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While some of his Wisc0onsin football teammates headed
south for spring break ― Panama City, Fla., was among the
more popular destinations on the Gulf Coast ― Dez
Southward, the Florida kid, stayed on campus and
spent some of his free time watching practice video.
"Tickets were a little costly,'' said Southward,
who's from Sunrise, Fla., just outside of Fort Lauderdale. "By the time I looked into plane tickets, the
lowest one was $650. That's wasn't good for me. So
I went to Chicago for a weekend and stayed here
and worked out and watched film.''
All things considered, you could say the picture
― the big picture ― is crystallizing for Southward,
though he's not a Florida "kid'' anymore. He will
be a fifth-year senior and 23 in October. Only David Gilbert has appeared in more games (43) than
Southward, who has seen action in 41 and started
17.
The Badgers have no shortage of experience in
the front seven with six starters returning, including Gilbert, Beau Allen, Ethan Hemer, Brendan
Kelly, Chris Borland and Ethan Armstrong. By con-
"He's a great guy to look up to," Mitchell said
of Southward. "I'm trying to learn everything
he does and I try to apply it to my game."
26 » VARSITY
APR I L 4, 2013
trast, Southward anchors a secondary minus 2012
starters Shelton Johnson, Marcus Cromartie and
Devin Smith.
That trio played in a combined 138 games with
80 starts; only an injury to Johnson briefly disrupted the continuity last year. "Those were the guys
I hung out with a lot,'' Southward said of the departed seniors. "Now I'm hanging out with young
safeties and hopefully leaving an imprint on them.''
He already has on Reggie Mitchell, who had his
freshman season cut short by injury. Mitchell has
an interesting background. He's a former option
quarterback from Pittsburgh and Shady Side Academy. On a personal note, New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis is a cousin.
From a learning standpoint during spring practice, you can understand if the 6-foot, 183-pound
Mitchell feels like he's on an island at free safety because it's a new position in a new defensive scheme.
This is where Southward's veteran presence has already rubbed off on Mitchell.
"He's a great guy to look up to because he knows
the playbook and the position like the back of his
hand,'' Mitchell said. "I'm trying to learn everything
he does and I try to apply it to my game. I watch him
