In college football, the term "true-freshman" is often used to describe a player who, just one year removed from high school, is given the opportunity to play a limited role on the field. In somewhat of a rare case, a true-freshman is actually awarded a starting position. Rarer yet is the occasion when multiple true-freshmen find themselves garnering starting jobs on the same team, but that is exactly what has happened for the young 2006 Illini football team.

As this year has progressed, four different Illini freshmen have made an immediate impact on the team by quickly climbing to the peak of the depth chart at their respective positions. In week one, tight end Jeff Cumberland, cornerback Vontae Davis and punter Kyle Yelton each earned starting jobs. Three weeks later, quarterback Juice Williams joined them in the starting lineup against Iowa, making up a formidable quartet of Illini true freshmen who hope to become a dominant force in the Big Ten over the next three years.

The potential for immediate playing time has been one characteristic of the Illinois program which many recruits have found attractive in recent years. This factor played a big role in Cumberland's decision to join the Illini.

"It was something I was looking forward to because I could get a lot of reps in my freshman year, so down the road, I'll be more used to the speed and strength of everybody else," Cumberland explained. "Going somewhere else and just sitting there and watching doesn't really tell you how it actually is because practice is a totally different speed than the game."

Juice Williams

Juice Williams echoed those sentiments.

"Being able to play early was a part of my recruiting decision," Williams said. "I wanted to go to a place where I could get out there on the field and get some experience. You can't get any experience from sitting and watching the game. You can do that at home."

Though these Illini have now been welcomed into the starting ranks, nothing was promised during their recruitments. Almost immediately after arriving on campus they each learned that earning the top position would require more effort than they had ever found necessary in the past.

"In high school you'd go to practice two hours a day then have the game on the weekend, and then you'd go about your business," Cumberland said. "In college, football takes up your entire day."

Kyle Yelton expanded on this, describing the intensity he has found necessary to maintain peak performance as a Division I punter.

"I thought in high school I had a great work ethic, but I came here and saw that the workout I thought was awesome was nothing compared to some of the time these guys put in," Yelton said. "I have to keep working and that's what the coaches tell me every day--to keep working hard--and that's what I've been doing."

Striving to improve and remove all obstacles seems to be a theme among these four Illini. As Davis described, shedding sweat today is going to pay dividends down the road.

"Every day in practice, I try to improve because practicing now is going to make me better down the road."

Down the road may not be as far away as some people think. These freshmen have already begun to take great strides. Yelton mentioned that he has managed to forget a couple of poor punts from the earlier part of the season, remarking that he wished he knew then what he knows now. Davis added that the game is starting to slow down, allowing him to begin reading receivers more rapidly, often before the ball is even snapped.

Along with the inner desire of these Illini to continue improving and with constant drive from the coaching staff are the older Illini who have also served an integral role in guiding their younger teammates on the path to success. Each of the freshmen mentioned the impact the older members of the squad have had on their quick entrance into the starting lineup.

Vontae Davis

"When I make a mistake, the older guys tell me what to do to fix it, and as far as working out, they used to push me because they knew I had the potential to play," said Vontae Davis. "I knew I could play, but they really saw the potential in me, always telling me to do this and to do that."

Davis, whose older brother, Vernon, is in his first year with the San Francisco 49ers after being selected sixth in this past year's NFL draft, finds himself in a unique situation. Not only does he receive uplifting advice from his fellow teammates, but also from a big brother who just happens to play in the NFL.

"He talks to me and tells me little stuff," explained Davis. "He says when you work out do it to your fullest and your best because it's going to pay off in the long run."

While the 16 true freshmen who have logged minutes this year often dream about the long run, they are always brought back to the present when mounting school work begins to overwhelm them. Football is just one aspect of their lives these young men have had to alter since entering the university. The ideas of leaving home, caring for one's self, and engaging in college-level academic work were all new and quite daunting just a few months ago.

Jeff Cumberland

Cumberland, a native of Columbus, Ohio, and Davis, who hails from Washington, D.C., each have traversed great distances to reach the Urbana-Champaign campus. Fortunately, each of these players claims to be warding off the feelings of homesickness, but still obstacles must be tackled. As Davis notes, "coming from so far away from home has been a new experience and has helped me to grow up as a young man being on my own." Cumberland, meanwhile had no problem adjusting to his new surroundings.

"Everything's coming along," he said. "This feels like home to me. I have a new family with the football team."

With that said, the academic course load required at a top tier university is difficult even for non-athletes. Therefore, time management has become a golden virtue for athletes attempting to juggle football with school in a successful fashion. Fortunately, Illinois' first-class academic support system is always available to student-athletes.

"I'm starting to pick up the academic work," said Williams. "We have a lot of help, and mandatory study hall pretty much ensures you get your work done and forces you to learn."

Kyle Yelton, who arrived on campus last January after graduating high school early, had a slight advantage over the rest of the freshmen. Moving in a full semester ahead of everybody else and immediately enrolling as a full-time college student allowed him to become acclimated well before the rest of his teammates. Jumping into college life in the middle of the year was beneficial not solely to his academic studies, but also in football.

Kyle Yelton

"I had the option of coming in early in the spring, and that helped me out so I could be ready for the season in the fall," said Yelton.

Living on campus for the spring, 2006 semester also allowed Yelton to build a bond with former Illini and current New Orleans Saints rookie punter Steve Weatherford. As Yelton explained, learning from a "legend" was an invaluable experience which continues on into the present. The two Indiana natives continue to speak on a regular basis, and Weatherford often instructs his younger protégé on what to expect each Saturday.

After competing in nine games for the Illini, the freshmen have developed a good feel for the differences between collegiate football and their previous experience in high school.

"The main difference is the game speed, the size, the strength, the mentality, and the knowledge of the players," Williams said. "They know what they're doing. Cumberland agreed, noting that college players are generally "bigger, faster and stronger."