BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider

Gio Paez is as proud of his heritage as he is of his faith.

He celebrates his roots every day, not just during Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs through Oct. 15. His burly arms serve as an elaborate, tattoo-laden tribute to his ancestors and the lives they've led. One is of his maternal grandmother, Emma Lou, a one-time Mariachi performer who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico and later worked in an immigration office.

Paez's faith, meanwhile, is the primary reason why the redshirt senior is currently the starting nose tackle for the Wisconsin football team.

When Paez was growing up in Los Angeles, a second-generation Mexican-American, his first love was basketball right up until his freshman year at Cathedral High School.

Then came a series of abrupt, dramatic lifestyle changes, all driven by an experience his mother, Yvette, had at a prayer meeting.

"Someone came up to her and pointed out the Bible verse Jeremiah 33:3, which said, 'Seek me and I'll show you hidden treasures,'" Paez said. "She ended up seeing that number all over the place."

Yvette had been working a series of part-time jobs, including a gig as a dog walker that resulted in her having legendary rapper and record producer Dr. Dre as a client. But she couldn't find suitable full-time work, nor could her husband, Ron. Meanwhile, her father Salvatore was trapped in the throes of congestive heart failure.

"We were living with my grandparents at the time," Paez said. "My mom couldn't find a job. My stepdad couldn't find a job. My dad was out of the picture."

Seven years ago, Yvette did a video job interview with a mortgage company in Charlotte, N.C., and felt compelled to take it even though it would require a cross-country move and a lot of upheaval. She said she felt lured by the power of prayer.

"The Lord brought us here," she said.

In short order, Ron landed a job and Yvette's father found a specialist who would insert a heart valve, a procedure that prolonged his life by more than a year.

"The doctors (in LA) said he was too frail and weak to do any surgery," she said.

Paez soon got caught up in the swirl of change. He told his mother that he wanted to play football instead of basketball even though his only experience was a year of Pop Warner when he was 6.

So when his mother accepted her new job, Paez elected to join her immediately instead of waiting for his prep career to run its course in LA. That took some courage.

"Huge culture shock," he said.

Halfway through his sophomore season at William A. Hough High School, Paez had nearly two dozen Division I scholarship offers, all enamored with his instincts and frame that currently casts a 6-foot-3, 310-pound shadow for the Badgers.

"Some might call it a coincidence," Paez said. "Someone with a faith background might not.

"I've always had a pretty strong faith. It was a matter of applying what I've learned. It's an everyday walk."

Paez ultimately picked Wisconsin over Texas A&M after an official visit to Madison that featured award-winning tailback Jonathan Taylor as his campus host and a chance encounter with another decorated tailback, Melvin Gordon. Paez said he and his mother took a moment on their journey home to pray for guidance.

"If it's your will," Paez said, "make it known to me."

Paez redshirted as a freshman in 2019. He played as a backup in 19 games from 2020 to '22 before starting against Oklahoma State in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl to close out last season.

So far this year, Paez has started three times with No. 4 expected Saturday when UW hosts Iowa in a Big Ten Conference duel at Camp Randall Stadium at 3 p.m. He was named defensive player of the game for the Badgers after registering three tackles in a season-opening win over Buffalo. The weekly award-winners are chosen by Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell and his staff.

Paez is a communications major with a certificate in digital studies and disabilities rights.

"I believe I'm in the right place," Paez said. "I love Madison. It's been nothing but good to me. Even if I didn't play football, I'd love it here."

Paez said he's never entertained the thought of transferring because loyalty is as important to him as prayer.

"I think a lot of people, when they go into a new environment, they feel lost," he said. "I honestly don't think I would have handled it as well if I didn't have that faith aspect."

Yvette marvels at the way her son has navigated the challenges he's faced and embraced.

"He's something else that kid, he really is," she said. "I think he's going to do great things. He's a force to be reckoned with."