Â
BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — Ryan Ramczyk became one of the most unusual one-and-done talents in Wisconsin football history Tuesday when the junior left tackle announced he was declaring for the NFL draft.
Ramczyk made his decision after his only season of play with UW, putting him on a list that includes NFL greats Elroy Hirsch and Russell Wilson.
Exactly a week after helping the Badgers knock off previously unbeaten Western Michigan 24-16 in the Cotton Bowl, Ramcyzk informed head coach Paul Chryst and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph of his plans on Monday.
"It was a definitely a difficult decision, but at the end of the day, when I finished playing in the bowl game, it became a lot easier," Ramczyk said Monday. "I realized it's really what I want to do. That gave me comfort."
The move wasn't a surprise.
Ramczyk, listed at 6-foot-6 and 314 pounds, said he received a first-round grade from NFL talent evaluators, an assessment that came before he underwent surgery Jan. 5 to repair damage in his right hip.
"The surgeon said there was less damage than he expected and it went well," Ramczyk said.
"I won't be able to test (physically) at the (NFL) combine, but I'll be there for all the interviews and test and measurements.
"It's a big decision, but with this opportunity it's pretty difficult to pass up."
Ramczyk joins junior outside linebacker T.J. Watt as Wisconsin underclassmen to declare for the upcoming NFL draft. Watt did so last week after leading the Badgers in quarterback sacks and tackles for loss.
The road Ramczyk traveled to this moment was neither straight nor smooth.
He was an all-state selection at Stevens Point Area High School in 2011, but turned down a scholarship offer from Chryst, then the coach at Pittsburgh, because it was too far from home.
Ramczyk signed with NCAA Division II Winona (Minnesota) State, but never played there. He then bounced to Mid-State Technical College, where he pondered a career as a welder, before making his way to Division III UW-Stevens Point.
Ramczyk spent two award-winning seasons with the Pointers in 2013 and '14 before reconnecting with Chryst, who became Wisconsin's coach in 2015.
Ramczyk sat out a year, per NCAA rules, before helping the Badgers finish 11-3 overall on the way to becoming a consensus first-team All-American in 2016.
"It's definitely a different path than most," Ramczyk said. "I found my love for football after I took that year off (in 2012) and ever since then it's been in my mind to play in the NFL."
Go ahead and put Ramczyk in the same discussion as Hirsch and Wilson.
Hirsch was an All-Big Ten Conference halfback for the Badgers in 1942 before military duty required he transfer to Michigan. A college and pro football Hall of Famer, he served as UW athletic director from 1969 to '87.
Wilson was an All-Big Ten quarterback for Wisconsin in 2011 after he was a graduate transfer from NC State. He was chosen by Seattle in the third round of the NFL draft and led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title in 2014.
Go ahead and put Ramczyk on the list of UW offensive linemen who have been coveted by NFL clubs. If the projections hold, he'd be the fifth first-rounder to be taken out of Wisconsin since 2007. "No doubt there's still a lot of work to be done, but it's pretty special to see those guys that came before me and have the opportunity to follow in their footsteps," Ramczyk said.
One of his first-round predecessors, Dallas center Travis Frederick, offered Ramczyk some food for thought when the two had a private, impromptu meeting following a Cotton Bowl practice at AT&T Stadium.
"Travis just laid out some really good points; kind of just talked about what he went through," Ramczyk said, noting that Frederick was also a junior when he was drafted 31st overall in 2013. "He gave me some good points about coming out or staying in school."
One stood out.
"He said no matter what decision you make you're not going to be wrong," Ramczyk said. "He said he was confident when he came out and I feel the same way."
Ramczyk said he was midway through his 14-start season with the Badgers when the NFL option became prominent in his thinking.
"I knew I was athletic. I knew I had the talent. I knew I could compete at this level," he said. "I just didn't know to what extent.
"I tried to not think about it too much. You can overwhelm yourself and it can throw off your game if you're thinking about the NFL. It was a good balance of talking to my parents and kind of figuring everything out and going out and playing football on Saturdays."
Prior to the Cotton Bowl, Ramczyk said he was projected as a first-rounder, which would put him among the recent likes of Joe Thomas (2007), Gabe Carimi (2011), Kevin Zeitler (2012) and Frederick.
"A special thing," Ramczyk said of the first-round grade. "Not a lot of guys get that. It was pretty cool."
Ramczyk said spending two years mixing up with UW defenders — among the best units in the nation both seasons — was great preparation for his career.
"Coming out this year and having a really good season was a great experience and it's led me to this decision, so I'm really excited," he said.
