CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Illini football team mourned the passing of J.C. Caroline. Caroline was one of the all-time great Illinois running backs and later impacted the Champaign-Urbana community as a football coach at Urbana High School and teacher at Urbana Junior High. He was 84 years old.

Caroline led the nation in rushing as a sophomore in 1953 to help the Illini go 7-1-1 and share the Big Ten title. He was a two-year letterwinner at Illinois, including earning consensus All-America honors in 1953 and a seventh-place finish in Heisman Trophy voting.

Caroline played one season in the Canadian Football League and 10 seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, primarily as a defensive back. He was an NFL All-Pro as a rookie in 1956 and helped the Bears win the 1963 NFL championship. Caroline totaled 24 interceptions and six touchdowns in his career.

Following his playing career, Caroline was an assistant coach for the Illini from 1967-76 prior to his long career as an educator in Urbana. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

Services will be held this Saturday, November 25 at Stone Creek Church, 2502 S. Race Street in Urbana at 12:00 p.m.