT Chunky Clements (Clements was injured and didn't play in the game).
