Knee surgery ends season for Illinois LB Jake Hansen

CHAMPAIGN — Illinois linebacker Jake Hansen will miss the rest of the season after having knee surgery.

Hansen, who was injured in the second quarter against Wisconsin on Oct. 9, made the announcement Wednesday on Twitter.

“It pains me to say that I will not play another game as an Illinois football player,” Hansen tweeted. “I would like to thank everyone that has been a part of my journey as an Illini especially my family, teammates, coaches, strength staff, athletic trainers, academic counselors, and fans! I will look back at my time here with no regrets and will continue to cherish every moment I enjoyed here. With that said I look forward to pursuing my life long dream of playing in the NFL!”

Hansen’s 12 forced fumbles made him the NCAA’s active career leader and ranked second on the Illinois all-time chart behind Simeon Rice’s 13. He led the nation with 14 takeaways over the 2019-20 seasons.

In five games this season, Hansen had 32 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and a sack, to go with two forced fumbles.