Varsity - The Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics

Varsity - September 27, 2012

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VIDEO: BADGER BREAKDOWN - NEBRASKA that. I coach him hard and he takes it – that's good for the younger players to see, too. The neat thing about Abby is that he's as hard on himself as I am on him; even harder on himself. "He was texting me Sunday night on the things that he could have done better in the (UTEP) game. I'll tell him, 'Nice game, Abby.' And he'll say, 'I know coach, but there are a lot of things that I have to do to get better.' He's always the first guy to tell you that, he's always critiquing himself.'' So where can he still get better? "Route tech- nique,'' Azzanni said, "and he's not the most pow- erful guy in the world; he's still a little bit slight. He's got natural ability to do it but if we can get some of the ticks worked out, he'll get even more separation and he knows that.'' In addressing how he creates space between him- self and a defensive back, Abbrederis said, "When a lot of guys get past the DB, they look for the ball right away, so they're not running full-speed. I'll keep running out of my break and I won't look back until the ball is already in the air.'' That's how he put an "Abby'' on a 36-yard touch- down pass that he caught from Russell Wilson in 38 » VARSITY SEPTEMBER 27, 2012 last season's victory over Nebraska; a score that lifted the Badgers into a 20-14 lead that they would not relinquish. "One of the really good memories I've had playing and a pretty amazing feeling,'' he said. Since last facing the Huskers, Abbrederis has not only collected a second Rose Bowl ring, but he has added a wedding band. He now goes home af- ter practice to his wife Rachel where "it's nice to re- lax from football and school and you can turn your mind off for a little bit'' from any outside pressures. That's when he can take a step back – just like he does when he's hunting or ice-fishing with his old high school football teammates or talking to elementary or middle school children in Wautoma. He was asked if there's anything in the works for a billboard in Wautoma similar to the one in tiny Tony, Wisconsin, which proclaims itself as the home of Jimmy Leonhard, also a former UW walk- on. "Naaaw, I hope not; I'm not much into being the center of attention,'' said Abbrederis, who was clearly uncomfortable answering the question and seeing himself in that light, even if others do.

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