CLIFTON -- Central High School is making sure one the best athletes in school history will be remembered forever.
The Comets will name their football field after the late Bill Burrell, who spent his college years as a standout guard and linebacker at the University of Illinois.
"I think there's always been an idea out there of Burrell being honored," Dave Luhrsen said, a member of Central's school board, football coaching staff and Athletic Hall of Fame committee. "(Burrell) was the first person to go into our Athletic Hall of Fame. Our football program and other people who were involved decided that it was something he was definitely worthy of and something we should make happen."
While at Central, Burrell led the Comets to a 20-8-1 overall record. He was a three-time Wil-Ro-Kee all-league selection and earned an All-State honor in 1954, his senior year.
As a member of the Fighting Illini, Burrell continued to have success. In 1959, he won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football, given to the best player in the Big Ten Conference as voted on by coaches.
That same year, Burrell finished fourth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy -- the highest an Illini had placed for the award at that time -- and was a consensus All-American honoree.
All in all, Burrell finished his college career as a three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection and a two-time All-American recipient.
He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 1960 American Football League Draft and by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1960 National Football League Draft.
After being drafted, Burrell decided to head north and play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League.
"Honestly, Dave (Luhrsen) has been requesting this for quite awhile," Central Athletic Director Jeff Fenton said. "(Luhrsen) was an AD at Central and is now a guidance counselor at BBCHS. When (Peter-Bailey Wells) wrote the article about Burrell in the Peoria Journal-Star, it got people more in tune with it and got the ball rolling a little bit."
Luhrsen deflected any sort of credit away from himself.
"Being involved with the things I'm involved with, I was able to take everybody's opinion and move it forward," Luhrsen said. "I just happened to be here when the wheel went around.
"It wasn't any one particular thing that got this started," he said. "I talked to our superintendent about it, and we got the go-ahead to move forward. Then, we talked to (Burrell's) family first before bringing it up at a school board meeting. (Burrell's) daughter was very humbled and thankful for the opportunity. She said they'd do everything they could to be there and be a part of it."
While Bailey-Wells' article was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, Luhrsen noted Central's football program as a longtime supporter of any type of honor Burrell received.
"Our head football coach, Brian Spooner, has been here for 19 years. But from Day 1, our coaching staff has always talked about this. The idea originated from our football people, our players, our coaches and our football family," Luhrsen said.
The naming ceremony will be held on Sept. 15 during halftime of the Comets' Week 4 contest against Dwight.