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Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/40054
LUCAS AT LARGE
Walk-on Cummins gets closer to dream
by Mike Lucas
UWBadgers.com
Wide receiver Connor Cummins is like many other walk-ons who have turned down playing opportunities at smaller programs for the chance to play Big Ten football at Wisconsin.
“Just chasing a dream,’’ he said.
But his storyline differs sharply from others like him on the current roster in that he wasn’t raised on a steady diet of the Badgers while growing up. Cummins is from Kettering, Ohio.
The out-of-state tuition at UW can be tough to swallow. Especially in Cummins’ case since his mother is a secretary at University of Dayton Arena, which would have translated into free tuition.
Dayton has a good football program, too. Last season, the Flyers went 10-1 overall and 8-0 in the Pioneer League. “It would have been a good opportunity to play there and get school free,’’ he said.
But he wanted to test himself against the Michigan States and Ohio States, not the Central States and Morehead States. “I just wanted to play this type of football here,’’ Cummins said.
UW linebacker Chris Borland tried to stay neutral during the decision-making process. Borland and Cummins went to the same high school, Archbishop Alter. So did linebacker Cody Byers.
“I told him how great Wisconsin was,’’ Borland said. “But I let them deal with it as a family. I just said, ‘Hey, if you come here, you’ll enjoy it. Just let me know if you have any questions.’’’
UW coach Bret Bielema was actually checking out Byers as a potential recruit when he some saw film on Cummins and watched him play basketball, which led to his preferred walk-on invitation.
“I’ve known him my whole life and he’s always been a great athlete,’’ Borland said of Cummins. “But he really didn’t get into the lifting program. He was kind of old school play-the-game type guy.
“Once he got into the weight room and took it more seriously by starting to look at the sport as more of a science, he’s gotten more explosive and you can see it on the field.’’
Cummins, a redshirt freshman, had hernia surgery last spring. That put him in a hole.
“I know it was frustrating for him,’’ Borland said, “because spring ball was kind of his chance to break through. He lost time that he could have really used. But he’s having a good camp.’’
Will it be good enough to earn Cummins some playing time this season? Probably not. But he has drawn some attention to himself with some good routes and nice catches in practice.
“Chris taught me how hard it is to get on the field,’’ Cummins said, “and how you really have to take every day to get better. He has been pushing me and making sure I don’t take any days off.
“It wasn’t easy (as a freshman walk-on). You get a little frustrated when you’re redshirting. You’re getting beat up all the time on the scout team and every day you have to fight through it.’’
There’s someone on the coaching staff who can relate to what Cummins is going through. Graduate assistant coach Luke Swan persevered as a walk-on receiver to become a three-year starter.
“I’ve been picking his brain,’’ Cummins said with a faint smile, “to figure out how he did it.’’