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by John Buhler | 19 hours ago (April 8, 2020)
The best Wisconsin
football players, including Jonathan Taylor and Joe Thomas, help to make up the
Wisconsin Badgers
modern-era Mount Rushmore.
It
wasn’t always the case, but Wisconsin football has forced themselves back into
the blue-blood conversation in the Big Ten. Wisconsin football had great years
in the early 20th century, as well as in the middle of it. But throughout the
1960s to 1980s, Wisconsin was in a sorry spot. Then, a Hayden Fry disciple
Barry Alvarez came over from Iowa and changed everything.
Since
1990, the Badgers have won six of their 14 conference championships. They have
won their division five times since the Big Ten added the Nebraska Cornhuskers
in 2011. One could argue Wisconsin is among the best programs in college
football today that hasn’t made the College Football Playoff before. That all
could change in 2020 if a few things break right for the Badgers.
So what we’re going to do today
is look at the best
players to have played for Wisconsin in the modern era (since 1980).
Even though that first decade of inclusion for Wisconsin football is a complete
wash, you’ll be surprised how many great players have dominated on the college
gridiron for Alvarez and his predecessors to follow.
Here is the modern-era Mount Rushmore for Wisconsin football, as well
as four honorable mentions.
28
MONTEE BALL
RB (2009-12)
While his
NFL career was unspectacular, Montee Ball is a legend in Big Ten football. The two-time
All-American helped Wisconsin win three straight Big Ten titles before going
pro. He took home the Doak Walker Award as a senior in 2012 and was a
finalist for the Heisman Trophy as a junior in 2011. He was a second-round
pick by the Denver Broncos but only played two years there.
