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Setbacks haven't stopped resilient Oglesby LUCAS AT LARGE MIKE LUCAS • UWBADGERS.COM sonal recognition; certainly not the type of recognition that is subject to the selective whims of analysts or voters. W "I know in my heart that I played well when I played well,'' he said. After six knee surgeries, Oglesby is grateful to still be playing the game that he loves. That tends to carry more weight with his team- mates and the coaches who know what he has endured. "Recognition is knowing that I've done all I can do to help this team,'' said Oglesby, a fifth-year se- nior from Milwaukee, "and people have acknowledged it by saying, 'It's good to see you out there.''' Oglesby's play was recognized in a different forum Monday when he was named first-team All-Big Ten by both the conference's head coaches and a media panel. It meant a great deal to him, too. That was true even though his name was misspelled — it showed up on the screen as "Ogelsby'' and not Oglesby — on the 60-minute Big Ten Network special which an- nounced the all-league teams. It's the thought that counts. "Nothing beats playing,'' Oglesby was thinking and saying now, "and being a part of our success this year; especially having to come back from what I went through last year.'' Oglesby missed the Rose Bowl 10 » VARSITY DECEMBER 1, 2011 isconsin offensive tackle Josh Oglesby doesn't play football for per- "Nothing beats play- ing and being a part of our success this year; especially having to come back from what I went through last year," Oglesby said. run — the final six games of 2010 — after being forced to the side- lines with yet another knee injury that required yet another surgical procedure. That's why the Badgers' appear- ance in Saturday's inaugural Big Ten championship game against Michigan State holds such a special meaning for Oglesby. "Basically having to watch the team's success in winning the Big Ten championship last year'' he said, "and this year being able to participate in it, I think is going to be incredible for me.'' Oglesby has learned to take nothing for granted after being one of the most decorated and highly- recruited prep players to ever come out of the state of Wisconsin. In 2005, he was ranked among the top 15 juniors in the nation. Re- cruiters flocked to St. Francis High School; including Ohio State's Jim Tressel, Michigan's Lloyd Carr and Notre Dame's Charlie Weis. Six years later, Oglesby has sur- vived — the aforementioned head coaches have not. That's why Senior Day was so emotional for Oglesby last Satur- day at Camp Randall Stadium. "I got to my last home game knowing that I was going to be playing in my last home game,'' he said. That was no small feat consider- ing his injury history. The topper was being named one of UW's Of- fensive Players of the Week, along with guard Kevin Zeitler and tight end Jake Byrne. "It was just a culmination of everything,'' Oglesby said of his effort, "knowing it was my last time out there and knowing it was the last time my family would sit in those seats and watch me play.'' Oglesby had a flashback to the first time that he set foot on the Camp Randall turf as a high school sophomore in a WIAA Division 4 title game against Sturgeon Bay in 2005. "I just remember walking out there (on a Friday night) and see- ing all the lights,'' he said, "know- ing this is what you worked for all season — to get to a championship game.'' Oglesby will realize that goal again Saturday at Lucas Oil Sta- dium in Indianapolis. Nothing, he said, would mean more to him than winning a Big Ten title, "knowing that I was able to finish out my career standing on my own two feet and not needing those sticks (crutches) to walk.''