CHAMPAIGN - On Illinois game days, Ryan Schmidt usually is handing out water and towels, relaying live-game stats to the coaches and his "specialty" of bringing out the stools coaches use.
He said he still will chip in with his other Illinois team managers Saturday at Minnesota, but unlike the usual suit and tie attire, he will be wearing jersey No. 14. It's the so-called "blood jersey" reserved for a player who has to swap out uniform tops after bleeding.
Schmidt will be living out every team manager's dream as he has been put on the Illini roster because it is so depleted with injuries to three starters.
"It's definitely a lifelong dream," he said. "I've been a fan my whole life. My room is decked out in Illini gear; it has been since I was a kid."
Illinois coach John Groce said the move was mainly to add depth during practices, but Schmidt will be eligible to play as well if needed.
A 6-foot guard, Schmidt played AAU basketball and for Bloomington Central Catholic, garnering attention from Division II and III teams. He opted to enroll in the Illinois business program and surround himself with basketball in another way.
Or so he thought.
When he called his parents with the news Thursday night, they initially didn't believe him. His fellow managers, who call themselves the "swarm squad" for the way they attack wiping up sweat on the court, are giving him good-natured jabs. He surely is becoming the patron saint of team managers across the nation.
While it brings excitement from fans when a typical walk-on receives playing time, there's no official record on how often - if ever - a student manager becomes a walk-on - and especially whether he plays.
"I'm here to do whatever Coach Groce and the rest of the coaching staff asks of me," said Schmidt, who has been a manager for four years.
The Illini had only seven regular-rotation players available in Wednesday's victory against Purdue.
The team lost point guard Tracy Abrams for the season when he injured his knee in a preseason practice. Leading scorer and rebounder Rayvonte Rice broke his hand earlier this month. And last week, guard Aaron Cosby tore his retina and underwent surgery.
"I thought it was wise to make sure we have enough bodies for practice," Groce said, "and have some bodies, depth at game day. Ryan's a great kid. He understands what we're about. He was a really good high school player."
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