Varsity - The Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics

Varsity - September 29, 2011

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BEHIND THE DESK

Pride in programs makes Saturday special

BY BARRY ALVAREZ
UW Director of Athletics

When I look at Saturday’s matchup between Nebraska and Wisconsin, I see two pretty good football teams. Whoever strikes the first blow and wins this game is going to be in good shape.

But it’s early in the year, and there’s going to be a lot of football played after this.

All the peripheral things this weekend will be fun for me because I will get a chance to see some people that I haven’t seen and some people I don’t see often.

Quite frankly, I’m anxious to show off what we have in Madison because I will get a chance to show off our city, our university, our campus, our facilities, our fans, and our game day atmosphere.

As a player at Nebraska, I took pride in how they ran things in Lincoln — from everybody being in red to the balloons being released after the first touchdown.

I always loved that atmosphere.

A few people have been asking me about that, too, ever since Nebraska joined the Big Ten and the schedule had the Huskers playing their first league game here.

I don’t know how many interviews I’ve done — more than I can remember — but everybody wants to draw parallels between what I’ve done with the Wisconsin program and my Nebraska roots.

Fact is, my fundamental background and coaching beliefs are based in Nebraska.

From the very beginning, I studied Bob Devaney and I really listened to what he had to say. I respected and admired him. In many respects, he was ahead of his time.

Everybody stole from Devaney, including me.  I stole his walk-on program and his out-of-season weight and conditioning program.

Devaney was the guy I tried to emulate starting with the way he practiced.

What stands out probably more than anything else was his practice organization and the way he dealt with people, particularly the players.

Devaney believed in the Gestalt theory; the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. That was the basis for his practice structure and the learning process at Nebraska.

You’d progress incrementally from individual periods to group work to team work. Devaney taught the big picture, piece by piece. Good team morale was an important piece.

Devaney used to say, “You have to be serious and work hard, but you have to enjoy what you’re doing and have fun. You can have the best players in the world — and lose — if they won’t play for you.’’

One of the earliest lessons I learned at Nebraska is that it always comes down to the same thing in football — whether you’re willing to hit. There are only so many guys who will smack you.

That’s the case at any level of competition. There are only so many guys who will stick their face in somebody’s sternum and really cause a collision.

As a high school coach, I used to sit down individually with my players who were going on to college and visit with them about what I felt it took to succeed.

I said, “If you’re physical — if you’re tough and willing to hit — they’ll find a place for you.’’

I think we’ll see two teams that believe in that Saturday at Camp Randall.

With all the emotion leading up to the Big Ten opener, everyone wants to know what I will feel like before the kickoff. I’ll feel very proud. These are my two teams.

I’m very proud of my alma mater, and I’m very proud of what we’ve built here.

It will be a special night.

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