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MONTEE BALL
the Brewers.
The irony is that Ball never played ball; base- ball.
"Not even T-ball,''
he said. "I only played football and basketball. I was a shooting guard and I had a pretty good 15-footer. But I didn't play my senior year so I could focus on training for football.'' Ball firmly believes that he is a product of his preparation. And that has been his vehicle to de- veloping into such a productive Big Ten running back, a ''one cut and go'' slasher. "What you do in practice, you will do in a game,'' he insisted. "Being a player, we all get tired of practice. But you have to find a way to
38 ยป VARSITY NOVEMBER 17, 2011
"I may have had a different approach to wanting to score a touchdown compared to a third-and-1 somewhere else on the field," Ball said. "But getting that one yard is like a touchdown if it keeps a drive going."
appreciate it knowing the hard work is going to carry forward.'' First-year UW assistant coach Thomas Ham- mock has been a strong influence. "Coach Hammock brought the 'finishing men- tality' to the table when he came here,'' Ball said. "We pride ourselves on finishing drives; making sure we finish with a touchdown, not a field goal. "A touchdown is a bigger statement.'' Hammock has preached bringing that mental-
