Sam Rebecca, place-kicker on one of Illinois' greatest football teams of all time – the 1951 Illini – celebrates his 80th birthday Sunday. Though small, the backup quarterback-turned-kicker was a huge part of Illinois' success, particularly in the regular season-ending game at Northwestern. Rebecca's 16-yard field goal in the ninth game accounted for the only Illini points, resulting in a 3-0 victory and sending Illinois to the Rose Bowl. The '51 squad was a star-studded bunch, featuring returning stars such as linebacker Chuck Boerio, pass interceptor extraordinaire Al Brosky, fullback Bill Tate, captain Chuck Studley, quarterback Tommy O'Connell and halfback Johnny Karras. Illinois opened the season with a 27-13 victory at home against UCLA, then followed it up with a Memorial Stadium triumph against Alan Ameche and Wisconsin. Consecutive nonconference victories against Syracuse and Washington improved the Illini's record to 4-0. In the season's fifth game, at Indiana, Karras tallied all three touchdowns in a shutout of the Hoosiers. Illinois made Michigan its sixth consecutive victim, thanks to a touchdown pass from O'Connell to receiver Rex Smith with 70 seconds left. End Joe Vernasco was the hero in the seventh game, scoring three times in a 40-13 homecoming win against Iowa. In one of 1951's most exciting contests, Illinois and host Ohio State played to a scoreless tie, putting an end to the Illini's winning streak. The Big Ten Conference-clinching victory against Northwestern sent 8-0-1 Illinois to a Rose Bowl showdown against Stanford, where coach Ray Eliot's troops ran over the Indians 40-7 in the New Year's Day battle.

Illini birthdays

Sunday: Tim McCarthy, football (61)

Monday: Meghan Bradley, swimming (24)

Tuesday: Terika Smith, track & field (40)

Wednesday: Rich Grimmett, football (55)

Thursday: Asim Pleas, football (33)

Friday: Dana Brenner, administrator (56)

Saturday: Deron Williams, basketball (26)

NEXT SUNDAY: Mike Durkin

By Mike Pearson, author of Illini Legends, Lists & Lore and assistant athletic director at Miami (Ohio)