Lucas at Large: Baun has traveled path Green-May now follows
August 30, 2019 | Football, Mike Lucas, Varsity Magazine
While building out his frame, linebacker’s attention is on expanding his game
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Zack Baun sees a little bit of himself in Izayah Green-May. It's not necessarily from a physical standpoint, though both were considered undersized projects when they entered the Wisconsin program.
In fact, Baun still is — undersized — when compared to the rangy 6-foot-6 Green-May, who has an eye-opening wingspan that rivals many small forwards in college basketball.
"He was blessed with very long arms," said Baun, who sighed. "I wish my arms were that long."
Green-May, a redshirt sophomore, and Baun, a fifth-year senior, make for contrasting bookends at outside linebacker, where they are not only responsible for pressuring the quarterback but setting the edge. Their physiques are uniquely different and so are their experience levels.
After missing 2017 with an injury, Baun bounced back to start all 13 games last year and his 63 tackles were the third most on the defense behind T.J. Edwards and Ryan Connelly. By comparison, Green-May had limited snaps and one assisted tackle in six games as a redshirt freshman.
"I knew it was going to take some time for him to develop," Baun said. "And I feel like the developmental process that they have here really did him some justice. He grew into his body. He still has a little bit more work to do. But he's definitely made strides in the right direction."
Green-May weighed less than 200 pounds (198 at his heaviest) his first year in Madison.
"Man, when he came in here, they were calling him 'Stringbean' because of the way he looked," said the 6-3, 235-pound Baun, who had his own growth spurt from his prep quarterback days at Brown Deer High School. "I'm not sure how much he weighed, but it wasn't nearly enough."
A year ago, Green-May got up to 214. He's now carrying 224 on his frame, a construction site.
"I feel it in the weight room, my numbers are getting bigger and I'm trying to keep that going," said Green-May, a high jumper and hurdler at Bolingbrook (Illinois) High School. "I early enrolled here (in 2017) and I felt the physicality. I felt what it was like to get thrown around. I was light. I still am."
On what he did during the offseason to put himself in a contending position to win the starting assignment (opposite Baun) in training camp, Green-May said matter-of-factly, "I ate. I had to eat and I'm still eating. I have to keep it going. I'm a hard gainer (because of a high metabolism)."
He's also a fast learner. Or, at least, he's trying to be.
By his own admission, he had some growing and growing up to do.
"I came in a young guy, I was 17 years old," said Green-May, who turned 20 in May. "He (Baun) helped me lock-in on the playbook. Time management was a big thing for me. I was coming late (to meetings) and I couldn't lock-in on certain plays. But he pulled me aside and helped me out with that."
This is where Baun really sees himself in Green-May.
"I was kind of in the same boat my freshman year," Baun said. "I remember being late and just kind of being that guy who wasn't taking things seriously. And, then, I found out going into my redshirt sophomore year that's not how you can function if you want to be a lead guy on this team."
Former UW tailback Dare Ogunbowale and defensive lineman Alec James were on either side of Baun in the locker room. "And just seeing the way those guys functioned made me snap out of my old habits," said Baun, who was also influenced by Edwards and placekicker Rafael Gaglianone.
Baun still remembers Ogunbowale's message: "Dare told me, 'Pass things on. Get out of your comfort zone and try to help other people.'"
That's what he did with Green-May. So did outside linebacker Christian Bell, a redshirt junior.
"Christian was one of the first guys to reach out to me," Green-May recounted. "He said, 'What do you need? If you need me to call you every morning, I'll do it.' And that's what he did. He called me every morning and got me up. He was one of the guys I hung out with early on."
Green-May drew recruiting traffic from some other Big Ten programs. But he was attracted to Wisconsin because of its 3-4 defensive scheme. "That defense stuck out to me," said Green-May, who was even used briefly at cornerback as a prep. "I knew I wasn't going to be a 4-down (4-3) guy.
"I was going to have to be 270 for that and look at me now, I'm still light."
Growing up 30 minutes from Soldier Field, Green-May has always been a Chicago Bears fan. One of his favorite players is outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, who struggled to put on weight during his early years at the University of Georgia. The 6-6 Floyd is now playing at around 240.
"I try to watch guys who are my body type, like Floyd," Green-May said. "But I watch a variety of guys and moves that I could possibly implement into my game."
On rushing the passer, he added, "It's confidence, just playing with confidence. I have to turn something into my bread and butter. I have to turn something into my go-to move."
Holding the point of attack will be the ultimate measure of Green-May. "Being that tall is actually a disadvantage to him because you've got to get lower on blocks to leverage the blockers," Baun said. "It's all about leverage. You've got to get low and bend."
In respect to the lowdown on Wisconsin's opening opponent, South Florida, Baun volunteered, "They're going to speed up the game. It's going to be hot down there and they're used to it. So, they're going to spread us out and try to make plays in space. And they'll test our eyes with their zone read."
Truth is, all eyes will be on the Badgers defense after a very uncharacteristic 2018 season.
Even Baun, not unlike the national pundits, had his questions at the start of training camp.
"I just wanted to see where this team could be at the END of camp, and we're there or getting there," said Baun, carrying the OLB torch passed down from Joe Schobert, Vince Biegel, T.J. Watt, Garret Dooley and Leon Jacobs. "I also wanted to see a bunch of guys come together and truly bond as a team. And I think we did that."
Addressing personal goals, Baun said, "I wanted to increase my confidence and I did that just with my play. I'm able to make plays now that I wasn't able to make in the past. That's a good sign. I've just been really owning my role as a starter and as lead guy on this team."
Setting an example for Green-May. As others did for him.
