The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics will induct 12 new members to the UI Athletics Hall of Fame, including athletes and coaches from nine different teams, Friday night at 7 p.m. inside State Farm Center.
Football players in the star-studded class includes 2007 Big Ten football MVP Rashard Mendenhall, 1984 Rose Bowl quarterback and long-time pro Jack Trudeau, along with NCAA record-holder and College Football Hall of Famer Al Brosky.
Kenny Battle becomes the third member of the Flyin' Illini from 1989 in the Hall of Fame after scoring more than 1,000 points in his two seasons at Illinois. 1951 Big Ten MVP Don Sunderlage, who helped Illinois to NCAA Final Four appearances in 1949 and 1951, is the second basketball player recognized with this group.
Kenny Battle, Basketball, 1988-89
After two seasons at Illinois, where he established himself as the face of the Flyin' Illini, Battle was named to the Illini All-Century Team in 2005. He averaged 16.1 points over his two seasons at Illinois, for a total of 1,112 points, after also topping 1,000 points in his two seasons at Northern Illinois and becoming one of the few players to top 1,000 points at two different schools.
Battle was named Third-Team All-Big Ten in '88 and Second-Team All-B1G in '89 when he helped lead the Flyin' Illini to the Final Four. He was a First-Round NBA Draft pick in '89 by the Detroit Pistons and played in four seasons for the Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors.
He earned Honorable-Mention All-America honors at both NIU and Illinois and is a member of the NIU Sports Hall of Fame. In 1986, Battle was named the NAB National Dunker of the Year.
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Rashard Mendenhall, Football, 2005-07
Rashard Mendenhall was the 2007 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Silver Football Award winner after leading the Illini to a Rose Bowl appearance. He earned First-Team All-Big Ten, and Third-Team All-America recognition his junior season before starting a six-year NFL career after being drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He helped the Steelers win Super Bowl XLIII. Mendenhall became an award-winning writer for HBO's "Ballers" in his post-playing career. He rushed for 2,539 yards at Illinois and set the UI single-season record with 1,681 rushing yards in 2007 (now second) while earning team MVP honors.
Mendenhall rushed for 4,236 yards to go with 95 receptions and 795 receiving yards during his NFL career before retiring at the age of 26.
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Jack Trudeau, Football, 1983-85
Jack Trudeau enjoyed a 10-year NFL career after three years as starting quarterback for the Illini from 1983-85. He earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors in 1983 and '84. Trudeau helped lead the Illini to the 1983 Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl appearance with a perfect 9-0 conference record, the only time in Big Ten history that one team beat all other conference schools in the same season.
Trudeau finished his UI career as the school's all-time passing leader with 8,725 yards, pass completions with 797, completion percentage at 64.02 percent and with 55 touchdowns passes, where he is still tied for third. During his Illini career, he set the NCAA record with 215 consecutive passes without an interception.
He was selected in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. After eight seasons with the Colts, he also played one year with the New York Jets and one season with the Carolina Panthers. Trudeau finished his NFL career with 10,243 passing yards and 42 touchdowns.