Sports

Warriors' Bello to Illini: 'It's a Dream Come True'

Lincoln-Way athletes in New Lenox celebrated National Signing Day on Wednesday by putting pen to paper to play their sports in college.

Illinois football fans will get to cheer on a local leader next year, after BJ Bello of signed with the Illini on Wednesday.

Bello and five other New Lenox student-athletes celebrated National Signing Day this week with ceremonies at their schools. Bello originally committed to Western Michigan University before geting an offer from the University of Illinois.

"It's a lot of hard work and something I've always dreamed about since I was a kid," Bello said. "It was a hard decision, but being on the home state team it's a dream come true."

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About two weeks ago he heard from Illinois, followed by other Division-I schools, including Boston College, Minnesota and Tennessee. Illinois recently went through a coaching change, hiring former Toledo coach Tim Beckman, who recruited Bello before the New Lenox resident orally committed to Western Michigan.

"I had a good connection with the coach from over the summer and he reached out to me after getting the job (at Illinois)" said the All-Conference safety, who plans to major in physical therapy.

Find out what's happening in New Lenoxwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

His parents, decked out in Illinois gear, were elated after Bello committed to Western Michigan. But h father, Lawrence, said he was "shocked" when Illinois called.

"We were so happy," Lawrence said. "He had an injury junior year but kept working hard."

Athletic director Ted Robbins said Bello and quarterback Kyle Millner, who committed to Robert Morris, were exemplary student leaders who contributed to the start of athletic legacies at West. Bello is the first Warrior football player to sign with a Division I-A school, much less the Big Ten.

"It's special," Robbins said. "It raises the level of the program, and being the state school you get a lot of fans here. There's a buzz around the school."

More Lincoln-Way Recruits

Millner, a first-team All-Conference quarterback, signed with Robert Morris College and plans to major in business.

"Being a quarterback I'm a little undersized, so I busted my butt every day in the offseason," he said.

Over at , four students were honored for signing to play their sports in college. They were:

  • Lauren Kelly, soccer, Miami of Ohio University
  • Conor Bartuch, soccer, Eastern Illinois University
  • Brett Ditchman, football, University of St. Francis
  • William Sears, football, Robert Morris University

Other area schools held signing day events as well. Read that coverage here:


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