Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/160836
O BEHIND THE DESK Headline BY BARRY ALVAREZ // UW DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS ne of the things I like the most about our UW Athletic Hall of Fame is the fun I have getting a hold of each of the inductees on the phone and the reaction that they have when called. A lot of times they don't believe it's me; they think it's somebody playing a joke on them. But when they understand I'm serious ― and they're receiving the Hall of Fame honor ― it's really enjoyable to hear their responses. This is a really good class this year. I'll be honest, too, it's always special when it's one of your players; someone you recruited, someone you coached, someone you've watched grow through his career. That's the case with Jamar Fletcher. I'll never forget when we voted for captains when Fletch was a freshman and he voted for himself. Here's an 18-year old, 150-pound freshman and he's voting for himself for team captain. All I could do was smile and think, "This guy has got some confidence." Fletch didn't play defense in high school ― he was a quarterback on a championship team in St. Louis ― but he was a difference-maker for us on defense. He had great anticipation. I still remember a play he made against Oregon's Joey Harrington. It was right in front of our bench; Harrington threw a deep out. Fletch was quick as a cat and he read it, planted that foot and picked him. Fletch played in one of our better 16 // VARSITY August 29, 2013 secondaries. He was on one side and Mike Echols was on the other and we had Bobby Myers and Jason Doering at safety. That was a pretty good outfit. In only three years here, Fletch had 21 interceptions and memorable pick-sixes against Purdue and UCLA in the Rose Bowl. He played eight years in the NFL and has done I'D LIKE TO WORK OUT SOMETHING TO PLAY AT LAMBEAU FIELD. YOU'RE STAYING IN THE STATE SO OUR FANS GET A CHANCE TO SEE US PLAY, AND IT'S A SPECIAL PLACE THAT OPPONENTS WOULD LIKE TO EXPERIENCE. very well outside of football. I'm proud to see him come back as a Hall of Famer and I know that he's excited. He's bringing six or seven people with him, including his mom and dad. Last week, we announced that we would be opening the 2014 season against LSU at Reliant Stadium in Houston. If you want to play with the big boys, you want to be in this type of game. It really gives your players incentive in the off-season to work hard. It also gives you a chance to evaluate where you are as a program when you're matched against such a strong opponent. In 1997, we took a very young team to the Meadowlands in New Jersey to play a talented Syracuse team that had a bunch of first- round draft choices and Donovan McNabb at quarterback. We got spanked but I thought it was good for us. We got a lot out of that game. With the Big Ten going to nine league games, neutral sites are going to be more and more prevalent. I'd like to work out something in the future to play at Lambeau Field. You're staying in the state, so our fans get a chance to see us play and it's a special place that opponents would like to experience. When our fans walk into Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, they will notice some different things. There will be more offerings with our concessions, additional stations and outside restaurants. They will definitely notice our new scoreboard and they should be impressed with the high definition video screen. We'll be doing some new things with it to enhance the game day experience. We're also in the process of putting the finishing touches on a new patio called the Camp Randall Terrace that can accommodate about 100 people between the scoreboard in the north end of the stadium and our suites. It will have the same amenities as the suites, and businesses or groups can rent out the area. There will be seating on the rail above the students. It's the same sight line that I have from my office in Kellner Hall. I think it will become a special area to watch a game.