DAVID STLUKA
O
ver the last three weeks, Wisconsin coach Gary Andersen has made
inroads with his players in what
amounts to "Before" and "After"
stages. "Outside of football, it is different,'' he said of the "feel'' that he has now for
their relationship. "We're gaining ground as far as
where I want to be with them.''
Andersen was speaking from his office in Camp
Randall Stadium, when one of his players, Brian
Wozniak, walked by his door and peered inside.
Seeing that Andersen had a visitor, Wozniak started to walk away before Andersen yelled out to him,
"Hey, Woz, do you need me? What's up?''
Wozniak, a senior tight end from Loveland, Ohio,
32 » VARSITY
APR I L 25, 2013
wondered if Andersen could give him a
recommendation for an internship. Not
a problem, Andersen assured him. Their
conversation eventually got around to
family ― it usually does with Andersen
― and who Wozniak had coming to the
spring game.
After Wozniak left, Andersen said, "I'm
looking forward to being able to shake
hands with some of the family members
of these kids and be around them a little
bit this weekend so we can kind of give
the parents our vision of what we want
to be able to get done during the season
for them.''
A vision for the Badgers' program is
crystallizing for Andersen, who had his
own family reunion last weekend with
the arrival of his mother, two brothers
and a sister. All were visiting for the first
time. What would he tell them about the
transition, especially since the players
returned from spring break?
"Everything about it is very comfortable right now,'' he said. "From A to Z,
it's a good feel.''
It always starts with P, the players.
"They're not as skittish when they walk
by that door,'' said Andersen, picking
up where he left off ― before Wozniak
popped into his office ― on the inroads
that have been made. "They'll come in
and grab a piece of candy or they'll come in and
hang out.''
Some are more reticent or shy. "Which is natural, but I don't like that at all,'' said Andersen, who
would be receptive to just a Say-Hi Drive-By; a
player walking through one door and the out the
other. "I'd love them to do that. I want them to feel
like this is someplace where they can come.''
From what he has observed, there has been a
growing comfort level between the players and
their position coaches, all but two of whom are
new. "I see them sitting down in their coach's office
more,'' he said, "and they're not just watching tape,
but they're talking about the world and things.''
