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Greetings from "Can't Wait For Saturday," your morning morsel of college football, courtesy of longtime Illini beat writer, AP Top 25 voter and Heisman state rep Bob Asmussen. He'll give you his views each day on the game he loves.
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Two down, two to go for Simeon Rice.
The best pass rusher/quarterback nightmare in Illinois football history found out this week that he will be added to the Tampa Bay Bucs Ring of Honor. He was a star for the team, helping it to a Super Bowl title.
Rice will be celebrated during a game against the Arizona Cardinals. That's the same team that took him No. 3 overall in the 1996 NFL draft and where he spent the first five years of his career.
He was at his best in Tampa, recording at least 11 sacks his first five of six total seasons. He had 15 twice and 14 another year.
Illinois inducted Rice into its athletic hall of fame in 2019, a well-deserved honor that he appreciated.
There are two more Halls that should be calling. One will be a lock, the question is when. Rice's massive sacks and TFL numbers make him an obvious choice for the College Football Hall of Fame. He has been on the ballot multiple times and is way past due.
More of a question -- though not to me -- is Rice's ability to earn a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is No. 21 on the NFL career sack list with 122. Fifteen of the players ahead of him in sacks are already in Canton and the other five are either going in or close. Rice's career is better or on par with at least a handful of the guys already in.