
Kofi Cockburn Adds to Illini Legacy With Jersey Retirement Honor
Despite all the outside expectations for his college career, former Illinois All-American center Kofi Cockburn says he never thought a jersey retirement was likely.
By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer
February 11, 2025
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The outside expectations at Illinois for Kofi Cockburn always seemed even bigger than his 7-foot and 290-pound frame.
However, no matter what was anticipated from him going back 2,120 days ago when he signed a National Letter-of-Intent with Brad Underwood’s Illini operation in late April 2019, Cockburn admitted Tuesday night that he never envisioned what he was about to experience. Arguably the largest post player presence to ever wear an Illinois jersey saw that uniform raised to the rafters of State Farm Center at halftime of the UCLA-Illinois contest.