All Grown Up
September 12, 2001 | Football
If anyone can be termed a an 'old man' at the age of 22, then Mark Anelli claims he is the perfect candidate. The fifth-year senior was named one of the Badgers' six captains entering this season, a testament both to his leadership as well as his staying power. He is also the unquestioned leader at the tight end position. Entering today's game he is the only tight end on the roster to have caught a pass among the freshman and sophomore dominated group.
'I'm the old man in the group,' Anelli said. 'I have two roles. I'm trying to make myself a better player and I 'm also becoming sort of a part-time coach. I figure that they can learn a lot from my experiences."
The younger tight ends would be wise to listen when Anelli speaks. Now in his fifth year with the team, the Addison, Ill., native has gone through a lot with the Badgers, both team-wise and personally. As a true freshman, Anelli weighed 215 pounds on July 1. When he reported to fall camp a month later, he had 'ballooned ' to 218. Anelli knew that he would have to put on some weight to play tight end in the Big Ten.
'At camp, I saw those Haagen Daz bars and Snickers ice cream bars we have at the meals and I fell in love with them,' Anelli said. 'I think I was the only kid in history to break camp having gained weight. I was about 230 pounds.'
Mark Anelli
It didn't stop once camp ended either. The Badgers' top two tight ends, juniors Ryan Sondrup and Eric Grams, weighed 257 and 260 pounds, respectively. Anelli knew he had to get in that range, especially given Wisconsin 's reliance on the tight end as a blocker. So during his redshirt year, in addition to a modest weight lifting program, he kept eating ' and eating ' and eating, many times including the college special of late-night pizza. Anelli reached 269 pounds when the Badgers played the Outback Bowl.
'I thought I was doing the right thing until I saw some pictures of myself and I realized it wasn't good,' Anelli said. 'My speed went down dramatically. It just wasn't healthy for me. I went from one extreme to the next.'
Once the coaching staff got Anelli on a regular diet and lifting regimen, he was able to corral his weight and get into better playing shape. A gifted pass receiver in high school, Anelli still needed to work on his blocking skills in order to work into the tight end rotation.
'Mark has a great understanding of the passing game and has really good hands,' tight ends coach Tim Davis said. 'However, he had to learn how to block in order to play here and he found that out quickly.'
After contributing on special teams and earning his first letter as a redshirt freshman, Anelli played in all 12 games as a sophomore. He started against Indiana and Michigan State in back-to-back games as part of a two tight-end formation. That year he became part of a three-tight end rotation that included John Sigmund and Dague Retzlaff, both a year ahead of Anelli.
'Dag, Sig and I all worked together,' Anelli said. 'We could give each other breaks at certain times. And, maybe more importantly, when we broke the huddle, we knew exactly where we were going and what the other guy was doing. It was a nice system.'
That system worked almost to perfection last year as the three tight ends combined for the most receptions (29) from that position since 1995 when Matt Nyquist accounted for 37 catches. Anelli chipped in with 10 of those catches, compiling 78 yards. His most productive game was against Michigan State when he caught three passes for 33 yards, all in the second half. That began a string of six consecutive games in which Anelli caught a pass.
That success has carried over into this season as well. With the Badgers incorporating some of the spread offense into their game plan, Anelli's opportunities have increased. He is currently the third leading receiver on the team with six catches. The new wrinkles in the offense have also given the fifth-year senior some different responsibilities, including being spread out wide in some formations, instead of his normal three-point stance at the end of the line.
Mark Anelli
'Ever since the Michigan State game last year, things have really opened up,' the 6-5, 254-pounder said. 'Last year teams were concentrating on Chris (Chambers) and this year it's Lee (Evans). That opens up some of the shorter routes for us. Now, with some of the spread stuff, I'm getting a chance to do something different and split out in a two-point stance.'
Besides some new wrinkles in the offense, there was another big adjustment. Both Sigmund and Retzlaff graduated last May, leaving Anelli as the lone remaining member of the three-headed tight end attack. As much as he missed them on the field, off the field was a difficult transition as well. The three were good friends during their years here and Anelli spoke to Sigmund almost once a week once fall camp started in August.
On the field, the absence of the two veterans has left a lot of responsibility on Anelli's shoulders. What was once a three-man rotation has turned into almost a one-act show, with redshirt freshman Tony Paciotti spelling Anelli on certain plays. But with the Badgers' reliance on a two tight-end set, Anelli doesn 't get many plays off.
'When we had the rotation, the most any of them would play would be 40-45 plays a game,' Davis said. 'Now he's getting 65-70 plays a game, maybe 80 with special teams. We have to be smart and try not to put him in on everything. It's been an interesting transition for him and he's handling it great."
Perhaps the most important part of the transition is from student to teacher. Where he once learned and grew under the influence of Sigmund and Retzlaff, Anelli is now a mentor for players like Paciotti and true freshman Bob Docherty. And what he can teach them is not only how to grow up physically, but also mentally.
'Early in my career, I always got excited when I caught a pass,' Anelli said. 'But I wasn't labeled as a great blocking tight end and I've worked really hard on that aspect. So now I tend to take more pride in my blocking.'
As one of the six captains elected by the team, Anelli also feels the need to exert his leadership. He looked at it as an honor when the announcement was made and takes his role very seriously. He leads not only verbally, but more importantly by setting an example for others to follow, in both games and on the practice field.
'Mark is willing to do anything to help the team,' Davis said. 'He's never really been hurt so that has allowed him to be at every practice and take every rep. He's really done what our program has been built upon: be durable, show up every day, lead by example and carry that over into the game.'
