Baggot: Rose Bowl beyond special for Badgers’ families
December 31, 2019 | Football, Andy Baggot, Bowl Central
Trip to California providing unforgettable memories for team and loved ones
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BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
LOS ANGELES — It's hard to imagine a more perfect setting for an impromptu family photo.
Azure morning sky.
Soft breeze.
Temperature nudging toward 70.
Comfortable sofa located on an outdoor stage.
Goodyear Blimp floating quietly overhead.
Against that unique backdrop, nine members of the Chenal party gathered Tuesday morning at a site near the legendary Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
They were there with a host of other Wisconsin football families who journeyed to Southern California to watch their children fulfill a dream.
A day before the Badgers face Oregon in the Rose Bowl, parents from both schools came together at a special celebratory brunch to eat, reminisce and be entertained by music, highlight videos and speeches.
On one side of the massive white tent, the audience wore green. On the other side, everything was red. It looked like a 50-50 split, which reflects the expected turnout New Year's Day for the 106th annual Rose Bowl.
The Chenals are here to see John, a sophomore fullback, and Leo, a true freshman inside linebacker, try to help Wisconsin win its sixth straight bowl game.
This is the first time the Chenals, from Frederic, Wisconsin, have gathered to experience a bowl game and that's a big deal when you know David and Brenda have 16 children — eight boys, eight girls — ranging in age from 10 to 37. They've had nine kids since marrying in 1998. That's in addition to the seven David had from a previous marriage. They also have nine grandchildren.
"Our house is a full house and there's never a dull moment," Brenda said with a laugh before rattling off the names of her children attending the brunch: Peter, Ann, Sarah, Gabriel, and Marie.
"It's an opportunity to pull our family together for one event," David said. "This event is great."
The Chenals have been regular visitors to Camp Randall Stadium to see John and Leo play together. David and Brenda also ventured to Tampa, Florida, to see their boys' debut in the season opener vs. South Florida.
But pulling off an excursion like this together is much harder. David, who owns a plastics factory and works a 190-acre hobby farm with his family, said they began planning three weeks ago and were aided by family connections with an airline that resulted in some discounts.
"This is great," David said. "I'm learning to have fun."
So far the bowl experience has been "amazing and wonderful," Brenda said. "We're thankful and appreciative. Wisconsin has been amazing. Everyone is just so down to earth. It's a family."
Badgers in Pasadena by Wisconsin Badgers on Exposure
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It's hard to imagine two more impactful visits to the Rose Bowl.
The first time, in 1993, Scott Nelson helped craft a signature win, took part in a watershed moment and executed a hard-to-top marriage proposal.
His latest visit, coming up Wednesday, will be as a proud father weighted down by glorious memories.
Nelson was the starting free safety for the Badgers on Jan. 1, 1994 when they startled the college football world with a 21-16 victory over UCLA.
The win signaled the arrival of the Wisconsin brand — in football and in national presence — and laid the foundation for one of the greatest revivals in all of college athletics.
It helped Barry Alvarez on the path to the College Football Hall of Fame as a coaching legend and the Badgers on their way to five more Big Ten Conference titles and 14 more bowl victories.
"It was the culmination of a lot of blood, sweat and tears," Nelson said of the electrifying win. "It was special. We finally turned the tide."
Nelson showed off some quality prep work amid the postgame joy. He'd given the engagement ring to Fr. Mike Burke earlier in the week, but wasn't precisely sure how he'd get the handoff.
Lo and behold, no sooner had Nelson found Becky and given her a euphoric bear hug, he felt Burke sliding a small box into his hand.
Nelson promptly professed his love, said he had a question to ask and dropped to one knee to ask for her hand in marriage.
"Her jaw dropped," Nelson said.
He got the answer he hoped for.
Their union gave way to son Cooper, a redshirt freshman wide receiver for the Badgers who'll get a sense of how his father felt that New Year's Day 26 years ago. It's also the first time the Nelsons — including daughter Landry — have been to a Rose Bowl as a family.
"There's nothing like it," Scott Nelson said. "I get it that the whole college playoff stuff has changed things, but this is still a special place. This is awesome."
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It's hard to imagine a more bittersweet experience.
Joseph Taylor had a front-row seat to watch his son, A.J., become a senior leader and playmaking wide receiver for the Badgers.
Joseph and his wife, Andrea, regularly made the trip from Kansas City, Missouri, to Madison take in games at Camp Randall. They were a mix of smiles and tears at Senior Day on Nov. 23.
But A.J. suffered a season-ending leg injury at Minnesota the following week, sidelining him for the Big Ten title game and Rose Bowl. He finished his career with 89 receptions for 1,316 yards and 10 touchdowns in 52 games.
Joseph was asked how his son was handling his unfortunate fate.
"His spirits are up," he said of A.J. "He's excited for his teammates even though he's not playing.
How does it feel to know that, after the Rose Bowl, four years of friendships with other families will be disrupted?
"I'm not going to say it'll be sad, just due to the fact that we have each other's numbers and we'll still communicate with each other," Joseph said.
Four years is a long time to collect memories, but Joseph was emphatic about his favorite.
"This tops it all," he said. "The last hurrah."
