It's been quite the journey for Devon Witherspoon. And it's just getting started.

Apr. 26—Devon Witherspoon is about to become a very wealthy 23-year-old.

On Thursday night, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will step to the microphone in front of a huge crowd at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo., and announce "Devon Witherspoon, Illinois."

The unknowns are the pick number and destination.

But it will be early in the NFL draft. Maybe No. 6 to Detroit or No. 7 to Las Vegas or No. 9 to Chicago. In the first round, for sure.

The NFL invited him to the party, the first time for an Illinois player in 27 years.

Witherspoon seems certain to become the first Illini to get picked in the first round since 2012 when both defensive end Whitney Mercilus and wide receiver A.J. Jenkins were selected by Houston and San Francisco, respectively, within the first 32 picks.

"It's still an unreal moment," Witherspoon said. "I'm very proud of myself. Still got a lot of things to do, but I'm just very happy I accomplished the things that I did."

It is a day he dreamed about.

But how did Witherspoon get here? How did he rise from no star to superstar? It's a long story. And one well worth the time.

Taking note

In April 2019, then-Illinois secondary coach Keynodo Hudson brought up Witherspoon's name during a recruiting meeting. Hudson, a Florida native, was in his second year with Lovie Smith's program.

"He said, 'There's this kid from Pensacola that is set to go to junior college,'" said Pat Embleton, Illinois executive director of personnel and recruiting who has worked with the Illini football program since 2013.

Hudson wanted to take a closer look at Witherspoon, then a senior defensive back at Pine Forest High School in the Florida panhandle city of 53,000.

"We saw that he was freaky athletic and good length and everything," Embleton said. "You try to look for holes in everybody's game. The only negative thing he had was his weight."

Illinois reached out to Witherspoon and his high school coach, Jason McDonald.

Witherspoon was waiting on a qualifying SAT score, which came later.

Who on the Illini staff said, "We need this guy?"

"Keynodo stood on the table for him, and Coach Smith trusted Key enough to say 'OK, let's bring him in,' Embleton said. "We had one scholarship available at the time."

Witherspoon was already with the football team at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. He didn't arrive on the Illinois campus until a week into training camp before the 2019 season.

The university admissions office was a "huge help," according to Embleton, hustling with his paperwork as the proper information was sent to the NCAA for clearance.

When he checked in, Witherspoon weighed only 153 pounds. But ready to take on the Big Ten.

"He was going to let you know how confident he was," Embleton said.

The team was in full pads, so Witherspoon had to wait a few days to be cleared to join his teammates on the field.

"Once he got full pads on, you sensed something was there right away," Embleton said. "You could just tell this was a special athlete."

The team was practicing on the grass recreation fields on the UI campus.

"During one-on-ones, that's where you noticed it," Embleton said. "He was not afraid to go against the starting receivers as a true freshman and he was being pretty glued on to those guys."

Then, Witherspoon went to work. He added weight, strength and speed.

All these years later, Witherspoon recognizes the start of his journey from football unknown to household name.

"Play with that chip on your shoulder," he said. "No matter how highly recruited you are, it doesn't matter. If you're a dog on the football field, they'll come find you."

First impressions

Witherspoon had been at Illinois two years before Bret Bielema took charge late in 2020.

Though the new Illini coach saw him on the field against Penn State in front of an empty Beaver Stadium the day he was hired, Bielema's first chance to work with him came later.

Bielema carries an orange folder at practice. Tucked inside is a sheet detailing Bielema's first morning workout with the team.

About Witherspoon, Bielema wrote: "Exceptional feet, hands and eyes. Very unusual for this athlete's size."

"He was a rangy guy," Bielema recalled recently, "but he was incredibly agile."

Bielema purposely hadn't watched any film on the players before the session.

"I didn't want to skew my opinion off of what I saw," he said.

Credit for Witherspoon's growth goes to a lot of people. Starting with Illinois strength coach Tank Wright.

Leading up to the draft, Bielema said he has talked to at least half of the NFL general managers about Witherspoon.

"One thing that's very intriguing to most people is he can play in multiple systems," Bielema said. "He could play man, but he'd also be a pretty good field corner. He could also play boundary corner. He can be pretty adjustable into any kind of defense that someone runs."

How will it go in the NFL for Witherspoon?

"I think in two years will be his best football," said Bielema, who spent time on staff with the New York Giants and New England Patriots before he arrived at Illinois. "When he drops into that man zone and fills up a little bit, I think he can be an exceptional player because he's got the right personality and temperament."

Aaron Henry agrees.

"Greatness," said the Illini defensive coordinator, who is going to attend the draft with Bielema in Kansas City. "Devon is hard-wired to be great. I think that's what he expects from himself. From the time that young man came in, he's always played with a chip on his shoulder. I don't care if he's lining up with Davante Adams or he's lining up against Odell Beckham, his mindset is to lock that player up and do what he's supposed to do in order to get his paycheck."

Embleton turns emotional when talking about what's next for Witherspoon.

"It's awesome," Embleton said. "Thinking about where he came from to where he is now. He's just an unbelievable kid. He's a great kid. Super respectful. If you were having a rough day and you saw Spoon, he would make you feel better. That's one thing I will forever cherish is how he carried himself in this building (Smith Center).

"I love that kid to death, and I can't wait to see him at the next level."

Career-altering switch

Recruited by Smith, Witherspoon finished his time at Illinois with Bielema, defensive coordinator Ryan Walters and Henry.

Henry coached the defensive backs the last two seasons before getting promoted to defensive coordinator this offseason when Walters became the Purdue coach.

How did the changes affect him?

"It helped me entirely just learning more about the game of football," Witherspoon said. "Coach B. broke it down to me in a way that I could understand it for myself and just helped me play faster on the field. I really appreciate him for that."

He praises Walters and Henry, too.

"They just want to see us be great and just try to maximize our strengths and minimize our weaknesses," he said. "They're always going to push you to do your best."

Good move

Witherspoon played football most of his life until going to Pine Forest, where he stepped away from the sport to concentrate on basketball. He also competed in track and field with the Eagles, a standout high jumper and sprinter in his high school days.

"He had those hoop dreams like a lot of kids do," said McDonald, his high school football coach at Pine Forest.

The basketball coach, who also worked with football, saw Witherspoon's potential.

"He said, 'Coach, we've got to get this kid back on the football field,'" McDonald said.

McDonald talked him into trying football again before Witherspoon's junior year.

"We knew he was going to do some special things one day because he did a lot of special things for us," McDonald said. "He had a great junior year."

Why wasn't there more recruiting interest in Witherspoon? While he had strong grades, he still needed a qualifying test score.

The NFL teams have been calling McDonald, asking about Witherspoon.

McDonald knows the drill.

A former Witherspoon teammate at Pine Forest, Martin Emerson, is a cornerback with the Cleveland Browns.

Emerson played at Mississippi State, where he started as a freshman.

"When the recruiters would come in, they would want to see Martin, they would want to see Spoon," McDonald said. "I'd tell them, 'Martin's a great player. But Spoon's better. Hands down he's better.'

"They both made it."

Emerson was drafted in the third round by the Browns, pick No. 68, during the 2022 NFL draft. Witherspoon is going to go higher.

McDonald, who is coaching football now at Milton High School in Pace, Fla., keeps in contact with Witherspoon.

Of course, McDonald will be watching Thursday's draft coverage.

"I'm excited to see where he ends up," McDonald said.

Warming up

On the field, Witherspoon is confident and chatty. He reminds opposing receivers when they can't get away from him. He locks them up, then tells them about it.

Early in his Illinois career, he wasn't as comfortable with media attention. But his banner 2022 season made it an important part of everyday life.

His media session at the NFL combine in early March in Indianapolis was delayed two hours because of medical testing.

He was a willing participant with reporters, politely answering questions, even the repetitive ones about the different teams he had visited.

Witherspoon promises he doesn't pay attention to the draft boards and when and where he will be selected. Out of his control.

"I try not to focus on things like that, but every now and then, I get to see it because my mom (Rhasheda Bickley) sends it to me," Witherspoon said.

His last college game was Nov. 26 at Northwestern. He didn't play in the ReliaQuest Bowl, following a recent trend among NFL-worthy players.

Since November, he has been preparing for Thursday and the start of the rest of his life.

"It's been tough, just the combine and the workouts and stuff like that, but I know it will all benefit in the end," Witherspoon said. "It's also been fun just knowing that I'm one of the top guys in the NFL draft. I'm just trying to focus on being me."

That means a confident player who doesn't back down from a challenge. Like the one he will soon face in the NFL. Pro receivers aren't going to care about his All-American honors and draft status.

"I'm physical," Witherspoon said. "I love the game of football. I'm smart. I love to study, just trying to get an edge on my opponent. I'm just energetic. Very passionate about what I do."

What have the NFL teams told him they like?

"Just how physical I am. How I approach the game," Witherspoon said. "They love the way I play. They love how aggressive I am. But it's a couple things I need to work on, as well."

A big fan

Normally, it is the job of draft experts to pick a player apart. Find flaws and weaknesses.

But they rave about Witherspoon.

"When you first popped him on tape, I was just blown away with the instincts and just the natural feel and awareness, route recognition," NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. "He sees things before they develop. Sometimes, you can see guys that have the athletic ability, and sometimes you see guys that really have studied film and they know how to play. It's not common when you see guys that have all that wrapped up together. He does. He is a complete package that way."

At the NFL combine, Witherspoon wasn't able to work out because of a hamstring injury. He had a private session with NFL scouts in Champaign and checked in at 5 feet, 11 inches and 181 pounds. He ran the 40 in 4.42 and 4.46 seconds. Not the fastest of the cornerback prospects, but more than good enough to ease any concerns for NFL general managers.

"I wish he was 200 pounds. He is not going to be," Jeremiah said. "He is going to be a little bit lighter, but he just pulls the trigger. He does not play with any hesitation. He plays with ultimate aggressiveness and confidence and urgency. Then you see that and say, OK, well, let's see what happens when they hit him with double moves, because sometimes you can take advantage of guys that are making plays on the ball. He doesn't fall for it. He is really, really instinctive that way."

Jeremiah pointed to a play Witherspoon made early in the 2022 season against Virginia.

"He just reads the quarterback's eyes," Jeremiah said. "He comes off of the flat about the front of the end zone, maybe the 5-yard line. He ends up in the back of the end zone breaking up a pass on a crosser just because he was reading the quarterback's mail. He just has outstanding eyes, quickness and ball skills."

In a strong year for cornerback prospects, Jeremiah ranks Witherspoon among the top three with Penn State's Joey Porter Jr. and Oregon's Christian Gonzalez.

"I just think Witherspoon is a stud," Jeremiah said,

One who helped himself with a stellar final season. Witherspoon made 40 tackles, recorded three interceptions and broke up 14 passes. He had the No. 1 coverage grade in the country, at 92.5 percent, according to Pro Football Focus.

"He played at such a high level," Jeremiah said, "and the tape is so fun to watch."

No question which cornerback Witherspoon would take first.

"I'm the best cornerback in the draft," he said.

In his corner

Witherspoon isn't the only Illinois defensive back who should hear his name called in this year's draft. He will be joined by Sydney Brown and Quan Martin, who were also invited to the NFL combine.

They have watched their buddy Spoon zoom up the draft boards.

"Does that surprise you?" Brown said.

Actually, maybe a bit for the Illini.

"It's so funny. I don't think any of us saw it coming," Brown said. "We knew he was a great player, but all of us were just playing football. Nobody really knew what the draft stock was. Nobody really cared. We were just playing football and trying to win games at Illinois. That was it."

Which they did.

Illinois won eight games in 2022, the most since 2007.

The defense, led by Witherspoon and the rest of the secondary, was pivotal. No team in the country gave up fewer points than Illinois.

"It's showing we've got some of the best DBs in the country," Martin said. "Just to have DBs rolling in every year like this is great just to showcase our ability and what the University of Illinois brings."

Like Witherspoon, Martin is from Florida. He is proud of what Witherspoon has become.

"Just to see his growth, things he's been achieving, the sky's the limit for him," Martin said.

Witherspoon is thrilled to be entering the NFL with his friends. And joining buddy and former Illini teammate Kerby Joseph, now a standout with the Lions.

"We've been playing with each other all our career, knowing what we went through and knowing how we came out on top this year," Witherspoon said, "it just feels good."

One for the ages

Witherspoon established a legacy at Illinois. When the best cornerbacks are mentioned in the future, he will be at the top of the list. His time in C-U is important to Witherspoon.

"It means everything to me," he said. "Coming to the University of Illinois, we hadn't been winning for a long time. But we got a chance to change that around this year.

"I'm glad I made the decision that I made."