GameDay's final installment of Badgers in the NFL focuses on Badger greats who like to hit. It is said that defense wins championships, and with the following players in the lineup, this team could'in a couple years. Current Badger defenders in the NFL are full of potential but lack experience. All of these players'other than Troy Vincent'still have much to prove, all having been in the league five years or less.
Up to this point, Vincent's 14-year career has included stops in Miami, Philadelphia and Buffalo. But this season is a little bit different for Vincent. He is trying to shut down wide receivers from a different position'safety. Vincent is thriving in his new role, already accumulating 43 tackles and three interceptions.
Fletcher has not lived up to his first-round status through his first five years in the NFL. After three somewhat disappointing seasons in Miami, Fletcher has spent the last two in San Diego. With 106 total tackles and only four interceptions in five years, Fletcher has not shown the same defensive dominance he had at Wisconsin.
Kolodziej's NFL career has been almost as hard to track as his last name is to pronounce. After one season with New York, Ross was out of the NFL until last year, when he was picked up by Arizona. During his career of 29 games, Kolodziej has 19 total tackles and two sacks. The Stevens Point, Wis. native should continue his solid play.
Greisen is another above-average Badger to make a difference in the NFL. After spending his first two seasons basically on special teams, Greisen got his chance in 2004. Greisen registered 80 tackles, two sacks and one forced fumble last year as the starting middle linebacker. Look for Greisen to again be a force on defense for a much improved Giants team.
Lewis was a nice surprise last year for the Lions with 59 tackles, two sacks and one interception while filling in for an injured Boss Bailey. Although Lewis has only played in one game this year, the Lions linebacker corps is constantly injured, so Lewis should have ample opportunities to prove his worth.
Erasmus has not had much time to 'erase' any NFL quarterbacks. After a long holdout and rumors of problems with head coach Mike Tice, James has only played in seven games, with his first start against Detroit last Sunday. James is an incredible athlete, and should see more playing time.
Scott Starks was a surprising third-round pick for the Jaguars, with many people thinking he would be a second-day pick. This season the St. Louis native has played in seven games for the Jaguars. Starks has yet to record an NFL statistic, so it remains to be seen if he can produce any fumble recoveries for touchdowns.
After a great senior year, Welsh made the Indianapolis roster his rookie year. Welsh has played in five games so far, recording two total tackles. With defensive ends Robert Mathis, Raheem Brock and superhuman Dwight Freeney ahead of Welsh on the depth chart, it will be tough for him to get significant playing time.
Leonhard looks to continue his underdog story with the Buffalo Bills. Although he was undrafted, Leonhard made it through roster cuts in training camp and has shown improvement in his rookie season. Leonhard has only played in two games this year and with fellow Badger Troy Vincent and Lawyer Milloy starting at both safety spots, it looks like Leonhard has another obstacle to overcome.
