At 6'4' and 270 pounds, senior defensive lineman Jake Sprague is a menacing force for opponents to control. Sprague is one of the senior leaders on the Badger defense and is sixth in the Big Ten with six sacks. He has been voted defensive captain by his team five times this year. Sprague was voted special teams player of the week against Michigan State Oct. 26,.
In the twilight of an amazing career at the University of Wisconsin, Sprague is still looking for more.
\This season is not over for us. We have three guaranteed games yet,"" Sprague said. ""If we win those games then there is a bowl opportunity so there is some things we have shore to up to get there.""
Sprague has experienced a lot in his five years here as a Badger. His first action came in 1998 as a freshman. The Oak Field, Wis. native impressed coaches in the fall camp that year and was promoted into the two-deep lineup. He filled in many games, giving the Badgers consistent and strong performances throughout the course of the season.
His first start came, however, on the Big Ten's biggest stage. With then Badger defensive end Tom Burke sitting out the first series due to disciplinary reasons, Sprague was slated as the starter for the Badgers in the Rose Bowl against the UCLA Bruins in 2000.
""Playing in my first Rose Bowl my freshman year was the most memorable thing,"" Sprague said. ""It was my first start and I was a freshman. It was as good as it gets with 100,000 people cheering and all. It's just something that you won't ever see again.""
Since then, Sprague has been the quiet member of the defense behind such names as John Favret and NFL players Wendell Bryant and Burke. This year, Sprague has stepped out of the shadow and propelled himself into the leadership role within the defense and is the one guy that the younger players come to.
""Definitely, he's a great leader on the defensive line,"" junior linebacker Alex Lewis said. ""He's a smart guy, knows the schemes and you know you're going to get everything out of him every game.""
Sprague understands the importance of using his experience to help the younger players out.
""It's my job now [to be the leader of the defense], being it's my last year to be a leader for the younger guys and do the right things and have the younger guys look up to me for leadership and for support,"" Sprague said. ""Personally, I just want to keep playing as best I can. I want to keep doing the best that I can do to help this team win.""
""Sprague leads this team by example,"" UW Defensive Coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said. ""Though the big end doesn't say much, his impact on the team is still very strong.
""Jake's not a big 'rah-rah' guy. But he works hard and he plays hard. When young kids see that, they are like, 'So that's the way I got to do it,'"" Cosgrove said.
Sprague's play not only helps the defense but also helps make the offense much better. He helps prepare the younger receivers and running backs for possible defenses during the games. Freshman wide receiver Brandon Williams knows that, even after Sprague's medical redshirt season last year, he can still be counted on.
""He's a big impact on the team because he got hurt his true senior year and he came back this year ready to play. He knows so much and helps us out all the time. His play on the field also speaks for itself. He doesn't say much. He just goes out there and does his job,"" Williams said.
All the hard work and examples set by Sprague would cause some to think that he would get frustrated at his teammates for not pulling their weight. However, this is not the case.
""Losing the games is what is frustrating,"" Sprague said. ""We win as a team and lose as a team. There might be times where we are not doing so well and [the defensive backs] may make a great play on the back end and you just can't point a finger like that. We are 11 guys playing as one on the field. We live and die as a team.""
As Sprague plans to move on to the National Football League next season, he will have left an indelible mark on Badger football as a strong defensive end who has helped lead a tough defense year after year.
""This is part of how he wanted to be remembered,"" Cosgrove said. ""A guy who wanted to do everything he could to help his team win the game. It's all you can ask for,"" Cosgrove said. ""A guy that everyone can count on and who put everything he had out there on the field. That's about it.\
