MADISON – A lot of great running backs have come through the
Wisconsin football program.
Twelve years after he played his last
down for the Badgers, Montee Ball
continues to separate himself from the pack.
Wednesday the former UW star was
announced as part of the College Football Hall of Fame’s 2025 class. The
induction ceremony will be Dec. 9 in Las Vegas.
He will
be the 13th Wisconsin player or coach to receive induction.
This is such an honor. Thank you so much to all of the voters, the committee, Badger fans, my family, my teammates ❤️, UW football, Thomas Hammock, and all that helped me along the journey. Thank you thank you thank you
Ball
finished his UW career as the NCAA record holder for career touchdowns (83) and
career rushing touchdowns (77). He ranks second in program history in
rushing yards to Ron Dayne with 5,140 yards.
Also, Ball still holds the distinction
as the only player to run for 100 yards in three straight Rose Bowls.
Ball,
who was a second-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos and played two NFL
seasons, responded to the honor on social media.
“This is
such an honor,” he wrote on X. “Thank you so much to all the voters, the
committee, Badgers fans, my family, my teammates, UW football, Thomas Hammock
and all that helped me along the journey. Thank you thank you thank you”
One of the best
running backs in school history now helps teens and young adults in his
community
MADISON, Wis. — The first
edition of the Big Ten Football Championship Game, in 2011, was an instant
classic. In a back and forth affair on the Lucas Oil Stadium turf in
Indianapolis, Wisconsin running back Montee Ball scampered for 137 yards and
three scores on the ground. In a well-rounded offensive performance, the UW
junior also grabbed a touchdown catch and completed a 32-yard pass to
quarterback Russell Wilson.
On the other
side of the ball, the Badger defense was tasked with containing future NFL
stars Kirk Cousins and Le'Veon Bell. Chris Borland, a redshirt sophomore linebacker, made seven
tackles.
After a
7-yard Ball touchdown run with 3:45 to play, the UW defense held on to seal the
42-39 victory and send the Badgers to Pasadena for a second consecutive season.
Wisconsin
Badgers running back Montee Ball (28) celebrates a victory after the Big Ten
Football Championship NCAA football game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers
Saturday, December 1, in Indianapolis. The Badgers won 70-31 to send the team
to the Rose Bowl.
More
than 11 years after that rollercoaster evening in Indy, Ball and Borland
grabbed coffee in Madison this spring. Ball, who was in town for a speaking
engagement, had time to catch up with his former teammate before his flight
home.
"We
were drinking coffee and (Chris) asked me what time my flight was," said
Ball. "He was like, 'Hey, Mac wants to chat with you.'"
Later that
morning, Borland and Ball
arrived at Kellner Hall and stepped into the office of Wisconsin Director of
Athletics Chris McIntosh, overlooking Camp Randall Stadium. McIntosh shut the
door.
"I was
immediately blown back. I was caught off guard. I was not expecting it
whatsoever. And of course, I immediately started to tear up, because it means a
lot to me."
Borland, who
was in on the surprise, stood by as Mac delivered the good news.
"Obviously,
Mac had shared it with him," said Ball. "I looked at him and was like
'you son of a gun.' So, it was obviously an amazing moment. They had the
Kleenexes ready for me. I was just looking out on the field just reminiscing on
everything. It just came at me really quickly and it was again, just a moment
that I'll never forget."
Monday, June 5 will be another day Ball will remember for a long time. Not only
was that the day Ball's UW Athletic Hall of Fame induction was officially
announced but it coincided with the announcement of his inclusion on the 2024
College Football Hall of Fame ballot. He is one of 78 FBS players to be
selected for the ballot. If chosen, Ball would be just 13th player in Badger
history to be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. The voting
results will be announced
in January, 2024.
UW
Athletic Hall of Fame: Montee Ball
Top Five
One: In
a Badger uniform on Saturdays, Ball assembled one of the most impressive
careers for a ball carrier in both UW and college football history. In a
Badger football record book that includes legends like Ron Dayne, Jonathan
Taylor, Melvin Gordon and James White, Ball ranks third all-time with 5,140 career rushing yards.
By splitting time with Gordon, White and John Clay, Ball competed directly for
carries with peers who combined for six 1,000-yard seasons and 58 100-yard
rushing performances.
In 2011, Ball scored 39 total touchdowns, matching
the legendary Barry Sanders' NCAA single-season record. He totaled 1,923
rushing yards, the most in the country, and was a finalist for the Heisman
Trophy. That fall belonged to Ball.
"We had
such an emphasis in 2011, starting from summer conditioning and into training
camp, where we just told each other that when we get the opportunity to score,
we must score a touchdown," said Ball. "We must finish the drive. We
wanted to dominate, we wanted to score."
Ball went on to finish his Wisconsin career with a
school record 77 rushing touchdowns and a then-FBS record 83 total touchdowns.
Two: As
part of that historic 2011 season, Ball's performance in the Big Ten
Championship helped propel the Badgers to the Rose Bowl. Ball
remembers the matchup against Michigan State in Indianapolis as one of the
greatest games he played in.
"Watching
the fans travel to Indianapolis and fill the stadium, seeing the scene in
there, and just the emotions from that game, those are things I'll never
forget."
After a
last-second defeat at the hands of the Spartans in East Lansing earlier in the
season, the revenge was sweet for the Badgers.
"I love
that Michigan State memory because we wanted to get that revenge so bad on them
from that Hail Mary. We were able to get that revenge."
The Badgers then ascended on Southern California
for the Rose Bowl, the second of three that Ball would play in during his
career. Ball totaled three separate 100-yard rushing performances in those
games, the only player in the illustrious history of the 'Granddaddy of Them
All' to accomplish that feat.
Three:
The big moments in those seasons were shared with teammates who bought in and
worked to be part of something bigger than themselves.
"We
had some great players on both sides of the football," he said. "We
were really just flowing as a unit. In practice, we were focused. In the film
room, we were focused. In 2011, I really think Russell (Wilson) brought that
over to us. It helped us get over that hump of really becoming a dominant team
and I think that's what we did."
Looking
back, Ball recognizes the support and guidance he received from teammates and
the coaching staff as the Badgers flourished in the early 2010s.
"I think when you look at
those 2010-2012 seasons, I really believe Barry (Alvarez), Coach (Bret) Bielema
and the coaching staff did a great job of putting people in the right positions
to really allow us to be successful."
When
reflecting on his career, Ball was quick to credit others for their impact on
his career and legacy. The greatness inside those Badger running back rooms
helped Ball make his mark as a generational talent.
"With
those running backs that were in the room with me, I believe there's no way
that I'd be in consideration for the Hall of Fame if it wasn't for those guys
pushing me. I had to perform better in order to just be on the field because
that's how good they were."
Off the
field, Ball recognized that his support group helped pave the way for his
success between the lines.
"I also
want to thank my family. My parents, my sisters, my grandmother, my uncle and
every single person who supported me throughout my whole journey from a young
age. This honor is something I'm sharing with them as well."
Four: Ball's experience with dark days and adversity is
part of his personal journey as well. With the
highs of his athletic career, collegiately and professionally, Ball also dealt
with lows that included bouts with alcoholism.
Through the
many trials and tribulations Ball weathered during his career as a Badger, an
NFL player and as a person, the recognition from his alma mater provided a
full-circle moment. Ball, who was emotional upon learning of his inclusion into
the UW Athletic Hall of Fame, wasn't sure this day would ever come.
"I
didn't think this would be in the works for me," he said. "Let's just
call a spade a spade here, I've made some mistakes that I've made amends about
and that I've taken ownership for. I'm still in long-term recovery to this day.
So, today this means so much. When I signed my letter of intent to become a
Badger, I was told that once you're a Badger, you're always a Badger. I think
this right here, proves it."
Five: These days, Ball is living in Denver and working as
a licensed realtor and a clinical outreach ambassador at Sandstone Care, a
treatment facility.
"My
day-to-day, is not only focused on myself and my son, Maverick, but outside of
that, I give back to communities," said Ball. "And now, what I'm
doing, is giving back to teens and young adults, regarding addiction treatment.
It fills my cup as well. And that's what I'm going to keep doing.
"And
now I can say I'm a Hall of Fame running back at the University of
Wisconsin."
Earlier today, ESPN’s Bill Connelly tried his hand at naming the top 100 running backs
in college football over the last 60 years – talk about a tall order.
Among those named
on Connelly’s list were four former Wisconsin Badgers running backs: Melvin Gordon (No.
20), Montee Ball (No. 19),
Ron Dayne (No. 12), and Jonathan Taylor (No. 11).
In all honesty, anything less than four players from RBU
would have been completely unacceptable. Especially considering that of the top
50 career rushing totals in NCAA history, five of them belong to Wisconsin
Badgers running backs.
The University of Wisconsin is known as an old school, run
heavy team – and as a result have had more Doak Walker recipients (5) than any
other program since the award’s conception.
You can read Bill Connelly’s entire top 100 running backs
list below:
Mercury Morris! Travis Etienne! Mike Alstott! Troy Davis! Darrens McFadden and Sproles! A bunch of Wisconsin and SDSU dudes! All the guys you’d expect at the top!
I ranked the top 100 CFB (FBS) RBs of the last 60 years because of course I did.https://t.co/wOjSXQKPam
MADISON,
Wis.– #28 is known for turning things around for Wisconsin on the football
field. Now, UW Health hopes having Montee Ball on its team will be a
gamechanger in helping the state of
Wisconsin improve its vaccination rate, specifically within the black
community.
We’ve been reporting on doctors’ concern for weeks: that while
nearly three-quarters of white people in Dane County are vaccinated,
three-quarters of Black people are not.
“There are
some things health care workers have done to break trust within the Black
community, but this is most certainly not one of them,” said Montee Ball, in an
exclusive interview with News 3. “Getting vaccinated is one of the things we need
to come together as a team and do.”
This weekend, the
Badger great is partnering with UW Health and the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease
Research Center for a free vaccination clinic at Penn Park this Saturday, July
31. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and is open to anyone 18+. Health
care workers will offer both the two-shot Moderna vaccine and the single-shot
Johnson & Johnson.
Ball, who received the one-and-done J&J
vaccine in March, will be onsite to talk with anyone who attends Saturday’s clinic
about the vaccine, as well as his time with the Badgers and his stint in the
pros, which he writes about in his new book, ‘Nowhere to Run.’
“The statistics show that if you’re vaccinated,
yes, you can still catch COVID, but the chances of you being hospitalized are
drastically lower,” said Ball.
Montee
Ball and Chris Borland helped Wisconsin win the inaugural Big Ten championship
in 2012. Five years later, they helped the university make a groundbreaking
addition to its athletic training staff. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Graham
Mertz felt more mindful on every snap last season.
The University of Wisconsin quarterback had a unique advantage
over every other passer in 2020: The only full-time meditation coach
in college sports.
Chad McGehee became the first person in the world to earn the
title of Director of
Meditation Training last May, when Wisconsin's athletic
department approved the groundbreaking hire.
"As soon as he got on staff, you could see a difference in
guys just being more in the moment." Mertz told Insider.
McGehee
joined Wisconsin just in time for Mertz's redshirt freshman season, a hiring
that Mertz said was critical to the team coping mentally during the COVID-19
pandemic. The added mindfulness training helped Mertz lead the Badgers to a
Duke's Mayo Bowl victory over Wake Forest in his first year as the
starter.
For Mertz, the training has helped him keep a short memory on
the field and build a new layer into his relationships with teammates.
"It's a little reset for me," Mertz said. "How
can you reset every play to be ready for the next coverage, the next blitz?
Chad always talks about being in the eye of the hurricane, and that's his
metaphor for 'you got a
lot of uncontrollable stuff going on around you, and how can you ground
yourself in how you think and how you act?' And that's truly just being in the
moment."
Now, with a year of meditation experience under
their belts, Mertz and his teammates are becoming an example that other
programs might follow soon.
"Lots
of people have reached out, and I think there's growing interest," McGehee
told Insider.
"Sixty years ago, most
athletes weren't lifting weights. They thought it would wear their bodies out.
Now, of course, it's central to every athletic training program at every
level," he added. "I see what we're doing at Wisconsin as being on a
similar trajectory, where we'll
look back in five, 10, 15 years, and training the mind in this way will be just
as normal as training the body."
Chris Borland's shocking NFL
retirement set the stage for a key experiment
The university's decision to invest in McGehee was based on a 2017 pilot program conducted
by the Center for Healthy Minds – a research institute at Wisconsin focused on
studying the mind and emotions. The program involved 17 former football players
recruited by Wisconsin football alum and former NFL player Chris Borland, who
devised and planned the program.
Borland, a third-round draft pick out of Wisconsin in
2014, stepped into a starting linebacker role for the San Francisco 49ers as a
rookie. But after his first NFL season, Borland retired at 23 due to
concussion concerns – making him the highest-profile NFL player to quit
the sport at a young age because of worries about head injuries.
Borland
pitched his vision for a group meditation experiment with athletes to Richard
Davidson, the founder and chair for the Center for Healthy Minds.
"Athletes will do anything that works ... whatever gives
you that 1% edge," Borland told Insider. "Thanks to Richie's
groundbreaking research, I didn't have to do a lot of that transitional work. I
said, 'look, it might sound funny or strike you as strange or sound entirely
new to you, but here are the brain scans, here are the testimony from people
that have gone through similar work ... It's physiological. It's
effective.'"
Chris
BorlandBarry Brecheisen/Getty Images
Borland and Davidson spent the next
year planning a first-of-its-kind experiment that would train former the former
football players unlike any physical training regimen ever devised for
athletes.
"It was almost like
a rookie class or a freshman class because 14 out of 17 guys were completely
new to the practice and never formally meditated," Borland said.
McGehee,
a former Division III soccer player turned meditation specialist, was assigned
as the main instructor.
McGehee's passion for the practice stemmed from experience
during his own athletic career in college, when he struggled to balance it with
his ongoing grief for his father, who'd died during McGehee's senior year of
high school.
"It was a tremendous amount of suffering I was dealt with,
and then I go off to college, and I was playing soccer," McGehee told
Insider. "How do I manage my life? Manage the demands of being a college
athlete, including the academic demands? It just kind of all felt like too
much. I really wished I would have had someone who could have been slowly
working with me to develop skills to deal with those things."
McGehee first took a step toward
specializing in meditation training for athletes with a session for field
hockey players at Kent State University and his experience as an athlete made
him an ideal candidate for what Borland and Richardson were looking to achieve.
Borland said McGehee could relate to athletes better than other meditation
specialists.
Athletes were unprepared for the program's surface-level
exercises
After the program's second session, McGehee wasn't sure if the
participants would be back for a third.
"I was asking these guys to do practices, to kind of get
closer to the experience of what was happening in their own minds and
bodies," McGehee said. "Which is a radical thing for most
athletes to train to do, especially if there's any level of pain or
difficulty."
For McGehee, the
goal was to help the participants build endurance mentally, just as they
already had for physical challenges. All 17 returned in week
three.
"Pain plus
resistance is suffering. So it's the mind that has a whole lot of that
resistance, and by seeing that, by shifting our relationship to it, then a lot
less suffering happens," he said.
Former running back
Montee Ball, a Heisman candidate for Wisconsin in 2011, was one of the
participants who came to the program without prior meditation experience.
Chris
Borland and Montee BallDan Sanger/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon
Sportswire via Getty Images
"My
first ever time doing a meditation practice was in that group." Ball said.
"We lied down in the middle of the floor and just looked up at the ceiling
... we were then instructed to focus on parts of our body that were in pain,
and it was actually my left knee. And after about five minutes, the pain had
significantly decreased."
After Ball's NFL career
ended in 2016, his post-retirement commitment to mental health and a
friendship with Borland from their playing days at Wisconsin led Ball to delve
into mindfulness.
"When
I was in college, I would not have been receptive to it," Ball said.
"I wish I would have; I wish it was available then, but unfortunately, it
wasn't."
Meditation could spread to more athletes and schools
Wisconsin's incoming classes will have McGehee as a resource, as
well as athletes like Mertz who've gotten a year of their own meditation
experience to share.
"I will definitely try to get everybody on it," Mertz
said. "It won't be really forced on anyone, but it's an option, and it's a
great option, and a lot of guys will go with it."
Mertz admitted he would even be willing to participate in
programs similar to the one led by Borland to help spread meditation training
to more athletic programs in the future.
Meanwhile, the 17 members of the original 2017 pilot program are
scheduled to meet for a Q&A with The Center for Healthy Minds later this
month to reflect on their experiences.
"We want the center to keep working in
sports, so we're just checking in on the guys and just having a Q&A about
what they think was good, what could be improved, and how to continue," Borland said. "As it gets
more press and people realize the benefits, I see that being replicated
elsewhere. I just think they've started something that will catch on."
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.
On the eve of the 106th Rose Bowl
Game between No. 6 Oregon (11-2) and No. 8 Wisconsin (10-3), it's time to look
back on a memorable decade for the Badgers.
Since
2010, UW has played in six New Year's Six bowl games, including four trips to
the Rose Bowl. Only Alabama (8), Clemson (8), Ohio State (8) and Oklahoma (8)
played in more during the decade. During that span, Wisconsin has amassed 102
total wins, seven double-digit win seasons, and three Big Ten Conference
titles.
Wisconsin's
102 victories are the fifth-most among power-five teams this decade, trailing
only Alabama (123), Ohio State (117), Clemson (116), and Oklahoma (109).
Over the last 10 years, UW has
also sent nearly 40 players to the NFL Draft, with more coming following the
2019 season. The Badgers have also produced 11 consensus first-team
All-Americans, nine individual major award winners, and six top-10 finishes for
the Heisman Trophy.
It's
time to take a trip down memory lane as Badger247 names our All-Decade Team for
2010-2019.
BIGGEST SNUBS
Dan Voltz -
Career was cut short due to injury. Was a two-time All-Big Ten selection.
Bradie Ewing -
Fifth round pick of the Falcons in 2012
Montee
Ball - Doak Walker Award
winner in 2012. Heisman Trophy finalist and Big Ten Offensive Player of the
Year in 2011. Second round pick by the Broncos.
Jacob Pedersen -
Finished seventh at UW with 17 touchdown receptions, most by a tight end in
program history. Had just shy of 1,400 career receiving yards.
Kyle Costigan -
Consensus first-team All-Big Ten as a senior.
Jack Cichy -
Career cut short by injuries. Sixth round pick by the Buccaneers.
David Edwards -
Fifth round pick by the Rams. Two-time second team All-Big Ten.
Ryan Connelly -
Butkus Award semifinalist. Had 251 tackles and 29 for loss.
Darius Hillary -
Started 40 consecutive games at cornerback, played in a school record 54
contests. Owns 19 career pass breakups.
Tanner McEvoy -
Former quarterback and wide receiver that moved to safety. In just two seasons
at the position, McEvoy posted seven interceptions.
Andrew Van Ginkel -
Had 12.0 sacks in his two seasons at UW. Fifth round pick of the Dolphins.
QUARTERBACK - RUSSELL WILSON
Russell Wilson only
played one season at Wisconsin, but the North Carolina State transfer shredded
numerous single-season passing marks in 2011. A finalist for the Manning and
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm awards, Wilson led the Badgers to the 2011 Big Ten
Championship by throwing for 3,175 yards and 33 touchdowns while completing 73
percent of his pass attempts. A third round pick of Seattle, Wilson won a Super
Bowl with the Seahawks in 2013 and has been named to the Pro Bowl seven times.
Tough call here, but as a hypothetical coach, I've gotta go with
the guy who doesn't put the ball on the ground and is more of an all-around
back. The 2014 Doak Walker Award winner, Melvin Gordon had
a junior season that was worthy of winning the Heisman Trophy, rushing for
2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns. In just three seasons, which were spent sharing
carries with James White, Montee
Ball, and Corey Clement, Gordon
racked up nearly 5,000 yards rushing and 45 touchdowns, averaging 7.6 yards per
carry. Gordon was a first round draft pick of the Chargers in 2015.
Another difficult call here, but I like my fullbacks mean and
nasty. That's where I think Derek Watt has
the edge. He's not the versatile, utility fullback, but when I need a yard on 4th
and 1, I can count on Watt to make a hole. Watt played in 47 games over his UW
career and was a sixth round draft of the Chargers.
Jared Abbrederis was
a fifth round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2014. A two-time
first-team All-Big Ten selection, Abbrederis owns 3,140 career receiving yards
and 23 touchdowns. Abbrederis also won the Burlsworth Trophy as the best player
in college football who began their career as a walk-on.
Currently
in his third year with UW, Quintez Cephus has
1,437 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. As a junior, Cephus has posted 842
yards and six scores. From a talent standpoint, he could be the best wide
receiver for the Badgers since Lee Evans.
Troy Fumagalli was
a fifth round pick by the Denver Broncos in 2018. He was a two-time All-Big Ten
pick, including a first-team selection as a senior. Also named the Big Ten's
top tight end in 2017, Fumagalli was a finalist for the Mackey Award and a
second-team AP All-American. Over his career, Fumagalli caught 135 passes for
1,627 yards and seven touchdowns and was one of the better blocking tight ends
for UW in recent memory as well.
LT: Gabe Carimi - Outland
Trophy winner and Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2010. Unanimous
first-team All-American. First round pick of the Bears in 2011.
LG: Travis Frederick -
First true freshman to ever start a season opener on the offensive line. First-team
All-American in 2012, first round pick by the Cowboys, five-time Pro Bowl
selection.
C: Tyler Biadasz -
Won the Rimington Award in 2019. Twice was named first-team All-Big Ten.
RG: Kevin Zeitler -
First round pick by the Bengals. Named first-team All-American as a senior.
RT: Ryan Ramczyk -
First-team All-American and consensus first-team All-Big Ten as a junior. First
round pick by the Saints.
Wisconsin's had its most
successful defenses in the 3-4, so we're going to stick with that scheme.
J.J. Watt is
an easy pick. In two seasons, Watt recorded 11.5 sacks and was named first-team
All-Big Ten as well as a second-team All-American as a junior. A first round
pick by the Texans, Watt has led the NFL in sacks twice and been named to the
Pro Bowl five times.
Olive Sagapolu was
one of the biggest unsung heroes for the Badgers. For four years, Sagapolu did
the dirty work in the middle of the 3-4 defense, registering 61 tackles, 10 for
loss, and 6.0 sacks. He was also freakishly athletic for a 6-foot-2, 330-pound
lineman.
Since
UW turned to the 3-4 defense, no defensive end had more sacks in a single season
than Alec James. A
second-team All-Big Ten pick as a senior, James had 11.0 career sacks,
including 6.5 as a senior.
OLB: Joe Schobert-
First-team All-American, first-team All-Big Ten, and Big Ten linebacker of the
year as a senior. Was a fourth-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns in
2016.
ILB: Chris Borland - Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in
2013 as well as a first-team All-American. Was named first-team All-Big Ten for
three-straight years (2011-13). Third round pick by the 49ers.
ILB: T.J. Edwards-
Two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection. First-team All-American as a senior.
Had a very impressive 10 career interceptions to go along with 367 total
tackles and 36 f0r loss.
OLB: T.J. Watt - First
round pick of the Steelers in 2017. First-team All-Big Ten and second-team
All-American in his final season as a junior.
Sojourn Shelton was
a four-year starter for the Badgers. He was an All-Big Ten pick three different
seasons, including first-team as a senior. He started a school record 51 games.
His nine career interceptions rank eighth on UW's all-time list, while his 41
pass breakups stand fourth.
Antonio Fenelus finished
his career with nine interceptions as well. He also logged 155 total tackles
from the cornerback spot. As a senior, he was named first-team All-Big Ten.
Michael Caputo was
one of the toughest players to ever put on a Badger uniform. He finished his career
with 244 tackles, including 10 for loss at the safety spot. Caputo was also a
three-time All-Big Ten pick and a second-team All-American (FWAA) as a junior.
Aaron Henry owns
181 tackles and seven interceptions. He was also a consensus first-team All Big
Ten selection as a senior and took home All-Big Ten honors in three different
seasons.
Kicker - Rafael Gaglianone was
arguably the most clutch kicker in program history. Gaglianone made four
game-winning kicks, the most ever by a Wisconsin kicker. His 70 field goals are
also a program record. Gaglianone made 76.1 percent of his field goal attempts,
a mark that stands fifth in UW history.
Punter - Brad Nortman has
a punting average of 42.1, which ranks third in program history. Nortman also
ranks fourth with 8,338 career punting yards.
Ex-players like Jake Coker, who led the Crimson Tide to a national championship three years ago, join others who sell policies By ...
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