Illini seniors reflect, reminisce

PASEDENA, Calif. -- Akim Millington sat alone on the bench as confetti fell on the Rose Bowl crowd.

As the Illinois and USC football teams met at the 50-yard line, the fifth-year senior cupped his chin in his hands for a moment, then slowly rose and walked off the field for the last time in his college career.

Millington and 21 other Illini played their final college games in Monday's 49-17 loss to USC. The Wheaton North product, who transferred from Oklahoma before the 2006 season, is the only one to have played in another bowl game.

"The last five years have been weird, obviously, a lot of ups and downs," Millington said. "Coming back here was like coming back to my roots in a way. I went to high school with guys on this team. I've known a lot of these guys a lot longer than the past five years."

For most Illini seniors, the 2006 season saw more victories than the rest of their college careers combined. Illinois went 8-38 from when players like All-Americans J Leman and Martin O'Donnell redshirted in 2003 to their junior season in 2006.

"If you look at the journey as a whole, that first season we were 1-11," O'Donnell said. "If you had told me I'd be sitting in the Rose Bowl for my last game, I would never have believed it."

Defensive lineman Mike Ware walked into the locker room, turned a folding chair to face the wall, and ignored everyone but the fellow defensive linemen who flanked him on either side. Chris Norwell rubbed Ware's back before getting up and heading toward the showers.

Ware hoisted Leman on his shoulders in celebration following the Nov. 10 win at Ohio State, but couldn't find words after falling to USC.

"I can't believe it's coming to an end," Ware said. "It just stinks that we couldn't finish when we wanted to."

Drew McMahon and Tyler Rouse sat together as around them reporters quizzed starters Arrelious Benn, Rashard Mendenhall and Juice Williams. The walk-ons grew up together in Champaign, played at rival high schools and spent their college careers on the scout squad and special teams.

Twice McMahon chose not to leave early, once after his father was fired as special teams coach in 2004 and again after graduating last spring.

Now as Leman, O'Donnell and others look toward the 2008 NFL draft, McMahon says he can't imagine what he'll do next.

"All the heartaches, all the losses, all the 6 a.m. workouts, all totally worth it for this last year, this last game, this last time in the locker room," McMahon said. "When I get back to Champaign, I've got a lot of pondering to do. I guess I'll get a job."

More than half an hour after the game's end, Frank Lenti, Jr., hadn't torn the tape from his wrists. He choked back tears as he called this the last time he'd put on pads and recalled classmates' decisions to leave after the coaching change in 2004 or finishing their degrees a season ago.

"It paid off for us who stayed," Lenti said. "We got to the game we came in to play. We came to University of Illinois to play in the Rose Bowl."