Darnell Autry Will Be Grand Marshal of Northwestern's Homecoming Parade

It’s been 20 years since the Northwestern University Wildcats football team has smelled the roses of Pasadena.

The 1995 Northwestern football season goes down as one of the most unexpected, and memorable, seasons not only in Northwestern history, but in all of Chicago sports. And on Friday, perhaps the most recognizable name on that team will be in Evanston to lead the celebration of his alma mater’s Homecoming.

Darnell Autry, the star running back on the 1996 Rose Bowl team who had a brief NFL career with the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles, will serve as Grand Marshal of Friday’s Homecoming parade. He will be joined by a number of his teammates to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Wildcats team that pulled off upset after upset en route to a Rose Bowl loss to the University of Southern California.

During the parade, Autry will ride in the lead car and wave to spectators gathered along the route during the 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16 parade as it progresses south from the intersection of Sheridan Road and Lincoln Street, to Chicago Avenue and Sheridan Road. The theme is “Where the Wildcats Are” -- a takeoff on Maurice Sendak’s popular children’s picture book, “Where the Wild Things Are.”

Autry - owner of Tempe, Ariz.-based Team Autry Productions, will also be an honored guest during the celebratory events planned for the University’s Evanston campus during Homecoming weekend, including the 6:45 p.m. Pep Rally in Deering Meadow, which follows the parade. Deering Meadow is the two acres of open green space between the Charles Deering Library at 1970 Campus Drive and Sheridan Road.

The Wildcats football team takes the field at 11 a.m. on Saturday against the University of Iowa.