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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. – When fullback Derek Watt and defensive tackle Jake Keefer run on to the field for senior introductions Saturday, they may each pause to reflect on their college football journey.
Especially since they both had the same starting point: linebacker.
"Coming in (as a freshman), you have goals in front of you – what you're striving for," said Keefer. "It hasn't necessarily gone that way. But I wouldn't trade my experience for anything.
In 2011, Keefer was the No. 1 prospect in the state of Wisconsin. A four-star linebacker out of Baldwin-Woodville High School, he was the highest-ranked player in the UW recruiting class.
It was a linebacker-heavy class that included a tailback from Kenosha Bradford, who had decommitted from the University of Iowa. Melvin Gordon was listed as a three-star.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press tabbed Watt as its Player of the Year. A running back, linebacker, punter, kicker and returner, he did a little bit of everything at Pewaukee High School.
Watt originally committed to Northwestern. But he had a change of heart after Wisconsin made its run to the 2011 Rose Bowl – sparked in large part by his older brother, defensive end J.J. Watt.
"In the past, people have asked me, 'What if you would have stayed there (with the Wildcats)?'" he said. "At that point, you might think about it a little. But I made my choice and I stuck with it."
The summer before his freshman year, Watt solidified his standing on defense with three interceptions, including a TD return, in the first half of the WFCA big school all-star game in Oshkosh.
The Badgers were equally high on Keefer and Derek Landisch. Because of their depth at linebacker, they moved Jordan Fredrick, a prep LBer, to wide receiver during summer workouts.
Although he was overshadowed in the position group, Landisch was the only one who wound up playing and lettering as a true freshman. The others redshirted.
Keefer was on the move from the beginning. He moved from linebacker to defensive end to defensive tackle. His development was stunted after suffering a knee injury the start of his third year.
Watt was on the move, too. He moved from linebacker to fullback in August of 2012. After the graduation loss of Bradie Ewing, the Badgers had a void at that position.
Watt had been sharing second-team reps with Marcus Trotter behind starting middle linebacker Chris Borland. And he was more than willing to do to anything that he could to contribute.
That is the spirit that has personified the journey for both Watt and Keefer – and every other member of the senior class that will be recognized before Saturday's kickoff against Northwestern at Camp Randall Stadium.
Some have been starters. Some have played more than others. Some have rarely seen the field.
"I learned a lot of things about myself in many different aspects of life, including football," said Keefer, who has 16 tackles in 27 career games. "So I couldn't ask for anything more."
On dealing with the injuries that have limited his playing time, he added, "You can always turn that into a positive. You take that adversity and it makes you stronger.
"No matter what happens (later in life), I know I can get through it. I'm going to keep climbing up the mountain and eventually get up to the top – whatever that may be."
The 22-year-old Keefer has been influenced by strong leadership inside and outside of football.
"There's the constant reinforcement of hard work that the coaches preach and what my family taught me," said Keefer, who played for his father, Dan, in high school. "I'd also have to say seeing my teammates work every day makes me want to be better. It makes me want to be as good of an influence on other people as they have been on me.
"My teammates have kept me going. That's why I do it. To be a part of a team. To be a part of something that is bigger than myself. I feel privileged to be a part of this team for sure.
"I have no regrets," summed up Keefer who may go into medical sales after graduation. "I put it out there – everything I've got – and I can go to bed at night knowing I've done everything I can.
"I'd like guys to say, 'He's a good teammate. He has always got my back no matter what.'"
Watt knows the senior introductions will be emotional for everybody involved.
"My mom will cry for sure," he said. "But it will be cool to go out there one last time."
• • • •
During their bye week, the Badgers practiced on Wednesday and Thursday. Despite miserable weather – cold temperatures, drizzle and gusting winds – they drilled outdoors in Camp Randall.
That's a sharp departure from the previous two years.
"That's not too surprising, that's kind of how he does things," Keefer said of UW head coach Paul Chryst who has been programming the players on how to practice under any conditions.
"That's what we need. We're going to be playing in colder weather and it makes sense to me. We haven't had a practice inside (the McClain Facility) since the season started. It has been pretty cool."
The long range forecast for Saturday is cold, not cool: a high of 36 with possible snow flurries.
"We probably would have been inside last year," Watt conceded Wednesday. "But you've got to get used to the weather. I thought it was a good practice. We were getting after it."
That has been the Watt approach at linebacker, fullback and even at tight end. Watt had two catches coming out of the backfield at Maryland giving him 28 career receptions in 43 games.
On the season, he has 13 catches, a personal high. As a redshirt freshman, he had 12. His only career touchdown for the Badgers was fittingly against Northwestern – a 3-yard reception in 2013.
"I've been through a lot," acknowledged Watt. "Just the change after my redshirt freshman year – flipping sides of the ball – and all of the coaching changes.
"But the senior class has been a tight-knit group of guys. We've been through a lot together. And we've won a lot of games together. It has been a blast and I've loved every moment of it."
As a freshman linebacker, Watt was coached by Dave Huxtable – for a semester. Huxtable was one of the assistant coaches that Chryst took with him to Pittsburgh.
Andy Buh replaced Huxtable and coached Watt – for a semester. That fall, after moving to offense, Watt came under the wing of running backs coach Thomas Hammock.
After head coach Bret Bielema left for Arkansas, Hammock was retained by Gary Andersen. A year later, Hammock left for the Baltimore Ravens and Thomas Brown replaced him.
After Andersen left for Oregon State and Brown headed back to his alma mater (Georgia), the Badgers were in transition again with Chryst returning to his alma mater, Wisconsin.
"There are always tough times, little things here and there," said Watt who didn't hesitate to single out the toughest adjustment. "Definitely that first coaching change (from Bielema to Andersen).
"That was the first experience any of us have had with that, and that was one where we had to get together as a team (to move forward). But you have to run with it – whatever coach comes in."
Chryst brought back John Settle for his second tour of duty with the UW running backs. Given this backdrop, Watt figures that the ability to adjust to coaching changes will be of value in later life.
"You have to be able to work with tons of different people," he said. "There are going to be different personalities and you'll have to mesh with different styles.
"In football, you have to be a good note-taker and pick up the different schemes quickly, whatever it is schematically. You have to take the new teaching style and do the best you can."
The mental side of the game often takes priority.
"As a student of the game, I've grown a lot," Watt said. "Initially, when I came over to the offense, I was focused more on my job. Now I can say I know the offense.
"I know where other guys are supposed to be and if they're lined up wrong, I'll try to be the guy who fixes it. Or, if we get a played called and it doesn't quite sound right, I'll try to get it corrected."
Trying to make things better is something that comes natural for Watt during practices. At the same time, he said, "I'm always learning from my mistakes and growing from them."
The Badgers made more than their share in the 2014 Big Ten opener at Northwestern. But they also grew from the 20-14 loss and won their next seven games to claim the Big Ten West Division title.
Tanner McEvoy and Joel Stave combined to complete only 12 of 29 passes for 138 yards. McEvoy, who was 4-of-10 for 24 yards and intercepted once, was benched late in the first half.
Seeing his first action of the season, Stave entered the game with 56 seconds left in the second quarter. The ball was on the UW 9 and Northwestern was leading 10-0. Welcome back. Stave finished with eight completions and three interceptions. But he helped spark a late comeback with a scoring toss to Kenzel Doe that made it a one-possession game.
The Badgers still came up short despite a virtuoso performance by Melvin Gordon, who had over 100 rushing yards in the first half and ended up with 259 yards on 27 carries (a 9.6 average).
Northwestern was led by true freshman tailback Justin Jackson, who ran for 162 yards. Jackson will certainly be a point of emphasis this week for Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Aranda.
Last Saturday, Jackson rushed for 116 yards and a score in the Wildcats' 21-14 home win over Purdue. It was his 12th career game over 100 yards and lifted him over 1,000 for the season.
Northwestern got away with some uneven quarterback play from starter Clayton Thorson (9-of-19 for 82 yards) and Zach Oliver (2-of-5 for 40). The Boilers failed to convert points on three turnovers.
The 'Cats have won some tight games after getting blown out by Michigan and Iowa (a combined 78-10). They've beaten Nebraska, Penn State and Purdue by a combined 11 points.
Northwestern (8-2, 4-2) is also on the brink of school history: an 11-win season.
In 2013, the last time these teams met in Madison, the Badgers got seven quarterback sacks from seven different players and held the Wildcats without a touchdown in a 35-6 victory.
"We're getting some guys back healthy and some guys back refreshed," Watt said of UW's bye week. "We're ready to make a good push at the end of the season. We want to finish strong."
