The Illinois football program is now almost a year removed from being the focus of a Big Ten Network reality-type show, “The Journey,” but the debate continues about whether it was a good decision to allow cameras to follow the team throughout the 2008 season.

Receiver Arrelious Benn and quarterback Juice Williams offered opposite viewpoints at Sunday’s media day at Memorial Stadium.

“I saw a lot of guys being complacent around the cameras,” Benn said. “It wasn’t the same as it is now. We’re more of a team. When we had the cameras around, everything was scattered everywhere. I wouldn’t say people were chasing the cameras around, but cameras were in your face.

“You couldn’t be yourself. A lot of guys had to show off for the cameras. This year I’m glad it’s not there. Whoever gets it next, I think it’s the curse.”

Williams was less harsh in his assessment of the season-long experience. He said he has copies of all the shows, which started in the preseason and ran through the final game at Northwestern.

“I don’t think it hurt us at all,” Williams said. “It gave us an opportunity to showcase what goes on behind the scenes and gave guys an opportunity to go out and represent the university well. It was very beneficial to our program. We weren’t able to come out on Saturday and get the job done, but I don’t think the cameras had anything to do with it.”

Illinois continued to get exposure from the series after the season. In May, the Big Ten Network held “The Journey” marathon, showing all 13 episodes in succession.