Illinois Coach Bret Bielema Shares Behind-The-Scenes NFL Draft Insight
Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema has compiled a record of 134-84 (.615) over his 17-year career. Those 134 career wins, which include his previous stops at Wisconsin and Arkansas, rank seventh among active FBS coaches. During those 17 years in this gig, he’s seen 59 of his players get drafted into the NFL.
It all started with offensive lineman Joe Thomas, who went on to become a six-time first-team All-Pro and two-time second-team All-Pro with the Cleveland Browns.
“My first year as a head coach, I had a guy drafted fourth pick overall (out of Wisconsin in 2007), right? Joe Thomas was kind of a really cool moment and I didn’t even truly understand what that was,” Bielema said to R.org.
“I remember one time (then Wisconsin offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach) Paul Chryst referred to Joe as a ‘generational player’ and at the time I’m like what exactly does that mean?
“I’m 35 years old. I’m trying to figure out the world myself.”
However, this experience didn’t make Bielema overly enthusiastic about the draft. The 56-year-old Silvis, Illinois native found himself too wrapped up in spring practice, every year, to really get all that much into the draft. Meanwhile, more of his players kept getting selected.
Russell Wilson, who would go on to make 10 Pro Bowls and win Super Bowl XLVIII, got drafted on the same day as Wisconsin’s annual spring intra-squad scrimmage (Despite their branding, there is no such thing as a “spring game.” These are intra-team scrimmages) in 2012.
“We just literally got to my house,” Bielema said of that day. “I got a call from (Seattle General Manager) John Schneider that thought it was going to happen with the Seahawks.”
How Witherspoon Pick Changed Beilema’s Thought Process
Turns out it was another Seahawks draft pick, 11 years later, which finally helped him fully appreciate the draft. Devon Witherspoon is one of the best cornerbacks in the game today, and when Seattle took him 5th overall, out of Illinois in 2023, Bielema was there with the young defensive back and his family, at the pivotal moment his life changed forever.
“When I came here, Pat Pearson (Illinois Football Director of Branding and Creative Media), when we’re getting ready to have Spoon get drafted,” Bielema continued, “he’s like, ‘you got to go to the draft.’ I’m like, ‘I’m going to the draft, man. I’m not going to do that.’ And then that moment, with Spoon changed the direction of my whole thought. I saw his life change in front of my eyes.
“I knew it happened, but to see it happen, to hug his mom and his family, I can say honestly right now, other than winning a football game, this is probably one of my more fulfilling moments as a head coach.
“To witness this, with these guys, because you realize that journey they dreamed about when they were kids is now becoming a reality, and it’s pretty cool.”
From there, Bielema became a regular at the NFL Draft parties held for his players every year. As he’s completely turned the Illinois program around, we’re now seeing many more Illini players drafted in these recent years.
These days, Bielema typically attends several draft parties every year, flying around the country as a true “jet-setter.” Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan (a University of Illinois alum) has made a private jet available to Bielema for this.
NFL Experience With the Draft
Bielema has experienced the draft from the National Football League side as well. He was the defensive line coach with the New England Patriots in 2019 and the outside linebackers coach with the New York Giants in 2020. As he pointed out in the lead-up to the 2024 Citrus Bowl, he owns a Super Bowl championship ring worth $88,000 from his time with the Patriots.
Bielema provides a great behind-the-scenes perspective from both collegiate and professional angles on this event. He lifted the lid on what often goes on during the draft’s final day (rounds 4-7).
“What I have found, both in this business and then on the other side of it in the NFL, a lot of times, when teams like kids in those fifth, sixth, seventh rounds, or even going to the fourth round, they keep it to themselves,” he said.
“They don’t want other people to know it, so that they can kind of surprise people, including the players on draft day.”
NFL Draft season is notorious for teams presenting “smokescreens” (basically just leaking false information) about who they’re going to select, so it’s not surprising to hear that NFL personnel consistently try to keep it covert.
And before making those selections, NFL scouts and front office professionals go to great lengths to do their due diligence on the prospects. Bielema then told a story about his (now former) quarterback Luke Altmyer, one of the more accomplished QBs in Illini history.
In his final game, the 2025 Music City Bowl, Altmyer led the Illini on a last-minute drive that culminated in a walk-off field goal. These moments were captured by the Illinois football content creation team, and NFL teams wanted to see and hear the footage.
“There’s some really cool audible audio,” Bielema added. “I know you guys (media members who cover Illini sports) have listened to it with coach (Barry) Lunney (Illinois Offensive Coordinator). I give Pat Pearson all the credit in the world.
“He’s going into that game, he’s like ‘coach, can we record this and talk about, you know, just the interaction between Barry and Luke on the field?’ There’s actually NFL teams that have asked me about that audio, because it just shows the trust that coach Lunney had in Luke.
“And I think that was the best culmination of a player that I just mutually respect, not just in how he plays, but how he manages the game, as you could ever find, was Luke Altmyer in that Tennessee game.”
Altmyer was not drafted but later signed a free-agent deal with the Detroit Lions. Moving forward, Bielema will continue to see more of his players drafted every year and with that, more NFL Draft parties to attend.