MOVING FORWARD
BY MIKE LUCAS • UWBADGERS.COM M said.
That's because the last time the Badgers played a home game — Nov. 26, 2011 against Penn State
— Armstrong was taken off the field in an ambu- lance after being injured while covering a second- quarter kickoff. The worst-case scenario was that he had dislocated both hips, so there was added precaution. But it wasn't as bad as it initially looked, he said; only a partial dislocation of his
edia days can be monoto- nous for players because of the repetitive nature of the questioning. Mostly it's a harmless fluff-and-flash (bulb) exer-
cise; one lost hour out of the day — unless you're Wisconsin linebacker Ethan Armstrong, who was actually looking forward to Sunday's media day at Camp Randall Stadium from the perspective of "I was sure hoping I would see'' another one. "I don't want to take anything for granted,'' he
right hip. Only?
"It was probably scarier for my parents than it was for me,'' Armstrong said. "They weren't at the game, so they had to watch it on TV. I'm sure it was a frightening experience. I don't really remember all that I was thinking (during the ambulance ride to the hospital). I was just really disappointed and hoping my teammates would continue to play well and get that victory.'' That was the good news: the Badgers closed out
the regular season by crushing Penn State, 45-7, and advancing to the inaugural Big Ten champi- onship game. The bad news was that Armstrong's season was over. Some might have viewed his col- lege football career in the same light. Addressing the number of people who likely counted him out, he said, "There was probably more than I want to know.'' That's why his presence at Sunday's media day was so meaningful. "I love the game, I love this
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After his sophomore season ended on a scary note, linebacker Ethan Armstrong has battled back and is now battling for a starting job — as a scholarship player