ZOOK! JUICE! ZOOK! JUICE!

I apologize for the misleading headline. There's not really a ton of Ron Zook or Juice Williams news contained within this particular blog entry.

But I attended Illinois' media day on Sunday and thought I'd experiment to see if listing their names with exclamation points might increase the number of clicks. Now, if only I had access to this blog's statistics...

I digress. Indeed, the Illini headed to Camp Rantoul on Sunday afternoon after a relatively easy day without practice. They did have to dress up in their uniforms for their team pictures and other multimedia duties. While it sounds like a day off, it got awfully hot for them sitting in the north end zone as they tried to arrange and execute a proper team photo. When the coaches and the quarterbacks went on to their next photo stops in the end zone, the linemen ducked into the air-conditioned comfort of the Performance Center (located underneath the north stands).

Here are 10 things you need to know. Don't be afraid to clip, save and share with your friends:

1. Martez Wilson talked openly about the post-closing time bar fight that left him with his intestines hanging out of his body. Look for the whole story on the Herald sports page and web page.

2. Rejus Benn finally admitted how much his wrecked shoulder hurt throughout the 2007 season, when he sucked it up and put up 54 catches for 676 yards and 2 TDs to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Year and help the Illini to the Rose Bowl.

If you recall, Benn injured his right shoulder when he was dragged down awkwardly by linebacker Rodney Pittman during Illinois' annual intrasquad scrimmage at Rantoul High School. He wore a brace all season, but never had full range of motion.

"My shoulder was so busted that I messed up other things in my body because I was overusing something else," Benn said. "That was something I don't want to experience again and I don't think I ever will. I think I'm the healthiest I've ever been since I've been here. I felt like I'd been playing for five years at the college level."

Benn also had some intriguing things to say about Martez, which also are included in the feature mentioned above.

3. Senior safety Donsay Hardeman, like many Illini players, isn't afraid to offer a colorful quote while saying what's on his mind. Hardeman, who missed spring ball after undergoing neck surgery that involved fusing vertebrae together, has been declared full-go by Illinois' medical staff. More important, he promised he'll be full-go when it comes time to smack receivers.

"If I get a chance, I'm gonna take it. I just hope the ref doesn't call a 15-yard penalty each time I hit somebody."

He's still bitter about a few flags he earned last year when he drilled people in the head with his shoulder.

"A couple of hits from last year, Coach Zook told me he sent them in to the NCAA because he felt it wasn't head-to-head contact. But one ref told me, I asked him what I did wrong and he told me, 'I couldn't make the dude's head go back like that.' But I told him I hit with my shoulder. I mean, I lift weights. So they don't have (any) choice when I hit them but for their head to go back."

4. Backup center Mike Garrity from Batavia took part in the team's three practices in Champaign and will compete at Camp Rantoul as well, though no legal matters have been settled from the incident at a Champaign bar on May 15 that led to him being charged with two counts of aggravated battery/great bodily harm. It's probably a good sign, from a legal perspective for Garrity, that Ron Zook has him being a regular part of the team.

5. Third-year punter Anthony Santella, a Wauconda High School graduate, has been rewarded with a scholarship. Zook says to expect him to do more rugby punting this year.

6. Speaking of Illinois' special teams, which haven't been a net positive during Zook's years in Champaign, there are changes being made. Rather than Zook and special teams coach Mike Woodford making all of the personnel decisions, all of the Illini coaches have input on the coverage and return teams.

"I think we have enough talent now, if guys don't want to put out on special teams, they're going to get their offensive and defensive reps cut," Zook said. "Because we've got some guys that can play. Once again, (special teams) has to help us win a couple games. It can't lose a game for us."

7. Prized freshman receiver Terry Hawthorne has been sidelined after re-breaking his hand earlier in the summer (the original break in the same place occurred while helping East St. Louis beat Geneva in the Class 7A title game). The doctor put a plate in there to ensure this break heals.

"He can't catch yet," Zook said. "He's chomping at the bit to be out there. On Tuesday, he'll do another X-ray. And if everything is like we feel like it's going to be, he'll be released to do everything but contact."

8. Zook said senior RB Daniel Dufrene was probably the team's best back during spring ball, but he still expects all four of the team's returning backs (Dufrene, Jason Ford, Mikel Leshoure and Troy Pollard) to contribute with freshmen Justin Green and Bud Golden yapping at their heels.

9. Jason Ford claimed that either Green or Dufrene is the fastest guy on the team.

10. In that vein, Zook says fifth-year defensive tackle Sirod Williams is the strongest guy on the team. Williams says he bench-pressed 225 pounds (which is a test at the NFL combine) a whopping 41 times.

To put that number into perspective, 241 prospects did the bench-press test at the 2009 NFL combine. Williams' number topped them all. His closest competition was Texas Tech guard Louis Vazquez, who put up the bar 39 times. Surely that helped him get picked by San Diego in the third round.

LW