Lucas at Large: Badgers’ veterans believe in paying it forward
December 09, 2015 | Football, Mike Lucas
Recalling own experiences, Caputo and Ogunbowale chip in to help younger players
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Neither was obligated to attend the developmental practice last Saturday. But Michael Caputo and Dare Ogunbowale went anyway to support the younger players on the field. It was their payback.
"Why wouldn't I go and help those guys?" Caputo asked rhetorically, and a little bit indignantly. "I remember the big influence the older guys had on me when I was in that spot."
When Caputo was a true freshman and coming off his redshirt season, Shelton Johnson, Antonio Fenelus and Aaron Henry set the example for him leading up to the Rose Bowl game against Oregon.
"I learned a lot in those six to seven days that we had young-guy practices," he said. "And even after practice when we would go for 20 minutes and the older guys stayed and helped us out.
"They were supportive and helped my confidence. They told me little tidbits. Like, 'Hey, make sure you bring your feet on that tackle,' or 'Hey, make sure to take that extra step for the interception.'"
Last December, it was a little bit different for Ogunbowale. A redshirt sophomore, he was already contributing on special teams and at tailback after switching from cornerback earlier in the season.
"Obviously being the No. 3 back behind Melvin (Gordon) and Corey (Clement), I didn't get much work in games," he said. "But the bowl prep was probably when I grew the most as a tailback."
Two seniors, outside linebacker Joe Schobert and wide receiver Alex Erickson, also remembered the impact of the bowl practices on their understanding of the system and overall growth as players.
"It's huge for developmental guys," said Erickson, "just because you're getting so many reps and the coaches are coaching you. You're not working on scout stuff. You're working on Wisconsin stuff.
"Now, when these young guys have some time after practice, or their own practice, it's a great time to develop and hone your craft and make some moves as a young guy."
That's what Schobert did as a freshman. Starting middle linebacker Mike Taylor was dealing with a groin injury, so Schobert was moved up to the No. 2 Will linebacker behind Derek Landisch.
"I didn't know anything about Will at that point because I was just playing on the scout team," Schobert said. "I remember watching Landisch and everything he did."
Even though he got half the snaps in practice as a member of the No. 2 defense, it still improved his ability to read offenses -- recognize what was going on -- and process the information.
Ogunbowale saw some of that going on during Saturday's practice. "It was exciting," he said, "to be out there and see the speed and the passion that the young guys were playing with."
One tailback, in particular, freshman Bradrick Shaw, was on Ogunbowale's radar. Shaw is going through the stages of finding out what it takes to be an effective runner at the college level.
"If you watch his high school highlight tape," Ogunbowale said of the Alabama native, "he was a lot faster than anyone else on the field. So he ran to the sidelines and turned on the jets."
Now, he's being conditioned to run north-south, along with other nuances.
"Kind of like me, it's just the experience that comes with being a running back," Ogunbowale said. "It's running behind your pads, making guys miss and winning the one-on-ones."
Once things fall into place, Ogunbowale predicted, "He's going to be a real special player."
Caputo feels that way about safety Evan Bondoc, a redshirt freshman from Madison Edgewood, and cornerback Titus Booker, a true freshman from Round Lake Beach, Illinois.
"He (Bondoc) is such a mentally-strong player -- he knows what all has to happen," Caputo said. "He's confident in what he does. He reminds me a lot of myself, actually. I knew what was going on (at his age), I just needed to bring my athleticism to the party. That's the next step for him.
"Titus is doing really well, too. I think that he's going to be an impact player with the next couple of seasons."
Needless to say, Caputo, Ogunbowale, Schobert and Erickson are all anxious to get back in pads. Especially now that they know will be getting ready for Southern Cal in the Holiday Bowl.
"They've been a storied program," Schobert said. "You say, 'USC' and any college football fan knows what you're talking about."
"You notice them by all the success that they've had," said Erickson. "And you follow them just naturally by watching the game of football. They have a lot of tradition."
Erickson and Schobert were recently honored as first-team All-Big Ten selections. In addition, Schobert was named the top linebacker in the league, the winner of the Butkus-Fitzgerald Award.
"I was a little surprised," Schobert said. "Obviously, I knew that I had a pretty good year but I wasn't really following how anybody else in the conference was doing.
"Chris Borland won that award a couple of years ago and he was one of the best defenders to ever play here. To be in that conversation with those kinds of guys by winning the award is humbling."
Erickson was also humbled. "All of those awards, even though they're individual, they're team-based in my mind," he said. "There are a lot of good players on that list; it was nice to be part of it."
Schobert and Erickson carry a special distinction as former walk-ons.
"Being a walk-on at Wisconsin," said Schobert, "means that you have a shot (to play)."
"It's something all the walk-ons," Erickson said, "and Wisconsin kids take great pride in."
Another former walk-on, Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib, was the winner of the Nagurski-Woodson award that annually goes to the best defensive player in the Big Ten.
Nassib and Schobert got a chance to visit at last Saturday's Big Ten Championship Game between Iowa and Michigan State in Indianapolis. Both were introduced to the crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Nassib has 19.5 tackles for loss, Schobert has 18.5. Nassib has 15.5 sacks, Schobert has 9.5. Nassib has a steady hunger for Chipotle, Schobert for Qdoba. They got along famously.
During an interview Monday, Schobert politely interrupted the line of questioning -- which was all about him -- to change the topic to his UW teammate, outside linebacker Vince Biegel.
"Vince not being first- or second-team (All-Big Ten)?" Schobert protested. "C'mon."
That was definitely a "C'mon, man" to Biegel being named as a third-team linebacker.
"Mike (Caputo) was second team and you can make a case for other guys being up there," Schobert said. "But with Vince, seeing the things that he did this year and his hard work …"
He paused before saying, "Third team is a little bit low for him."
It was suggested that Biegel will use that slight as motivation for USC. Schobert didn't have to say a word. He walked away confident that it would happen.
