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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Quarterback Joel Stave and wide receiver Alex Erickson were back where it started — they were fine-tuning their throwing and catching after a Wisconsin practice. The alums weren't trying to turn back the clock at the McClain Facility as much as they were getting in some work before reporting to their National Football League teams; Stave to the Kansas City Chiefs and Erickson to the Cincinnati Bengals.
"It's nice to get back (to Madison) and get around guys who know you," said the 24-year-old Erickson, who left with the sixth-most receptions (141) in school history, including 77 during his senior year in 2015. "It's a long offseason, so any time you can get back on the field and get the routes going again, it's always good. And it's always fun to do it with people you're friends with, too."
Another former UW wide receiver, Jared Abbrederis, has been working out at times with Erickson and Stave. After three seasons with the Green Bay Packers, the 26-year-old Abbrederis is getting a fresh start with the Detroit Lions. "It's nice to have guys to work out with," said Stave, the winningest quarterback in school history, "guys who are focused on the same thing that I am."
In a twist of fate, Stave and Erickson, both of whom were free agents, made their pro debuts on the same field last August in the 2016 preseason opener between the Minnesota Vikings and the Bengals in Cincinnati. Stave completed 8 of 13 passes for 76 yards with a pick. Erickson not only caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from A.J. McCarron but returned a punt 80 yards for a score.
"First one of the year," Erickson said of the return, "it was a good way to get going."
The Vikings and the Bengals held two days of joint practices in Cincinnati before the exhibition which gave Stave and Erickson more than enough time to catch up on things before going their separate ways as NFL rookies. "We stayed in contact throughout the year, too," said Erickson, who along with Stave was originally a walk-on at Wisconsin. "We stayed updated with each other just like friends do."
Toiling on practice squads for three different franchises, Stave lived out a challenging first-year odyssey through a string of releases and tryouts, not an uncommon path for undrafted players. "You just have to be ready for whatever is thrown at you," reasoned Stave, who got his degree in civil engineering. "I bounced around a little bit. You just have to kind of enjoy the ride." Potholes and all.
Shortly after the NFL draft last April, Stave signed as a free agent with the Vikings and saw considerable action during the preseason. Before the fourth and final exhibition, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a season-ending injury and the Vikes went out and acquired veteran Sam Bradford. Stave was cut from the roster on Sept. 3 and signed the next day to the practice squad.
"I learned a lot from Norv, I thought he was a good coach," Stave said of Minnesota's offensive coordinator, Norv Turner. "I got a chance to watch Sam Bradford. He hasn't gotten a lot of praise throughout his career. But he throws it really well and he's very accurate. It was amazing how quickly he picked stuff up. He was really professional and that was some good stuff I took from him."
The Vikings released Stave on Oct. 25. "A lot of it can just be timing and what's going on with their personnel," Stave said of their decision. "You kind of look for who's a little more disposable, who's not really doing a whole lot and I was one of those guys, so out you go. I wasn't thrilled about it. But you can't sit around and complain. Later that night I was on my way to Seattle."
The Seahawks signed Stave to their practice squad on Oct. 26. "They bring you in for a week — more to look at you than anything — but it was good, I got to see Russ again," Stave said of former UW quarterback Russell Wilson. "He has always been very focused, very confident. He's a good leader and he loves to compete. He was the same guy there as he was here."
The Seahawks released Stave on Nov. 1. "I don't try to figure it all out," he said.
The Chiefs signed Stave to their practice squad on Nov. 9. "I really liked the quarterbacks," he said of Alex Smith, Nick Foles and Tyler Bray. "All three of them were really good guys and a lot of fun to spend time with. Guys (veterans) are not always the nicest to rookies. But both of them (Smith and Foles) really went out of their way to make me feel comfortable."
During the offseason, Foles returned to the Philadelphia Eagles. In mid-January, Stave signed a reserve/future contract with the Chiefs. Has he answered the question yet? Can he play in the NFL? "A lot of it is just the belief that you can — having that conviction. 'I can play in this league,'" he said. "It's just a matter of finding a good fit. You have to bounce around until you find someone who likes you."
The Bengals had to like what they got out of Erickson, who was the only college free agent to make their season-opening roster. He went on to lead the NFL in kickoff return yardage. "Last year was kind of a tale of two seasons for me," Erickson said. "The first half of the year we really struggled on special teams and the return game. The second half we really found our niche and had success.
"People say that it's a mental game in the NFL with how much they throw at you and how much you have to learn and adjust to the different style of play and how fast it is. For me, it was mental because I was playing a little different role than I had been. Special teams was the bulk of my role (with the Bengals) whereas here at Wisconsin, I played very little special teams."
Erickson had two career kickoff returns for the Badgers. Both came during his senior year when he also returned punts (7.3 average) for the first time. "I had a lot of learning and catching up to do," he said, "with getting experience back there and making the right decisions. That was the biggest thing for me — decision-making on the back end because those plays are a lot more important than people think."
In training camp, Erickson beat out the incumbent return specialist Brandon Tate, who was the Bengals' all-time leader in kick and punt return yardage. "The NFL is a production business and you want to make an impression every time you get the ball in your hands," he said, referencing his touchdown return in the preseason opener. "He (Tate) was a guy who always helped me out when I first got there."
The 29-year-old Tate ended up in Buffalo after his release by the Bengals. In his absence, Erickson picked up what he could about the return game from Pacman Jones. He also studied the practice habits of Cincinnati's top receivers, A.J. Green and Brandon LaFell. "Just being a sponge around those guys was a good experience," Erickson said, "and I'm excited to get back and continue that."
In addition to Erickson's specialty work — kickoff returns (29 for 810 yards, 27.9, long 84) and punt returns (28 for 195 yards, 7.0, long 24) — he got limited reps as a slot receiver and caught six passes. Drawing a comparison between the college and pro systems, he noted, "The playbook is a little bigger, the verbiage in the huddle is a little longer, but the routes and concepts are very similar."
There was an understandable adjustment to the athleticism in the secondary. "The defensive backs in the NFL are unbelievable," he said. "The windows are very small and the ball the quarterbacks are throwing are usually where they need to be, so it's bang-bang. It's just a matter of fine-tuning your techniques and getting in and out of cuts a little better and making contested catches."
Erickson and Stave are anxious for Year 2 of their NFL journeys. "I want to keep growing and developing and be ready to make plays when the opportunities come," Erickson said. That also holds true for Stave, who was more pragmatic about his situation, however more tenuous. "The best-case scenario is to play 10 to 12 years and then I'm done and I'm 35," he pointed out.
But if his dream of playing pro football doesn't necessarily play out that way?
"I can go be an engineer whenever I want afterwards," he conceded.
It's always nice to be holding a trump card.
