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He grew up in neighboring Tuscola, but it took moving out West for former Fighting Illini football star Fred Wakefield to return to his Orange and Blue family.

This week, the 39-year-old current resident of Gilbert, Arizona became the newest member of Josh Whitman's Division of Intercollegiate Athletics staff, being named Assistant Director of Development for the West Coast.

Wakefield will continue to work from his home office in the Grand Canyon State, focusing on more than 75,000 University of Illinois alumni who live in states west of the Mississippi River.

Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Development Howard Milton says Wakefield's job description is fairly simple and to the point: build, grow and nurture relationships with alumni who have lived and worked in the western states.

"The first part of Fred's job is fundraising involvement and gift production, but what's equally important is that he also will be developing relationships and reconnecting people back with the University," Milton said. "For example, the opportunities for engagement with successful alumni in the Bay Area are huge. We think that Fred is the right person at the right time for this role."

While California and its 29,000 UI alumni and Arizona (6,000-plus alums) will command Wakefield's initial focus, other areas including Texas (12,000-plus), Colorado (nearly 8,000) and Washington (6,000-plus) also will eventually get his attention.

"My hope is to build a community of Illini out here, just getting them connected with one another," he said. "So many people feel disconnected because they're thousands of miles away. I want to help build the brand and relationships, and see where that leads."

The western states' climate is a big reason for the huge pockets of alumni, but Wakefield emphasizes that it also is fertile ground for jobs.

"These cities are growing rapidly because of technology and other industries," Wakefield says. "A few days ago I was talking to someone from Intel (based in Santa Clara, Calif.). He told me that if an applicant is a graduate of the University of Illinois, they're definitely going to be interviewed. It was really exciting to hear that."

Though Wakefield's first claim to fame is sports, his interest in athletics didn't begin until coaches noticed his 6-foot-7-inch frame and approached him to play for the Okaw Valley Conference's Tuscola Warriors.

"Since I was so tall, I thought I was going to be a basketball player," Wakefield said. "I watched a lot of Illini basketball games, but I didn't go to any football games until I started being recruited."

He eventually donned football pads and developed into an all-state caliber player. By his senior year, Iowa, Northwestern and others were knocking on his door, yet he was patiently waiting for the Illini to call.

"After meeting Coach (Lou) Tepper and Coach (Denny) Marcin, I just knew that was where I wanted to be," Wakefield said. "Everything else was off the table."

From 1997 through 2000, Wakefield wore jersey number 99 as a defensive end at Illinois, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors his senior year. He played four seasons with Whitman, forging a lifelong relationship.

"My friendship with Josh was the primary thing that made me pursue this new role," Wakefield said. "I knew that he loved the Illini and that he'd build the program the right way. He's always learning and trying to make himself better. Josh and I both really care about the University. It's funny that it took me moving all the way out to Phoenix to see where I could fit in."

Similarly, Wakefield's old friend and new boss has a mutual sense of admiration.

"Fred and I spent a lot of time on and off the field together when we were at Illinois," Whitman said. "I've always been impressed by his intelligence, his drive and his personality. Having Fred in Phoenix, more proximate to where our West Coast alumni are located, will be an advantage. He has first-hand experience in terms of what it is to be a student-athlete at Illinois. Whether it was in the weight room or on the field or in the classroom, Fred and I have always challenged each other, and that's been a really rewarding part of our relationship.

Whitman isn't worried about the 1,653 miles that separate him from Wakefield.

"When you put someone in a remote location," Whitman continued, "you have to have a high degree of trust in who they are and in their values. I have great confidence that Fred is going to work as hard as he can to spread the good word about Illini athletics."

Following his graduation from Illinois, Wakefield hooked on with the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals as a multi-positional player. Five games into his rookie season, he battled his way into a starting role at offensive guard, staying there for 31 of the following 34 games. Wakefield continued to play with the Cardinals through the 2006 season, then performed one final NFL campaign with the Oakland Raiders in 2008.

He returned to the University of Illinois from 2012-14 to earn an Executive MBA degree, then moved back to Phoenix to work for Avantgarde Partners as a regional sales director and eventually as its Director of Strategic Alliances.

"I didn't realize the impact that Illinois had on my life until after I was done," Wakefield said. "When I joined the Cardinals, I was constantly running into Illinois alumni. I found out how much people cared about the University."

Wakefield says that he and his fellow Illini football alums are excited about the future of Illinois's program under Lovie Smith.

"The buzz is phenomenal," he says. "Last year we played 22 freshmen, but now they're sophomores and have a whole year of Big Ten football underneath them. Seeing their development and the recruiting wins that Lovie's staff is getting now is really encouraging. We have a staff of really high-end coaches, so there's a lot of optimism. It's hard to get things turned around as quickly as everyone would like, but we are definitely seeing progress."