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Badgers Taylor named Big Ten’s top back

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Wisconsin Badgers tailback Jonathan Taylor was named the Ameche-Dayne Big Ten running back of the year for the second straight season.  He becomes the third back to win the award twice, joining former Badger Montee Ball and former Penn State standout Saquon Barkley.

Taylor was also a consensus first-team all-Big Ten selection for the third straight season.

Tayor finished at the top of the Big Ten in rushing yards per game (146.8) and rushing touchdowns (20).

Teammate (C) Tyler Biadasz was also a consensus first-team pick for the second straight season.

Left tackle Cole Van Lanen was a second-team pick by the media and honorable mention according to the coaches.

Wide receiver Quintez Cephus, tight end Jake Ferguson and right tackle Logan Bruss were consensus honorable mention.  Quarterback Jack Coan was honorable mention according to the media.

 

Wisconsin’s Taylor named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week

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Jonathan Taylor

Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor rushed 23 times for 203 yards and a pair of touchdowns, topping the 100-yard rushing mark for the 25th time in his 30-game career, was named the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season and the sixth time in his career.

Taylor became the first Wisconsin player in history to rush for at least 200 yards against Michigan.

Taylor scored his ninth overall touchdown of the season on a 1-year run to open the scoring in the first quarter, carrying eight times for 51 yards on the game-opening drive.

Only Ron Dayne (33) and Montee Ball (26) have more 100-yard games as Badgers.

Michigan State senior linebacker Joe Bachie was named the Defensive Player of the Week.

Illinois punter Blake Hayes was named the Special Teams Player of the Week and Nebraska wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

 

Ball tells Sporting news he’s an alcoholic

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Montee Ball

Former Wisconsin running back Montee Ball, in an interview with the Sporting News, says he drank heavily throughout his college and NFL careers, and through counseling has accepted he is an alcoholic.

Ball told SN that his heavy drinking began in 2011, his junior season in Madison, and throughout his brief NFL career when he would get drunk four times a week.

Ball said, “I was naïve enough to think my playing days would last forever. I would literally sit in the back of the room texting or being on Instagram not paying attention to the professional explaining to me about preparing for life after football and how important it is.”

Ball told the Sporting News, “I failed to use my platform to help others and to use the NFL as a stepping stone in life.  I surrounded myself with bad people, not on the team but in the city.  I was naïve enough to believe I had all the answers.  I’m still kicking myself in the butt for that.” [Read more…]

Gordon named Doak Walker award winner

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Melvin Gordon

Melvin Gordon

Wisconsin Badger running back Melvin Gordon was named winner of the Doak Walker Award as college football’s most outstanding running back during the Home Depot College Football Awards on the Boardwalk at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida on Thursday night.

Gordon was also named to the Walter Camp All-America Team, where he joined Indiana’s Tevin Coleman as a first-team running back.

Gordon became the third Wisconsin back to win the Doak Walker award, joining Ron Dayne in 1999 and Montee Ball in 2012.

Gordon rushed for 2,336 yards and 29 touchdowns.  He needs one touchdown to join Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders and UCF’s Kevin Smith as the only players to rush for 2,000 yards and score 30 TDs in a season.

Gordon became the fastest player to reach 2,000 yards in a season by hitting the threshold on his 241st carry of the season.

Gordon now heads to New York City where he’ll join Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota and Alabama WR Amari Cooper for the presentation of the 80th Heisman Trophy.

 

Gordon named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week

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Wisconsin tailback Melvin Gordon moved into the top spot as college football’s

Melvin Gordon

Melvin Gordon

leading rusher on Saturday. Today, the Badger sophomore was named the Big Ten’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week.

Gordon shares the honor with Ohio State quarterback Kenny Guiton. The 23rd ranked Badgers and 4th ranked Buckeyes will square off Saturday night in Columbus.

Gordon rushed 16 times for 147 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in Wisconsin’s 41-10 win over Purdue in the Big Ten opener at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday.

Despite averaging just 13.3 attempts per game, Gordon leads the nation with 624 rushing yards on the season, an average of 156.0 yards per game. His per-carry average of 11.8 yards is the best of any player with at least 30 carries this season.

Gordon’s seven rushing touchdowns ranks him 3rd nationally this season.

He is the first UW player to earn Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors since running back Montee Ball was honored on Nov. 12, 2012.

McEvoy mugged in Madison

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For the second time in nearly a year, a Wisconsin Badger football player was attacked in the early morning hours in Madison.

This time it was quarterback Tanner McEvoy.  The school says McEvoy had his wallet, watch and iphone stolen early Sunday morning.  His injuries were believed to be minor as he was back with the team Monday.  Police believe the attack was random.

Last summer, then Wisconsin running back Montee Ball was attacked in the early morning hours.  A 4th suspect was arrested in that case last week.

A dry year for Badgers in the NFL in 2013

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A total of seven Wisconsin football players had a chance to be drafted in last week’s

Mike Taylor

Mike Taylor

2013 NFL Draft.  Three of them ended up being selected, including center Travis Frederick to Dallas in the 1st round.  Runningback Montee Ball also went in round 2 to Denver and tackle Ricky Wagner was picked by Baltimore in the fifth round.

Three more players signed as undrafted free agents following the conclusion of the draft.  Safety Shelton Johnson went to Oakland, cornerback Marcus Cromartie to San Diego and cornerback Devin Smith to Dallas.

Wisconsin (Green Bay) linebacker Mike Taylor, who was among the nation’s leading tacklers last year, remains unsigned after a sports hernia.

Three other in-state athletes have found their way onto NFL rosters.  Kimberly’s A.J. Klein was selected in the 5th round by the Carolina Panthers.  Wisconsin-Platteville safety Ryan McWethy signed as an undrafted free agent with the Cleveland Browns.  UW-Milwaukee basketball player Demetrius Harris signed a free agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Montee Ball to Denver

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Montee Ball

Montee Ball

The Denver Broncos with 58th selection drafted former UW running back Montee Ball.

The Broncos add one of college footballs most decorated backs. Ball totaled an NCAA record 83 total touchdowns during his career at Wisconsin. Ball a census All-American in 2011 and 2012 went on to win the Doak Walker Award, given the nations best running back during his senior season.

In just his last two season at Wisconsin Ball posted a startling 4,131 yards from scrimmage and recorded 61 touchdowns.

 

Ball is better at Wisconsin’s Pro Day

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Montee Ball didn’t say anything at the Indianapolis Scouting Combine last week, butMontee Ball he informed reporters yesterday that he was going through all of the tests with a Sinus Infection and it may have slowed him down just a bit.

Ball ran a pedestrian 4.66 40-yard dash time at the combine.  But he had an opportunity to improve on that time yesterday at Wisconsin’s Pro Day inside the Don McClain Center and that’s exactly what he did.  Ball cut his time to 4.46 seconds in the 40.

AUDIO: Monte Ball on his Pro Day improvement :10

The Wisconsin Pro Day attracted personnel from 17 NFL clubs, including the Green Bay Packers.  Ball said Packers GM Ted Thompson talked to him afterwards. [Read more…]

Montee Ball to the Packers???

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Montee Ball

Montee Ball

You’ll see any number of players projected to go to the Green Bay Packers with the 26th pick in the first round of this April’s NFL Draft.  Don Banks of SI.com posted his first NFL mock draft has Wisconsin Badger running back Montee Ball going to the Packers with their 1st round selection.

The last running back drafted by the Packers was Alex Green in the third round of the 2011 draft.  The last running back chosen by the Packers in the first round was Darrell Thompson in 1990 out of Minnesota.