ETHAN HEMER »» FOOTBALL BADGERING...
A junior, defensive tackle Ethan Hemer has been a fixture on the Badgers' defensive line for the past two seasons, starting each of the last 20 games. This year, he helps front an experienced defense that will look to improve upon last season's effort that saw the Badgers rank No. 15 nationally in total defense and No. 13 in scoring defense. A former walk-on, Hemer was awarded a scholarship in January and is known among his teammates for his sense of humor.
Which of your teammates is the easiest to mess with?
"I love messing with Beau Allen. When we're in meetings, I'll just do quirky things to get him agitated. He's really ticklish, too, so I take advantage of that. It's really good because we're partners (at defensive tackle), we work off of each other, so there are times he gets at me a little bit. (Pat) Muldoon is a fun guy to mess with, too, because he's super serious all the time."
How would you describe your living situation with roommates Travis Frederick, Ryan Groy, A.J. Fenton and Danny O'Brien?
"Unique. We have a couple of offensive linemen (Frederick and Groy) that, when we're out here at practice, you hate them, but when we get off the field we're just fine. That's how we want it. We're able to make each other so much better. We'll come back home and laugh about practice, and we help each other with things that we might see that can make each other better. Danny is from the East Coast, so that adds a nice twist, and then there's A.J., who's calm, cool, plays his guitar and does his thing."
How is O'Brien handling all the country music that gets played in the house? "A lot of country music gets played in there, maybe to a fault sometimes. But we think it's a good thing. Danny was a little surprised I think, but he blended in so well and he's been a great roommate. I've got nothing but good things to say about Danny as a roommate, which is a good thing."
What has you excited about your group on the defensive line? "I like the energy that we've got as a D-line. I like our depth. I like that we've all played together for a long time. We've all got experience and there's a real excitement among our defense, especially among the D-line. Guys are amped up, ready to play. Everyone is ready to get to Saturday and play, and that's a good thing. I'm glad we have that."
22 » VARSITY AUGUST 23, 2012
