Illinois Defensive Stars Shine in 1996 NFL Draft

In 1996, the NFL draft made history as the University of Illinois saw Kevin Hardy and Simeon Rice, standout defensive players, go second and third overall respectively. This rare feat put Illinois defenses on the pro map. A reporters draft-day story, despite a laptop glitch, captured the excitement of the moment. Since then, Devon Witherspoons fifth overall pick in 2023 has come close to matching that impact. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/7b7f4ae33668c377