Sept. 11, 2014

James "J.C." Caroline - RB 1953-1954

Illini Football has produced a stable of running backs throughout history. More recent stars such as Rashard Mendenhall and Mikel Leshoure understood the legacy and wanted to continue the legacy established by former tailbacks like J.C. Caroline. Considered one of the best running backs in Illinois history, Caroline was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980. Caroline led the nation in rushing with 1,256 yards in 1953 as a sophomore, breaking the Big Ten rushing yardage record. Caroline was a consensus All-American in 1953 after he led the Illini to an undefeated 7-0-1 record, a No. 7 national ranking and Big Ten Co-Championship. He finished seventh in the 1953 Heisman Trophy voting.

In 1955, Caroline initially signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League but joined the Montreal Alouettes later that season, helping Montreal to the Grey Cup game (CFL Championship Game) after rushing for 575 yards on the season. In 1956, Caroline was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round. Caroline went to play 10 years for the Bears mainly as a defensive back. Playing running back and defensive back, he finished his career with 24 interceptions and six total touchdowns.

After his pro football career with the Bears ended in 1965, Caroline returned to Champaign and served as an assistant coach for the Fighting Illini for 10 years. He also taught physical education at Urbana High School and served as the Tigers' head football coach for four seasons. Today, Caroline and daughter, Jolynn, both live in Urbana-Champaign area.