Reggie Corbin is very happy he stayed for his senior season at Illinois.

The decision may not have always been an easy one. Though the Illini struggled in 2018, Corbin was a bright spot for the team. He rushed for 1,085 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging an incredible 8.5 yards per carry.

In the end, Corbin did come back for the 2019 season and has been effective once again with the offense. He has rushed for 577 yards and 5 touchdowns on the year.

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He recently discussed the decision to return for his senior year during an interview with College Sports on SiriusXM, and Corbin said he’s not sure head coach Lovie Smith would have let him leave anyway. He went on to describe the opportunity to play under Smith at Illinois:

“I don’t think he would have let me go anywhere anyways, so it was good because I’ve always had that trust and belief in him,” explained Corbin. “That was a guy who in fifth or sixth grade, I did a book report on him about how he was the first African-American coach – him and Tony Dungy – to go to the Super Bowl.

“The fact that that was my coach, I couldn’t even think about passing that up and telling my kids one day that I let that opportunity go. I’m glad I stayed, and I couldn’t ask for a better coach.”

You can hear his comments below:

Now, Corbin and the Illini have a special shot at a bowl game. Illinois needs just one win over the final three games to make that happen.