FOOTBALL • 1991-94

Dana Howard finished his Fighting Illini career as the Big Ten’s all-time leader in tackles with 595 stops from 1991-94. He earned consensus First-Team All-America honors and was named the Butkus Award winner in 1994, becoming the first Illini football player to win a major national award. Howard also earned several first-team All-America mentions in 1993, and was first-team All-Big Ten three times after earning second-team honors as a freshman in 1991. He was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in both 1993 and 1994. A model of consistency, Howard made 147 tackles in 1991, 150 in 1992 and 1994 and 148 stops in 1993. He holds the top two spots, and three of the top four, in single-game solo tackles at Illinois. A fifth-round NFL Draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys, Howard played with the St. Louis Rams in 1995 and spent one seasons with the Chicago Bears in 1996. Howard will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018. A native of East St. Louis, Illinois, he currently owns a construction company in the St. Louis Metro East area.