George A. Huff attended the university in 1888-89 and played on baseball and football teams from 1889 to 1892. In 1895, he returned as coach of the athletic teams. He was Athletic Director when he died in 1936. Like Clark, he became an Illinois symbol. Assisted by contacts with emerging professional sports. Huff's reputation for sportsmanship and the secondary schools' need for trained coaches, the intercollegiate athletic program provided welcomed publicity for the university and entertainment for the public.