A
"I definitely feel like I've been in the same boat as
Jared,'' said Frederick, a senior from Sharon, Wis.
"Other than the fact that I knew that I was going to
be some place in the United States.''
Frederick was the 31st overall selection during
the NFL draft on April 25 in New York City.
"It's definitely a trying time before the draft,''
Frederick said. "You have no idea where you're going to end up or where you're going with your life.
It's definitely a relief once you're drafted.''
Frederick was introduced to the business side
of his sport when he signed with an agent ― Joe
Panos, a former UW offensive tackle and captain ―
and began training for the NFL Scouting Combine.
"You learn a little bit more about the process,'' he
said, "and how things work.''
Last weekend, Frederick took part in a three-day
rookie mini-camp in Dallas. There were nearly 50
players in attendance, consisting mainly of draft
picks and undrafted free agents.
The numbers will more than double when the
DAVID STLUKA
lthough they won't officially "walk
the walk'' until Saturday ― when they
will walk across the stage at the Kohl
Center and collect their undergraduate degrees during commencement
exercises ― Wisconsin centers Travis Frederick
and Jared Berggren have already graduated into
the business world.
This would be the world of childhood dreams
and the big business of professional sports for
Frederick, a first-team All-Big Ten football player
and first-round draft choice of the Dallas Cowboys;
and Berggren, a second-team All-Big Ten basketball player whose destination is still to be determined.
"The next couple of months are completely up in
the air for me,'' said Berggren, a senior from Princeton, Minn. "I could be any place in the country or
in the world.''
The NBA will conduct its two-round draft on
June 27 in Brooklyn.
42 » VARSITY
MAY 16, 2013
