and he acknowledged "the feedback
that I got was pretty negative'' because
he was so much lighter than his playing weight at Wisconsin.
But there was an explanation.
"The purpose for losing the weight
was kind of contested,'' he said. "A lot
of people thought it was so I would run
faster (in the 40). Obviously it didn't
help with that.''
Frederick's goal was to get rid of
some of that "extra fat'' while he was
training in California with the assistance of a nutritionist. "All my meals
were made for me and it was very
healthy,'' he said.
Thus, he was able to "lean up a little
bit'' and put on muscle weight after
the combine. "Most NFL centers play
at 315 or less,'' said Frederick who's
back up to 320. "But that's not who I
am.''
Similar to former UW teammate Peter Konz, who was drafted as a center
but wound up starting at guard for the
Atlanta Falcons, Frederick has the versatility to play both positions.
Because of smaller rosters, NFL
teams don't carry an abundance of
offensive linemen. Behind the starters, there's often one tackle that can
play on either side and a guard-center
combo player.
"At Wisconsin,'' he said, "that was
something we focused on: playing
multiple positions. That's going to
give you the opportunity hopefully to
get on the field a little faster because
you can play both.''
Lately, he has been working 8-10 hour days. But
it has nothing to do with enhancing his draft value
and everything to do with his academic commitment on the Madison campus.
Frederick, who has been carrying a double major,
has been finishing projects. In May, he will have his
computer engineering degree while needing just six
50 ยป VARSITY
APR I L 25, 2013
At least one Badger has been selected in
the NFL draft in each of the past 34 years.
more credits for his degree in computer science.
On Thursday night, Frederick will watch the draft
with his mom, dad, brother, girlfriend and agent
(Joe Panos, the former UW offensive tackle). Ball
will also be surrounded by a houseful of family.
On waiting to hear his name called, Frederick
said, "I'm curious to see how it all feels. I've heard
multiple things. But I think it will be a fun experience and something I'll remember for a long time.''
