Aug. 1, 2008

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics officials announced Friday that Fighting Illini great Don Thorp will return to Champaign-Urbana for the Illinois Renaissance Celebration Game against Eastern Illinois on Sept. 6. Thorp joins a long list of legendary Illinois players who will be on hand for the 2008 home opener, when fans will get their first look at the newly finished stadium.

"I'm looking forward to coming back for the Sept. 6 football game," Thorp said. "It's a great, exciting football program at Illinois that is fun to watch, and I'm looking forward to coming back and renewing some of my old football relationships that I had back in the '80s."

Thorp was selected as one of the 10 greatest defensive linemen in Memorial Stadium history as released by the DIA on June 6. A large number of the Fighting Illini greats already have indicated they will be returning to campus for the event and their names will be revealed as the game draws near.

Thorp earned first-team All-America honors in 1983 as he keyed the Illini defense on the way to the 1984 Rose Bowl. He also was awarded the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player in 1983 and was Illinois' Dike Eddleman Athlete of the Year following that campaign.

Thorp was named to Illinois' All-Century team in 1990 and broke the school record for career tackles for loss with 40. He currently stands fourth on that list and his 1983 season with 18 TFLs ranks as the eighth-best in school history. He led the team in TFLs from 1981-83 and also led the Illini with six sacks in 1983.

The Illinois Renaissance Celebration will be highlighted by the return of a multitude of former Fighting Illini players, with the list of 10 Greatest Illini in Memorial Stadium history at each position being honored during eight breaks throughout the game. The current team also will honor past greats by donning throwback uniforms modeled in the style of the Butkus era. Illinois will take on Eastern Illinois Sept. 6 at 11 a.m. The game will be nationally televised by the Big Ten Network.