Photo by: David Stluka
Lucas: Past meets present as Mertz leans on Bollinger, Tolzien
July 25, 2022 | Football
Former Badger QBs pass along advice in off-season gatherings
BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. – There may not be a better sounding board for a quarterback than a quarterback. Especially if the QB's are from the same program. Especially if they have been taught in a similarly "grounded" offensive system. Especially if they have had success.
It's why Scott Tolzien bounced things off Brooks Bollinger.
It's why Graham Mertz has been bouncing things off Tolzien and Bollinger.
"Talked some ball … Talked some life," Mertz said of their conversations. "It meant a lot."
Uniquely different eras in Badger football were bridged by these three QBs: Bollinger (30-12 as a starter between 1998-2002), Tolzien (21-5, 2006-10) and Mertz (13-7 since 2019). Tolzien huddled with Mertz in Madison on July 8. The next day, Mertz and Bollinger connected at a charity softball game.
"I just figured I'd reach out to Graham," said the 34-year-old Tolzien, who was a staff analyst for his former offensive coordinator, head coach Paul Chryst, during Mertz's freshman season. "One of my best assets when I was in college – and even beyond – was Brooks Bollinger.
"He went out of his way – out of the blue – to reach out to me. It was an awesome resource.
"Brooks was invaluable to me – someone I could reach out to, good times, bad times. He had been there and done that. I told Graham that Brooks was always my guy I could text when things were good or bad. This was an opportunity for me to kind of pay it forward. Like Brooks did for me."
Since Tolzien, a second-year offensive assistant with the Dallas Cowboys, and his wife Megan were visiting family in the Milwaukee area, it was a short drive over to Madison to meet with Mertz. It came up then Mertz would be teaming up with Bollinger on a baseball diamond less than 24 hours later.
"I said, 'Oh, God, you' got to talk to him,'" Tolzien recalled. "He's an all-timer."
Bollinger and Mertz had met once last year. Before playing in the Battle4Wisconsin – the charity exhibition between Badger football players (headed by Alec Ingold) and basketball players (Sam Dekker) – they got on the field early, played catch and talked. "We didn't get too in-depth," Bollinger said later.
But they exchanged some ideas. "It was the first time talking to him over a span of time – he's awesome," Mertz said. "First off, we just wanted to get to know each other a little bit more. We threw it around a little bit and talked ball, life, family, what makes you tick, what makes you go. It was cool."
Bollinger, 42, a vice-president and wealth management director of Bell Bank in Minneapolis, is involved with the Varsity Collective, LCC, (aimed to address NIL and business opportunities for UW student-athletes). Mertz wasn't born yet when Bollinger guided the Badgers to a 2000 Rose Bowl win.
"I don't have all the answers," Bollinger insisted. "But I'm just trying to be a person that says, 'Hey, all of us have been there before. Embrace it. Face those mistakes, learn from them and let them go. Develop that true confidence through those situations and go win some games.'"
Five years ago, Bollinger, a two-time Badger captain, was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame. Although he made it look easy at times, especially during the '99 season, he was no different than any other quarterback who has dealt with the vagaries of the position as a collegian and professional.
"Watching what Graham went through as a freshman and initially as a starter and seeing some of the bumps early last season," Bollinger observed, "it brought me back to my career of having a lot of early success and then having to work through some struggles. Obviously totally different situation.
"But I understand certainly what it's like to have to play your way through that. I just tried to give him a perspective that helps him be successful and understand those scars are really valuable. You always have to learn how to play with that scar tissue. It's never going to be perfect."
Whereas Bollinger was a four-year fixture at quarterback for the Badgers, starting the second-most games (42) at the position behind only Darrell Bevell (43), Tolzien didn't get even get on the field his first two years and appeared in just three games as a redshirt sophomore (attempting only eight passes).
Over his last two seasons, Tolzien made up for lost time by starting 26 straight games. In 2010, he won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award. Not only did he lead the nation in completion percentage (194 of 266; .729), he set a school record. Tolzien went on to play seven years in the NFL.
Considering Twitter was launched his freshman year, he confessed to Mertz, "Man, this college stuff is so much different now.' The iPhone came out when I was a junior and I thought, 'You can get from A to B on your phone?' I just can't imagine how that has transformed a college kid's life.
"It was 12 years ago I played (at UW) and it seems like light years ago with some things."
Mertz talked about posting "once in a while" on Twitter (25.3k followers). He's more active on Instagram (53.2K followers). But he's uncertain how much, if at all, he will get involved on social platforms once the season gets under way. "We have bigger things to do," he said.
In this context, Tolzien shared with Mertz what worked for him in blocking out the noise.
"It's probably even of the utmost importance now," Tolzien said. "I just tried to keep everything simple in my life so that I could focus on the process of preparation and the process of playing. I didn't have a social media page. And there wasn't Instagram back then. So, it was a lot easier for me.
"I just tried to keep a low profile. I tried to keep everything kind of bland. When you're a quarterback on a college campus, the highs are higher than high, and the lows are lower than low. If I personally kept things at the same level, it just made things easier. There was less volatility.
"I said to Graham, 'That was just my approach. Everyone has their own approach.' But it's probably more important now than ever to simplify things because there are people pulling at you from all different directions and you can't go anywhere without someone trying to get a piece of you."
Tolzien was impressed Mertz was conscientious enough to prepare questions before meeting.
"The one thing I've learned about Graham – and this is a tribute to him – he's confident, he's got a plan. It's not a free-for-all," he pointed out. "With someone like him, it's not my job to tell him, 'Do it this way or that way.' He had a lot of good questions, football and non-football."
One of the areas Mertz probed was how Tolzien went about film study. Tolzien was around some elite QB's in the NFL. Briefly with the Chargers, it was Philip Rivers. With the 49ers, it was Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick. With the Packers, it was Aaron Rodgers. With the Colts, it was Andrew Luck.
"I watch film so much different now than when I was a college freshman or even a college senior," said Tolzien, a native of Rolling Meadows, Illinois (Fremd High School). "The one thing I do know is that I didn't know everything when I was entering college.
"There were no better resources than my coaches, specifically coach Chryst."
Some of the things that the industrious Tolzien learned through repetition – as he matured breaking down film – he shared with Mertz, "OK, from the time I break the huddle to the time the ball is snapped, this is what my procedure is.' More-or-less it's what you're doing when you're watching film.
"I'm trying to train my mind to do that same procedure. So, we talked about that."Â
In honing his own film room skills, Mertz said, "For me, it comes down to the detail that I take into it. What am I trying to get out of this? It's really having a purpose behind watching the cutouts and clips. Is this useful time? Or are we not getting anything out of this? I'm just being really tuned in."
Tolzien and Bollinger gave high marks to Bobby Engram, UW's new offensive coordinator. Engram was an offensive assistant with the 49ers when Tolzien was a rookie. From there, he coached wide receivers for Chryst at the University of Pittsburgh. Bollinger was the QB coach at Pitt in 2012.
Both noted Engram's ability to view the whole field. Like a quarterback, not just a receiver.
"The biggest thing is Coach Engram just wants me to go out there and play and have fun doing it," Mertz said. "It's the biggest thing I took from the spring … playing smart ball and having fun. I just focused on me and my process.
"It was being introspective and locked into the moment of what I have to get done and when I have to get it done and maxing out every day. When you have that, you have genuine confidence, and it frees you up to go play. That's where I'm at. I don't care what anybody says. Never have. Never will."
On Bollinger's suggestion about quarterbacks building up scar tissue, Mertz nodded and said, "Oh, yeah, I've got plenty. This whole team has scar tissue. We've been through so much together."
Pick up any preseason magazine and the focus will be on Mertz and some decisions that he has made with the ball. How does he get better?
"The answer to that," Mertz said, "is to just be better at decision-making. It's undeniable that we have to. I've got to. That was my biggest thing in the spring."
Tolzien had his own take on Mertz's potential growth in this area, "One thing you can't ever forget, you'll learn as you go, and you'll be better just because you've had experiences. You know what has worked. And what has not worked. The best coach is always going to be yourself in any situation.
"These were the methods that worked for me. But that's not saying there's only one way to skin the cat. That was one of Brooks' messages to me. 'Here's how I did things. Take what you want. But you also have to be your own person and use what works for you.'"
Bollinger, like Tolzien, believes that Mertz has what it takes to be successful in 2022.
"He wants to learn, he wants to be great and, he has a great energy for playing the position and wanting to be the best that he can be," Bollinger said. "There's no exact manual for life or for playing quarterback. I think his head is in a good place. He's putting the work in to be a leader for the group."
Mertz is prepared for the line of questioning that he will get at the Big Ten Media Days. When quizzed on his expectations for the season, he said that he will respond accordingly, "I'm ready to go play. I'm going to do whatever I can to make this team win. That's all that matters.
"This is the closest team I've been on. The best team I've been on. These guys are hungry."
Nobody more so than Mertz. Bollinger and Tolzien will be watching. And pulling for him.
It's what family does.
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. – There may not be a better sounding board for a quarterback than a quarterback. Especially if the QB's are from the same program. Especially if they have been taught in a similarly "grounded" offensive system. Especially if they have had success.
It's why Scott Tolzien bounced things off Brooks Bollinger.
It's why Graham Mertz has been bouncing things off Tolzien and Bollinger.
"Talked some ball … Talked some life," Mertz said of their conversations. "It meant a lot."
Uniquely different eras in Badger football were bridged by these three QBs: Bollinger (30-12 as a starter between 1998-2002), Tolzien (21-5, 2006-10) and Mertz (13-7 since 2019). Tolzien huddled with Mertz in Madison on July 8. The next day, Mertz and Bollinger connected at a charity softball game.
"I just figured I'd reach out to Graham," said the 34-year-old Tolzien, who was a staff analyst for his former offensive coordinator, head coach Paul Chryst, during Mertz's freshman season. "One of my best assets when I was in college – and even beyond – was Brooks Bollinger.
"He went out of his way – out of the blue – to reach out to me. It was an awesome resource.
"Brooks was invaluable to me – someone I could reach out to, good times, bad times. He had been there and done that. I told Graham that Brooks was always my guy I could text when things were good or bad. This was an opportunity for me to kind of pay it forward. Like Brooks did for me."
Since Tolzien, a second-year offensive assistant with the Dallas Cowboys, and his wife Megan were visiting family in the Milwaukee area, it was a short drive over to Madison to meet with Mertz. It came up then Mertz would be teaming up with Bollinger on a baseball diamond less than 24 hours later.
"I said, 'Oh, God, you' got to talk to him,'" Tolzien recalled. "He's an all-timer."
Bollinger and Mertz had met once last year. Before playing in the Battle4Wisconsin – the charity exhibition between Badger football players (headed by Alec Ingold) and basketball players (Sam Dekker) – they got on the field early, played catch and talked. "We didn't get too in-depth," Bollinger said later.
But they exchanged some ideas. "It was the first time talking to him over a span of time – he's awesome," Mertz said. "First off, we just wanted to get to know each other a little bit more. We threw it around a little bit and talked ball, life, family, what makes you tick, what makes you go. It was cool."
Bollinger, 42, a vice-president and wealth management director of Bell Bank in Minneapolis, is involved with the Varsity Collective, LCC, (aimed to address NIL and business opportunities for UW student-athletes). Mertz wasn't born yet when Bollinger guided the Badgers to a 2000 Rose Bowl win.
"I don't have all the answers," Bollinger insisted. "But I'm just trying to be a person that says, 'Hey, all of us have been there before. Embrace it. Face those mistakes, learn from them and let them go. Develop that true confidence through those situations and go win some games.'"
Five years ago, Bollinger, a two-time Badger captain, was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame. Although he made it look easy at times, especially during the '99 season, he was no different than any other quarterback who has dealt with the vagaries of the position as a collegian and professional.
"Watching what Graham went through as a freshman and initially as a starter and seeing some of the bumps early last season," Bollinger observed, "it brought me back to my career of having a lot of early success and then having to work through some struggles. Obviously totally different situation.
"But I understand certainly what it's like to have to play your way through that. I just tried to give him a perspective that helps him be successful and understand those scars are really valuable. You always have to learn how to play with that scar tissue. It's never going to be perfect."
Whereas Bollinger was a four-year fixture at quarterback for the Badgers, starting the second-most games (42) at the position behind only Darrell Bevell (43), Tolzien didn't get even get on the field his first two years and appeared in just three games as a redshirt sophomore (attempting only eight passes).
Over his last two seasons, Tolzien made up for lost time by starting 26 straight games. In 2010, he won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award. Not only did he lead the nation in completion percentage (194 of 266; .729), he set a school record. Tolzien went on to play seven years in the NFL.
Considering Twitter was launched his freshman year, he confessed to Mertz, "Man, this college stuff is so much different now.' The iPhone came out when I was a junior and I thought, 'You can get from A to B on your phone?' I just can't imagine how that has transformed a college kid's life.
"It was 12 years ago I played (at UW) and it seems like light years ago with some things."
Mertz talked about posting "once in a while" on Twitter (25.3k followers). He's more active on Instagram (53.2K followers). But he's uncertain how much, if at all, he will get involved on social platforms once the season gets under way. "We have bigger things to do," he said.
In this context, Tolzien shared with Mertz what worked for him in blocking out the noise.
"It's probably even of the utmost importance now," Tolzien said. "I just tried to keep everything simple in my life so that I could focus on the process of preparation and the process of playing. I didn't have a social media page. And there wasn't Instagram back then. So, it was a lot easier for me.
"I just tried to keep a low profile. I tried to keep everything kind of bland. When you're a quarterback on a college campus, the highs are higher than high, and the lows are lower than low. If I personally kept things at the same level, it just made things easier. There was less volatility.
"I said to Graham, 'That was just my approach. Everyone has their own approach.' But it's probably more important now than ever to simplify things because there are people pulling at you from all different directions and you can't go anywhere without someone trying to get a piece of you."
Tolzien was impressed Mertz was conscientious enough to prepare questions before meeting.
"The one thing I've learned about Graham – and this is a tribute to him – he's confident, he's got a plan. It's not a free-for-all," he pointed out. "With someone like him, it's not my job to tell him, 'Do it this way or that way.' He had a lot of good questions, football and non-football."
One of the areas Mertz probed was how Tolzien went about film study. Tolzien was around some elite QB's in the NFL. Briefly with the Chargers, it was Philip Rivers. With the 49ers, it was Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick. With the Packers, it was Aaron Rodgers. With the Colts, it was Andrew Luck.
"I watch film so much different now than when I was a college freshman or even a college senior," said Tolzien, a native of Rolling Meadows, Illinois (Fremd High School). "The one thing I do know is that I didn't know everything when I was entering college.
"There were no better resources than my coaches, specifically coach Chryst."
Some of the things that the industrious Tolzien learned through repetition – as he matured breaking down film – he shared with Mertz, "OK, from the time I break the huddle to the time the ball is snapped, this is what my procedure is.' More-or-less it's what you're doing when you're watching film.
"I'm trying to train my mind to do that same procedure. So, we talked about that."Â
In honing his own film room skills, Mertz said, "For me, it comes down to the detail that I take into it. What am I trying to get out of this? It's really having a purpose behind watching the cutouts and clips. Is this useful time? Or are we not getting anything out of this? I'm just being really tuned in."
Tolzien and Bollinger gave high marks to Bobby Engram, UW's new offensive coordinator. Engram was an offensive assistant with the 49ers when Tolzien was a rookie. From there, he coached wide receivers for Chryst at the University of Pittsburgh. Bollinger was the QB coach at Pitt in 2012.
Both noted Engram's ability to view the whole field. Like a quarterback, not just a receiver.
"The biggest thing is Coach Engram just wants me to go out there and play and have fun doing it," Mertz said. "It's the biggest thing I took from the spring … playing smart ball and having fun. I just focused on me and my process.
"It was being introspective and locked into the moment of what I have to get done and when I have to get it done and maxing out every day. When you have that, you have genuine confidence, and it frees you up to go play. That's where I'm at. I don't care what anybody says. Never have. Never will."
On Bollinger's suggestion about quarterbacks building up scar tissue, Mertz nodded and said, "Oh, yeah, I've got plenty. This whole team has scar tissue. We've been through so much together."
Pick up any preseason magazine and the focus will be on Mertz and some decisions that he has made with the ball. How does he get better?
"The answer to that," Mertz said, "is to just be better at decision-making. It's undeniable that we have to. I've got to. That was my biggest thing in the spring."
Tolzien had his own take on Mertz's potential growth in this area, "One thing you can't ever forget, you'll learn as you go, and you'll be better just because you've had experiences. You know what has worked. And what has not worked. The best coach is always going to be yourself in any situation.
"These were the methods that worked for me. But that's not saying there's only one way to skin the cat. That was one of Brooks' messages to me. 'Here's how I did things. Take what you want. But you also have to be your own person and use what works for you.'"
Bollinger, like Tolzien, believes that Mertz has what it takes to be successful in 2022.
"He wants to learn, he wants to be great and, he has a great energy for playing the position and wanting to be the best that he can be," Bollinger said. "There's no exact manual for life or for playing quarterback. I think his head is in a good place. He's putting the work in to be a leader for the group."
Mertz is prepared for the line of questioning that he will get at the Big Ten Media Days. When quizzed on his expectations for the season, he said that he will respond accordingly, "I'm ready to go play. I'm going to do whatever I can to make this team win. That's all that matters.
"This is the closest team I've been on. The best team I've been on. These guys are hungry."
Nobody more so than Mertz. Bollinger and Tolzien will be watching. And pulling for him.
It's what family does.
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