Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/92372
Stave transitions from starter to supporter LUCAS AT LARGE MIKE LUCAS • UWBADGERS.COM L ittle did Wisconsin quarter- back Joel Stave know that when he was selecting an item from the Rose Bowl "gift suite'' that it would come into play the way it has recently. Along with his teammates, he had to make a tough call prior to last season's matchup against Oregon. "There were multiple gifts you could choose from,'' he said, "and this is the one I chose.'' Stave opted for a recliner. In ret- rospect, it has been a sleep-saver. Since breaking his collarbone in the Oct. 27 overtime loss to Michi- gan State — an injury that will likely sideline him the rest of the sea- son — he has been sleeping in the recliner instead of his bed. "They didn't say I had to sleep in a chair,'' he explained. "They just said I should try to prop myself up with pillows. But I figured if I've got the chair, I might as well use it.'' Stave peered down at his left arm, which was in a sling and pinned against his chest. "In my mind, every time I move it, I'm pulling it apart,'' he said. "Whether that's the case or not, it eases my mind knowing if I don't move it, it's going to heal better.'' His campus roommates, who are also teammates, have been atten- tive to his needs. Stave is sharing an apartment with tight ends Sam Arneson and Eric Steffes and defen- sive tackle Jake Keefer. "They've helped me tie my shoes in the morning,'' Stave said shyly. On that fateful day — Homecom- ing, no less — Stave and Arneson 10 » VARSITY NOVEMBER 8, 2012 helped each other. Long after Stave had left the Michigan State game with his injury, Arneson was flagged for holding, erasing a score. "Sam was obviously pretty upset about that,'' Stave recalled. "But that's the game of football. That's going to happen. You're going to get penalties and you're going to get injuries.'' Stave has watched the video of that game several times, and he has learned from it. "In a way, I'll play smarter (in the future),'' he said. "I'll throw the ball away when I can and not take any unnecessary hits. They dropped seven guys into coverage and noth- ing was really open.'' Fullback Derek Watt was run- ning his route to the boundary. "And I could have tried maybe to dump it out to Derek,'' Stave said. Instead, he remembered, "I was trying to step up and flush out to the right when he got ahold of me and kind of drove me on my shoul- der (into the turf).'' Stave was sacked by MSU defen- sive end William Gholston. "I guess I tried to fight it a little more than I should have when he had me wrapped up,'' said Stave. "When someone like that gets a hold of me, the odds of me getting out aren't good. "It's really hard because you want to stay up on your feet and you want to extend the play and stuff like that. But you've got to be smart at the same time. You learn through playing.'' Stave has dealt with this type of injury twice before. Not that he remembers both occasions. "I was born with a broken collar- bone just because of my size, I was 10-and-a-half pounds,'' he said. "I also broke it playing baseball in the sixth grade. I caught a pop-up and landed on my shoulder.'' Stave has not yet had a chance to visit with Josh Gasser, who blew out his ACL during basketball prac- tice the morning of the Michigan State game. "I'm sure I'll talk to him at some point,'' he said. Gasser has been lost for the season. Stave isn't completely sure about his timetable. "If I could and it would be smart for me to be able to play (in a bowl), yeah, I'd love to get out there and give it a shot,'' Stave said. "But if it's something where I'm not quite all the way back (physi- cally) or I could potentially reinjure it, then I don't think I would risk it.'' For now, Stave will do whatever he can to prepare Danny O'Brien and Curt Phillips. "They were always there to help me,'' said Stave, who took over as the Badgers' starter on Sept. 22, "and if they have any questions, or there's anything I can do to help them, I'd be more than happy to. "Obviously, we all wanted to play at the beginning of the year and we all want to play now. But whoever can go in there and give us the best chance to win, the other guys have to help him out. "At the end of the day, it's all about trying to get a victory for the team.''