Chris Borland (Photo by David Stluka)
The Wisconsin football teams of the last decade won a total of 102 games, second only to Ohio State’s 117 victories. The Badgers had three players named to the Big Ten All-Decade Team.
The Detroit Free Press surveyed six conference writers from the USA Today Sports Network to select the Big Ten’s All-Decade team.
There were a total of 10 teams represented on the all-decade squad. Ohio State had the most with six. Michigan had five, Michigan State had four, Penn State, Wisconsin and Iowa all had three. Maryland had two and Minnesota, Indiana and Purdue each had one player make the squad.
Leading the way for the Badgers is running back Jonathan Taylor, who played from 2017-19. Taylor won the Doak Walker Award twice, is a two time All-American, a three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection and a Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
In three seasons in Madison, Taylor ran for 6,174 yards and 50 touchdowns, with 407 receiving yards and five more scores.
Offensive lineman (guard) Kevin Zeitler made the squad, going from All-Big Ten to consensus first-team All-Big Ten in just one year. He earned invites to the Senior Bowl and NFL combine as an All-American and won Big Ten champions in 2010 and 2011. Zeitler played for the Badgers from 2008-11.
The third Badger to make the all-decade team is linebacker Chris Borland. He was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and an All-American in 2013, becoming just the fifth Badger to earn those honors. He was also named the Big Ten Linebacker of the Year his senior season, making 111 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
Borland played from 2009-13. He finished his five-year career with 420 tackles, 50 tackles for loss and 17 sacks. He was a three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection and three-time Big Ten champion. He won Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2009.