Rashard Mendenhall aims to accomplish much more in his post-football life. But he still cherishes his time in football. And he very much still cherishes his time at the University of Illinois.

On Feb. 21, the University of Illinois closed the book on a major chapter of its history. Having performed for 81 years, Chief Illiniwek, the mascot for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, ...