Varsity - The Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics

Special senior class can leave lasting legacy THE VOICE MATT LEPAY • VOICE OF THE BADGERS F or a tough dude who grew up on a hog farm and went on to play defensive line in the Big Ten, Bret Bielema can be a softie. The sixth-year Badgers head coach does not hide the fact that he can be sentimental, especially when it comes to his family, close friends and his football team. This Saturday, the Badgers play their final home game of the season, with the Leaders Division title on the line. The winner of this week's Penn State-Wisconsin game will advance to the Big Ten champi- onship game in Indianapolis, where a Rose Bowl trip is at stake. Saturday also is Senior Day, when 21 players will make their fi- nal Camp Randall Stadium appear- ance. This is what makes the head coach's eyes water. It happened a couple of times during his Mon- day news conference. It has been known to happen when we tape Bielema's TV show. Whenever he talks about players nearing the end of their careers, the farm boy from Prophetstown, Ill., has a difficult time holding back the tears. "Senior day is going to be very tough here," Bielema said on his show following the win at Illinois. "You are playing the last game at home with a lot of kids that you love, parents that you love, people you have grown close with for four or five years, and you are never go- ing to want to say goodbye." As the seniors run on to the field, one-by-one, there is a good chance that Bielema will not be the only person in need of a hanky. 68 » VARSITY NOVEMBER 24, 2011 As is generally the case, this senior class is made up of an in- teresting mix of young men, each with his own story, and each has made his mark on the Wisconsin program. I can only sit back and admire someone like Josh Oglesby, who has endured six knee surger- ies and continues to suit up every week. Had he decided to give up the game, there would have been no shame, but he kept pushing. He remains an important part of the As is generally the case, this senior class is made up of an interesting mix of young men, each with his own story, and each has made his mark on the Wisconsin program. Badgers' offensive line. Imagine what it is like to be Nick Toon. To the credit of his father, Al, who will be this week's honor- ary captain, it always has been important for Nick to carve his own niche. Nick is very proud of his fa- ther's accomplishments, on and off the field, but clearly Nick has made a name for himself, as well. The list goes on and on. Bradie Ewing could have pursued a col- lege basketball career, but luckily for Bielema, the Richland Center native chose football, and after battling through his own lousy luck with injuries, has turned into a standout fullback who might be best known for his crushing block that helped David Gilreath score on the opening kickoff in last year's game with Ohio State. There is long snapper Kyle Woj- ta, who last October tore his ACL. It was the week of the Ohio State game. Bad knee and all, there was no way he was going to miss that game, or any game for that matter. He continued to snap on field goals and extra points the rest of the sea- son, and this year has returned to his role of snapping on both kicks and punts. Maybe you do not know the name Kyle Wojta. That is good. Long snappers thrive on keeping a low profile. He has, which means he is very good at what he does. For both teams, emotions will be running high Saturday. From strictly a football standpoint, this Wisconsin squad has had to fight through its share of adversity, and it has done so with distinction. After losing back-to-back games in heartbreaking fashion, it would be easy to point fingers. This team seem to have avoided that trap, and a conference title remains in play. Everybody loves a rivalry game at the end of the season. There will be plenty of those this weekend. In time, perhaps the Badgers and Penn State will turn into a good rivalry, as well. In the meantime, rivalry or not, this is the Big Ten's Big Show for the week. The winner gets to play on an even bigger stage the follow- ing week. Not a bad storyline for senior day.

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