East St. Louis, Fighting Illini football legend due in court over postgame incident
The aftermath of the Illini’s 21-7 football win over Michigan last month was a chaotic scene, with thousands of fans rushing the field to celebrate.
One of them - the program’s all-time leading tackler - was allegedly involved in an incident with UI police during the postgame frenzy, a department spokesperson told The News-Gazette on Tuesday.
Dana Howard, 52, of Edwardsville, has been issued a notice to appear in court for aggravated battery of a police officer/first responder with minor or no injury, UI police records indicate.
According to UIPD’s Abbigail Kepp, the incident happened at 6 p.m. Oct. 19, just as the game was about to wrap up.
“A spectator crossed the wall separating the seating area from the field after an officer instructed everyone in the immediate vicinity not to enter the field when the game ended. When the officer attempted to stop the spectator from entering the field area, Howard, who was nearby, reportedly initiated physical contact with the officer,” Kepp said.
Police officers in the vicinity assisted as other spectators “became involved in the incident,” Kepp said.
One officer sustained “minor” injuries but didn’t require medical treatment. No arrests were made at the time of the incident, Kepp said.
Reached Tuesday by The News-Gazette, Howard referred questions to his attorneys, Mark Goldenberg of Edwardsville and Steve Beckett of Urbana.
Beckett acknowledged that he is representing Howard for an incident that “apparently” happened on the field following the game but declined to provide details.
Howard, Illinois’ Butkus Award-winning linebacker and a member of the school’s Hall of Fame, was among the former players introduced at halftime of the Memorial Stadium rededication game against Michigan.
Howard has been a familiar face on campus since his playing days ended in 1994. He and family members were at Memorial Stadium for a Week 2 win over Kansas, with the College Football Hall of Famer brought in to sound the pregame air raid siren.
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