BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer

MADISON, Wis. – Inside linebacker Maema Njongmeta and wide receiver Chimere Dike were among the last players to leave the practice field. Maybe it was only a coincidence that they were Wisconsin's leading tackler and receiver, respectively, during the 2022 regular season. Probably not.

After all, it's not by accident that they've evolved into team leaders. They've always been willing to work overtime on the little things. Leading by example, if you will. And never has their leadership been more valued than in setting a tone for bowl prep in the midst of an on-going coaching transition.

After Tuesday's practice, Njongmeta was honing his techniques on a one-man blocking sled.

"I've noticed for me," he said, "if I'm doing a little bit of something every day towards the game – maybe I didn't do something well in practice – if I do something to improve that by game day usually it shows up. 'Sharpen the strike' as Coach D always says (Inside linebacker assistant Mark D'Onofrio)."

Njongmeta mentioned how the late Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry would shoot free throws after practice. "Well, these are my free throws," he said. "I'm making sure my strike is good. As a linebacker, that's crucial. I'm making sure my tackling technique is good.

"Strike ... tackling ... maybe hands … there's always something to be worked on."

While he was drilling on his own, Dike was playing catch with Owen Arnett, a reserve safety. In high school, they were Classic 8 Conference rivals, Dike at Waukesha North and Arnett at Arrowhead. They began working out together during winter conditioning sessions and it spawned a friendship.

"He pushes me every single day," Dike said, "and I try to push him."

Push has come to shove in this football program. "Cause it has" – per the lyrics from a Rascal Flatts song ("Stand") about getting up one more time after you've been knocked down – "You taste what you're made of." In this realm, "You might bend til you break 'Cause it's all you can take.

"On your knees, you look up, Decide you've had enough. You get mad, you get strong.

"Wipe your hands, shake it off. Then you stand …"

Njongmeta and Dike have tried to stand for the same things. Leadership. And teamwork.

"Leadership is an element of selfless love for others and for the team," rationalized Njongmeta, a redshirt junior from Buffalo Grove, Ill. "In my mind, leadership means always thinking about what the team needs and putting what the team needs above what you need as an individual.

"Right now, leadership is seeing who wants to be here – who wants to be a part of the solution to get that last win that we need for the season. As someone with a more mature role on the team, my job right now is to set the example and bring everyone with me."

Wisconsin (6-6) will take on Oklahoma State (7-5) in the Dec. 27 Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field (home of the Arizona Diamondbacks) in downtown Phoenix. The Badgers held their first practice last week and Njongmeta observed, "It was like, 'Who's here? Let's do a roll call.'"

Whether declaring early for the NFL draft or exiting via the transfer portal, some players have opted out of this game. In general, the initial practices, according to Njongmeta, were about knocking the rust off, especially the second practice, once the pads went on. What about Tuesday's?

"In this practice, you started to see a little bit of the bowl prep," he said. "In bowl prep, people usually get really chippy because they're playing against the same guys. It can be a long practice. So I think the chippiness and the competitiveness started to come out today."

Feisty is a very good thing, Njongmeta agreed. "This is who we have, this is who we're going to Phoenix with," he continued. "Change is hard for a lot of people. The goal right now is, 'How do we see off the last staff and our seniors with a good feeling and a good taste in their mouth?

"How do we get the seventh win … for Coach Chryst, for Coach Leonhard, for the seniors?"

Njongmeta learned quickly that his new head coach Luke Fickell would have it no other way.

"His messaging," he said, "has been really consistent, 'Hey, I'm here for you guys. I'm not trying to do anything to change anything. I'm learning about you. I'm not trying to control anything just yet. I understand I have to let you guys finish this season off.' He really hasn't talked about next season.

"He has talked about now. Stay in this moment."

Fickell confirmed as much during his Tuesday press briefing. "The future is right now, the future is two weeks from today and what gives us the best opportunity to win a football game," he stressed. "There's no better way to create energy and momentum within a program than to win."

Fickell has earmarked building relationships and conceded, "The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind for me. I don't know that there's a book on how you would do in these transitions. It has been unique. But I think they've done a phenomenal job. Both players and coaches."

Last weekend, the Badgers had recruits on campus. That entailed a different mindset, Njongmeta pointed out, "The guys on the team are hosting recruits and we're bringing them around the new staff … the new staff is recruiting recruits. But then, it's like we're recruiting each other.

"We're getting to know their families and them as well. As men outside of football.

"It's interesting, there's a little dichotomy but it's exciting what the future holds."

It was suggested to Njongmeta that he couldn't help but grow up over the past year. Not only have the Badgers rotated through three head coaches, one an interim, but Njongmeta's position group, inside linebacker, has come under the wing of three different assistants since the 2021 Las Vegas Bowl.

"A lot of firsts this year for me, for the team," acknowledged Njongmeta who made the most of his first season as a starter with 88 tackles (28 more than the runner-up, Jordan Turner). "The biggest thing is, 'How can we be better men through the hard stuff? How do you handle hard better?'"

Njongmeta has had some of those hard talks with teammates. "I've tried to hit different groups, different people on the team, seeing how they're feeling, kind of checking the temperature of the room," he said, adding of its importance, "I think it's crucial."

Moreover, he emphasized, "The whole goal is to come together instead of drift."

For Dike, it was hard knowing that his quarterback, Graham Mertz, was transferring.

"He's one of my best friends," said Dike, who led the offense with 44 catches for 653 yards and six touchdowns. "I told him that he has to do what's best for him and I'll support him wherever he goes. I'll always be supportive of him no matter what he's doing. That's my guy."

The same holds true for his wide receiver coach Alvis Whitted, who will not return. "Coach Whitted is finishing out with us," Dike said of the bowl practices. "It's good to have one more game with him. We can enjoy it. One last time together. He has taught me so much. I'm so thankful for him."

Part of being a leader is dealing with the twists and turns, the emotional roller coaster.

"The important thing about leadership is trying to be consistent, kind of being that rock to lean on, being that same guy every single day," Dike said. "Be a consistent guy who brings good energy to practice and sets an example for other guys to follow. The guys in the locker room make it easy to lead.

"We've got a bunch of good guys who care about the team and care about each other."

Since his freshman season, Dike has viewed himself as an alpha. Regarding his approach to leading, he said, "You've got to be the guy that's working hard, the guy that's first in line, the guy that's finishing reps. If you're not doing it, why should other people?"

Some days are better than others, he admitted. Some seasons, too. "We've been through a lot of different situations through the year," Dike said. "We know we have to make the main thing the main thing and win the bowl game. Coach Fickell has done a great job of spreading that message.

"Our staff has done a great job of also spreading that message."

He cited the assistant's commitment despite the uncertainty on what their future might hold beyond the bowl. "They're putting in the time because they love and care about us," said Dike, referencing the sacrifices that the coaches have been making to prepare the team for Oklahoma State.

That includes Leonhard, of course. Dike hasn't gotten in-depth with him about things. But he still came away saying, "He has been the same guy, the same consistent guy, he has been Coach Leonhard. He has impacted my career in such a positive way, we just thank him and wish him the best."

It has been no different for Njongmeta, who credited Leonhard for developing him as a linebacker. "I owe him a lot – having worked with me throughout the years," he said, also noting of the transition, "He's handled the situation with humility and grace. I will always respect him for that."

Fickell has been respectful to all involved. Players and coaches alike. That came across loud and clear Tuesday during his Q&A with the media corps. Asked about fielding a competitive bowl team, he said, "I think it's a great opportunity for more people to step up and show their leadership skills."

And then, there was this from him, "The whole objective is to win. It's not to be competitive."

And the way you win bowl games in particular, Fickell elaborated, the way you win all football games, but even more so bowls, it comes down to the will of the players. "It's about who wants to be there and who's willing to do the things they need to do," he said. Little things. Extra things.

You get mad, you get strong … then you stand. For what you're all about.