Quarterback John Stocco raced into the end zone, giving the Badgers a win over Michigan Saturday and putting Wisconsin football in the national spotlight once again.
Every year, it seems the country has to be reminded that Wisconsin football exists and is actually a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten. However, a possible torn rotator cuff and a partially dislocated shoulder put Badger football on the map in a totally different way, halfway across the country.
Injuries suffered to the New York Jets' first and second string quarterbacks, namely Chad Pennington, the master of the three-yard pass, and Jay Fiedler, will give way to former Badger Brooks Bollinger. In his third year in the National Football League, Bollinger will make his first regular season start this Sunday.
The 2003 sixth-round draft pick has thrown nine balls in his NFL career, five of which he completed for a total of 60 yards. Bollinger has also been sacked once and has a passer rating of 76.2.
Despite the signing of AARP member Vinny Testeverde, the Jets will go with the inexperienced Bollinger at M&T Bank Stadium against the ferocious Ray Lewis and the fading Ravens defense.
Back in the New York metropolitan area, Jets fans are crying like Dick Vermeil, wondering how they deserved such a fate. Those who dubbed Pennington the next Joe Montana are giving up hope.
I too bleed green and white, and Fireman Ed's chants of \J-E-T-S"" give me goose bumps up and down my spine, and I will always appreciate Pennington rejuvenating a franchise that seemed to once rest on the fading arm of Testeverde. The Knoxville native made Jet fans forget about passing on Dan Marino in the 1983 draft and brought Gang Green within one Doug Brien field goal of heading to the AFC Championship game against the Patriots.
I was one of the unlucky ones. I missed seeing Bollinger play at UW by one year, allowing me to see the reign of the sackable Jim Sorgi and the recently valiant Stocco. I feel as if I have been cheated, and thus the Badger, and Jet, fan in me cannot wait to see Bollinger standing in behind center Kevin Mawae's broad backside.
At Wisconsin, Bollinger compiled a 30-12 record as a starter; nine of those wins were fourth-quarter comebacks. He finished second at UW in career passing yards, attempts, completions and touchdowns.
Bollinger is no novice to stepping into new situations and succeeding. Those who flock to the Meadowlands need to look no further then 1999, when a 19 year-old Bollinger strutted through the arches at Camp Randall, won the freshman of year in the Big Ten, and brought a Rose Bowl title back to the Badger trophy case.
So if you put your hands up, forming a ""J.L."" for Jimmy Leonhard in years past, or currently shout ""hoooou"" every time Brian Calhoun's name is announced over the PA system, or if you consider yourself, a Badger football fanatic, flip your dial to the Jets game this Sunday and watch Brooks make Badger fans proud again.
Sam Pepper can be reached for comment at sepepper@wisc.edu.
