JARED ABBREDERIS
it was kind of different running routes and catch- ing the ball as a receiver. "Now, I'm running routes against press cover-
age when the DB is on me. I've gotten a lot better at that but there's a long ways to go. Still, looking back, it's like, 'Wow, I've come a long way.''' Was there more pressure on Abbrederis then to show the coaches that he could play? Or, is there more pressure on Abbrederis now to be a consistent playmaker?
"The pressure then was just try-
ing to get an opportunity to play,'' he said.
"The pressure was just trying to get someone to notice you so you could get on the field. "Now the pressure is different.
You have to be able to compete and make plays all the time or else you're going to lose that opportu- nity (to play). "I don't really feel it when I'm
when he's returning kicks. In the opener against UNLV, he returned three punts for 58 yards, in- cluding a career-long 30-yard return. "It's a lot of fun,'' he said, "just getting that ex- tra time to get the ball in the open field.'' Considering that senior Nick Toon is coming
"I'm excited for the future,'' he said. "I'm excited for the rest of the season to see what I can do and what this team can do because I think we've got a good thing going here."
out there because I'm out there for a reason. I can do those things (needed to play). If I drop a pass, I don't think, 'I'm going to be out of there' or any- thing like that. "I always put pressure on myself to perform well because I'm trying to be the best I can be.'' Abbrederis' level of confidence really emerges
off an injury-shortened junior season, it's hard to imagine where the Badgers would be without the stability that Abbrederis has brought to the rotation. "I'm excited for the future,''
he said. "I'm excited for the rest of the season to see what I can do and what this team can do because I think we've got a good thing going here. "I'm just looking forward to
getting better and improving each week.'' As far as his own walk-on status, Abbrederis said that he looked up to Luke Swan and Chris Maragos and Bradie Ewing when he was in
high school and weighing his odds of making at the UW.
"Hopefully,'' he said, "I can be an inspiration for some other people. We'll see.'' But he's not about to leave anything to chance; not now, he's come too far. "We'll just keep working'' he promised.
