BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk gave some high marks to one of his summer school classmates who was a part of the same project team for a sociology course. After getting to know each other, they found some common ground as fellow students despite their age difference.
Ramczyk is 22.
Tony Granato is 52.
"Going in there," Ramczyk said, "I didn't know him."
Granato is easy-going and very good at making friends.
"He came up and introduced himself," he said, "and we worked on a couple of projects."
These were group projects that included UW defensive back Serge Trezy, among others.
And it didn't take long for the 5-foot-11 Granato to make an impression on Ramczyk.
"Awesome guy," he said.
Granato has that impact on people.
"I've heard a lot of great things," Ramczyk said, "about his coaching and his legacy here."
Maybe that's when it all began to register that his project partner and sociology classmate was a married father of four and had an office at the Kohl Center, a five-year contract and would be going home to his family and not the dorms or a campus apartment at the end of the day.
"It was kind of different," Ramczyk conceded, "working with the head hockey coach."
Hired last spring to run the Wisconsin men's program, Granato is in the midst of completing his undergraduate degree in human development and family studies, a contingency of his employment. He's not only a former UW winger, but a former Olympian and NHL player, assistant and head coach.
If you're wondering, Ramczyk knows the difference between an O-line and a blue line.
"I played hockey until I was in the eighth grade," he said.
Skating on some youth travel teams, the Ice Hawks in his hometown of Stevens Point, Ramczyk was a defenseman and obviously much smaller back then. "When high school rolled around, I definitely outgrew it," he said. "And I really liked football more than hockey at the time."
Although he obviously chose the right sport — he has taken over as the Badgers' starting left tackle — he has taken a circuitous path to the lineup; a winding road that has led from Stevens Point High School to Winona State to Mid-State Technical College to UW-Stevens Point to Madison.
The journey has finally begun to register. "I'm 22 and just starting here," said Ramczyk, reflecting on the steps that he has taken since transferring, including a 2015 redshirt. "I've traveled a long road in football. It's good to finally have a secure home where I can finish off the next two years."
• • • •
Ramczyk doesn't waste much energy talking about himself. He's polite but reserved. On the other hand, linebacker T.J. Edwards, quarterback Bart Houston and head coach Paul Chryst were more than willing to talk about Ramczyk.
"He's a beast — the 'Ram' we call him — he's just a solid player and a solid guy; he's a great addition to our team," said Edwards, UW's leading tackler last season as a redshirt freshman. "You see his size and strength and he uses it well on the field. He's a freak of an athlete.
"You wanted to go up against him in practice (last year) just because he was the best guy on the scout O-line and we knew that he'd be playing for us the next year. He's a quiet guy. I think that's why so many people like him. He's quiet and he just gets his work done.
"I think he's got a really cool story. He realized that he could probably play Division I football and he came here and now he's playing with the best. He's one of us. He's just a big dude that you want to have on your team."
A year ago, Houston didn't have much contact with Ramczyk. But he absorbed what Vince Biegel was saying. "I heard great things about him from Vince," he said. "You'd never think a scout team player was going to beat Vince or Joe Schobert. But if he's beating them, I couldn't wait until he played."
Houston remembered Ramczyk for being "very quiet" and having a "big ol' beard."
There were some other distinguishing characteristics beyond his big ol' size (6-foot-6, 314 pounds).
"He has a 34-inch vertical, which is way higher than mine, way higher than a lot of the athletes on this team," Houston said. "He can move like he's a little guy. He's very technically sound. He's very solid. I don't get hit much from the backside. That's always a good thing."
Chryst has always respected Ramczyk for who he is. "I love Ryan — he's authentic," he said. "He's a straight-shooter and a worker. I've always liked the guy a ton. He's got strength. He's got feet. He's got good awareness. He's a really good athlete. Ryan's story doesn't surprise me."
That's because Chryst and his offensive coordinator and O-line coach, Joe Rudolph, were trying to get Ramczyk to accept a scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh after he graduated from Stevens Point Area Senior High. "We thought a lot of him in high school," Chryst said.
Ramczyk wasn't ready to commit to a Power Five program. So he went to Winona State, a Division II school in Minnesota. He was there for only a couple of weeks before he grew homesick, returned to Stevens Point and enrolled at Mid-State Technical College. He was thinking about becoming a welder.
"I've always liked hands-on work," Ramczyk said.
He had taken some shop classes in high school and liked them, plus his uncle was a builder. But he changed his career direction once he got to UW-Stevens Point and majored in sociology. "I was thinking about going into law enforcement," he said. "But they didn't have a specific law enforcement degree."
Sociology was the next best option.
"I usually enjoyed the classes," said Ramczyk who transferred from Stevens Point to Wisconsin after two years. "I had a bunch of sociology credits that transferred over and I wanted to continue with that major and then maybe get the law enforcement certificate here if I can fit that in."
Between his third-semester Portuguese class and a lifting session, Ramczyk made some time Monday to discuss his ongoing transition. "I haven't been overwhelmed," he said. "But it's definitely different going from the scout team and knowing that you can't play to be in that starting role.
"Obviously, there's going to be more pressure associated with that and a lot more preparation that needs to be done. But I've gotten more comfortable in the role — settling down and relaxing when I'm out there. It has been a good start so far."
Especially since his starting point was a dramatic win over LSU at Lambeau Field.
"It was kind of surreal being out there," he said, "getting ready for that first play."
All he could think of was, "Wow."
Over the years, Ramczyk had gone to a lot of Packers games. Now he was on center stage.
"Words can't even describe the feeling," he said
Last Saturday, he made his playing debut at Camp Randall Stadium.
"That was awesome, too," he said.
A year ago, he dressed in sweats and stood on the sideline during home games.
"Running out of the tunnel with the pads on this time was cool knowing I was going to be playing," said Ramczyk, anticipating the best is yet to come for the O-line. "As far as running the ball, there are little things that we can improve on. If we do, the 10- and 15-yard runs can go to the house."
A loud statement from someone so soft-spoken.
