Bill Burrell, Football • 1957-59

Burrell finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting and was a Consensus All-American as a senior linebacker in 1959 at only 6-0 and 215 pounds. He was the first Black captain of the Illini football team. Burrell was a three-time First-Team All-Big Ten selection and was the 1959 Big Ten Silver Football Award winner. He also earned All-America honors in 1958. Burrell was drafted in 1960 by the AFL Buffalo Bills and in the fifth round (50^th overall) in the NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He played five seasons in the CFL for the Saskatchewan Roughriders as a linebacker and offensive guard and was the team’s nominee for the Schenley Award as Outstanding Lineman in 1960. In 1990, Burrell was named to the Illinois All-Century Football Team. The football field at Clifton Central (IL) HS is named Bill Burrell Field. Burrell died in 1998 at the age of 61.