FOOTBALL
summer with our Wednesday morning position drills and 7-on-7's." After the type of season that he had in 2011 — highlighted by his 39 touchdowns and selec- tion as a Heisman finalist — Ball's profile has never been higher. "It's completely different," he agreed. "But my approach is the same. I ap- proached practice this spring harder than I did last year." That's a product of "having the same mental- ity and making sure I do the right thing," he said.
W
isconsin linebacker Mike Taylor subscribes to that philosophy — doing the right things — which is only fitting since Ball and Taylor
will be counted on for much of the senior leader- ship going into the 2012 season. Taylor did not practice this spring after hip surgery. "I'm still within the process of getting better, rehabbing," Taylor said. "I'm almost there, but we're being cautious. I have to build back up the strength and muscle and get back in shape. I'm getting back to running and lifting weights and it feels pretty good. We're working up to it pro- gressively. "I could probably have played in the spring game Saturday." Rest assured, Taylor would have played if it was Michigan State or Ohio State. Last week, he went to the film room and watched both of those losses from last season. "I wanted to learn from the mistakes," Taylor said. "I wanted to learn what were the key plays that cost us, especially in the key moments of the game. When the game was really on the line, (you ask yourself) how did you play? Did you do your job?
"You have to beat it into your head to be re- sponsible on every play. You can't take a play off because once you do, a big play can happen. That's definitely what happened in those two
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"Being a senior now, if I don't get the job done, how can I expect anyone else to get it done?" Ball asked. "I have to make sure I'm ac- countable every day for the younger players.
BRIAN MASON
