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Byrne won’t be slowed by ‘limitations’ LUCAS AT LARGE MIKE LUCAS • UWBADGERS.COM U W coach Bret Bielema teased Jake Byrne about the tank top that he was wearing, suggesting that it was a ‘throwback’’ – maybe not unlike Byrne, himself, the “throwback” tight end. This particular tank top was on sale at a State Street store and Byrne couldn’t pass it up. “Sun’s out, Guns out – kind of my motto,” he said with a smirk. The inscription on the tank top reads “The Endless Summer” – a title from a “throwback” surf movie from the ‘60s. As a college football player, Byrne realizes no such summer exists. Endless? But he insisted, “You kind of want it to get over so you can start the season.” Byrne, a senior from Rogers, Ark., doesn’t have time to get nostalgic about how fast the four years have flown by. “It feels like I just got started,” he said. But with the start of training camp last Friday, he said, “Coach B emphasizes the ‘first of last.’ So this is the ‘first’ day of my ‘last’ camp at Wisconsin. I have to take advantage of every day.” The hot summer days are not easy on Byrne, who was diagnosed with diabetes when he was 15. Ever since then, he has made the necessary life style adjustments in order to play football. “The heat definitely affects dia- betics and how their blood sugar fluctuates,” he said. “The insulin works different for each person. For me, it’s definitely a challenge but it’s nothing that slows me down. “The biggest thing is the re- sponsibility that goes along with checking your blood sugar. If my blood sugar isn’t where it should be, I don’t feel well and I don’t play well.” His blood sugar levels may swing a little low or a little high during practice, he said. But he makes sure that he stays on top of it by managing what he eats and taking the right amount of insulin. As a diabetic, he realizes that he always has to be on “top of his game.” That’s what he communi- cates to young athletes – who are dealing with diabetes – and their parents. “The more responsibility you take with it,” he said, “the more on top of it you are, then it’s really not a problem. But it does take extra work. I’ve been there and I’ve done that.” Nobody appreciates Byrne’s work ethic more than Joe Ru- dolph, the UW tight end coach. One of Rudolph’s favorite say- ings is “Argue for your limitations and they’re yours.” That is, if you’re arguing for something you can’t do – looking for a crutch or excuse – it’s yours. Rudolph has put his own spin on an old ‘throwback’’ line from an old “throwback” author, Rich- ard Bach, who wrote “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” and “Illu- sions” among other books. “Jake’s amazing with it (his diabetes),” Rudolph said. “He handles his business. You’d never know that it’s something he deals with day-in and day-out because he just deals with it. “It’s a nonfactor for him when it comes to competing or being a part of the team.” The 6-4, 260-pound Byrne is built like a “throwback” tight end. But he can run and catch. “I have the highest expectations for him,” Rudolph said. “Last year he really grabbed on to his role and played his tail off. I expect that again this year and I expect some growth. “The sky is the limit. I just want to see what he takes ownership of.” Beyond that tank top, of course.