Patrick Quinn is a long-time fan who recounts his love for Fighting Illini Athletics in this "My Illini Story". If you would like to submit your Illini story, contact Cassie Arner at arner@illinois.edu.

By Patrick Quinn

My Illini Story: Loyalty and Legacy

My Illini story truly begins in 1983. That's one of my first lucid memories in life. Think about that for a moment. Out of all the things I can remember in the past, Illini football games come to mind. I'll get to that portion of my Illini story a little later but first, let's talk about my son and how his Illini memories are really starting to develop.

You see that picture above? That is Joey (now 9), in an old-school Illini helmet at age 4 months. That little guy was destined to be an Illini fan. Like me, he had no choice. I even brought him to Camp Rantoul in a stroller. And he wouldn't want it any way. As a 5-year-old boy, he was also given the chance to be a bat boy for the Illini baseball team.

Patrick Quinn with baby Joey at Camp Rantoul

Just like his father, his first Illinois baseball game was an Illinois-Indiana game. I should also note that Kyle Schwarber was part of the Indiana baseball team that Illinois played that day in a doubleheader. As you can see back in April of 2014, the guys made Joey feel like he was one of the boys. It was great to hear his little voice say, "Illini on 3....1-2-3 Illini!" as they broke out of the huddle you see below.

Roots of Loyalty and Legacy

Now back to 1983. My parents would go with their friends to Illini football games. I don't think they missed a home game very often until we moved to Florida in 1987.

You know when you're a kid and you start noticing patterns? When your parents wear their "Illini Gameday" Football clothes on a Saturday and hope you don't notice? Well I did. My dad had some kind of a good luck Illini shirt he'd wear to the games. It certainly helped in the beginning.

Patrick Quinn's parents

They would take us to some of the tailgates. I remember the smells. The food, grills, campers, Illini vans colored orange and blue, people throwing footballs, music playing---and the huge stadium. I wanted to be there every day. If I could, I would have stayed there.

Memorial Stadium was the happiest place in the world to me. That place was my Disney World. No debate. The first tailgate I experienced was when Illinois beat Michigan on Saturday, October 29, 1983. The place was buzzing.

People were happy, excited and nervous all at the same time. As a 3-year-old, I remember seeing Illini fans mixed in with Michigan fans. It was mass hysteria for a 3-year-old. I can only imagine what was like for everyone else.

For my 6th birthday, My dad got me tickets for my birthday to go see my first Illini Basketball game at Assembly Hall. I had seen countless games on TV, I pretended to be Doug Altenberger dozens of times in the backyard where we had a patio and basketball hoop. That was the same patio where I would draw out the Illini basketball court in chalk just like the real court.

I remember joining the "High Hoopers" at a restaurant in Champaign for dinner. We then rode a bus to Assembly Hall for the game versus Iowa. Once inside, I remember the band, the fans—fully engaged. The Three-in-One. The whole thing was amazing.

I was so excited that I remember walking up the steps to get into my seat. I spilled a big cup of soda on the floor as the crowd reacted to a shot by the Illini. The place was rocking. A lady felt bad and got me a new drink. Such is life. The Illini would end up losing the game after giving up a large halftime lead to the Hawkeyes. But my love for the Illini never waned.

My family moved to Cape Coral, Florida in 1987. It was hard to keep up with games on TV and in the newspaper. No internet, no satellite. You were at the mercy of whatever the cable sports gods and regional stations put on TV.

Luckily for me, the Illini were pretty good in football and basketball. So I got to see it a lot of the classic matchups. The Final Four Run in 1989 was available to me for the most part. The Jeff George era was nice to witness from far away. I remember getting homesick for Champaign-Urbana when I would watch those teams. We were-- and always will remain--an Illini Family. That will never change.

In fact, when we moved back to Mahomet in 1993, we attended several football and basketball games. Remember the Jimmy Klein TD catch? We celebrated at my grandma's house. I still have the game on video tape. Remember the Ty Douthard TD run as it snowed on fans at the Illini-Minnesota game? Yep. I was there in the stands with my dad. It was cold but it was also glorious. It's amazing how many of my life memories surround Illini games.

Professional and Personal Life with the Illini

When I got to college in the fall of 1998, I was at a crossroads. I went to Parkland College to save money and get my grades up. The hope was to get to the University of Illinois as a student by my junior year. So I worked fulltime in radio and TV at Mix 94.5 WLRW and Channel 3 WCIA.

I was able to cover Illinois football and basketball professionally for radio and television. I was blessed to work for three very good broadcasters in Matt Bisbee (News Director at WLRW), Chris Widlic and Mike Cleff at WCIA at the time. I wanted to do everything possible to impress those guys.

I would ask questions at news conferences, I would do live phone updates for ESPN Radio affiliates during games, You name it—I did it. All because I wanted to be the best. The icing on the cake was that I was covering my favorite team. I remember being at the March Madness Selection Show. I was a high school senior when Matt Bisbee asked me to tag along with him to interview players after they found out they were going to play South Alabama in the First Round of the tournament.

I remember seeing Matt Heldman, Cory Bradford and Jerry Hester at the Ubben Complex. After telling Bisbee that I was, "Starstruck", I got over it and started the interview. My hand was trembling. But I wanted more. Those two years of covering Illini sports were some of my favorite moments.

I would later go to Journalism school at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. It fit best for my career path.

Patrick and Jen Quinn

Patrick and Jen Quinn

My wife, Jen, is from St. Louis. She was introduced to the Illini when she first met me down in Florida. When she moved to Urbana and we lived in a nice 2-bedroom apartment, she quickly learned why the Illini have such a special place in my heart. It is ingrained in the community. It's pretty easy to live the Illini brand when you're in Champaign-Urbana but it's another thing when you live thousands of miles away and can still back your favorite school and team.

Cementing a Legacy & Loyalty to Illinois

Our children are 4 and 9-years old now. They both know what it is like to be surrounded by Illini events, tailgates and games. I want it to be special for them. Winning will help create positive memories. Both Marley and Joey own Illini gear. They tell me they want to go to the University of Illinois. That makes me happy. I really want to see their lllini stories continue to flourish.

Patrick's daughter, Marley Quinn

Patrick, Joey, and Colton and Travis McClure at an Illinois vs. Purdue baseball game

As you can see from the pictures, I've always kept the Illini close to my heart. Many times, we plan vacations to see my folks and close friends in the Champaign area based on Illini sporting events. It's important to keep the fire burning. It's important to show Illinois Loyalty, win or lose. So now my Illini Story is "Our Illini Story" in the Quinn Household. As long as my children learn and understand what that means, I guess I am doing my job.