Rivals.com regarded senior kicker Taylor Mehlhaff as the No. 1 kicker in the nation coming out of high school. He was a Riddell first-team All-American as well as a USA Today second team All-American. The question then is, why did he choose to enroll at Wisconsin?'
""I grew up a big Cornhuskers fan and I really wanted to go there. When Wisconsin was recruiting me, I took a visit and I '""absolutely loved Madison, I loved the campus,"" Mehlhaff said. ""I had a good opportunity to come here and play right away and it's worked out. I don't regret anything.""'""
However, kicking has not always been Mehlhaff's No. 1 focus. He earned all-conference honors as a quarterback while playing at Aberdeen Central High School in South Dakota. '""
""Originally, I wanted to play quarterback and play baseball, or both,"" Mehlhaff said. ""I played four different sports in high '""school, it was kind of exciting to just come and just concentrate on one thing.""'""
Four years after making his commitment to join the Badgers, his booming and accurate leg has been a huge asset. The '""senior has made 32 of 43 field goals in his career including a perfect 3-for-3 to start off the 2007 campaign.
""Kicking is so mental, and you come in as a freshmen and you walk on that field and your eyes are pretty big,"" Mehlhaff '""said. ""As [I] get older, I feel a little more confident, I feel a little more comfortable out there. That's so big with kicking, just '""going out there with confidence and knowing you can drill it.""'""
Taylor grew up watching some of the biggest names to come out of South Dakota excel on the football field, so it is easy to recognize how he has been able to develop the confidence he showcases while he plays.
""Not many kids come out of South Dakota. Josh Heupel - he was a quarterback at Oklahoma - he was a senior at '""Oklahoma when I was in like eighth grade, and I was hearing all about him,"" Mehlhaff said. ""I was like, hey if he can come out '""of here and do that, maybe I can too. He was kind of my role model and then obviously Adam Vinatieri, seeing what he's '""done. I've always looked up to him the last few years and hope to someday accomplish something that he's accomplished.""
The touchback has also been a major part of Mehlhaff's game and another reason he has become a major asset to the '""UW squad. However, this year, the NCAA instituted a new rule that pushes the ball back an extra five yards. This '""seemingly creates a new obstacle for Mehlhaff to take on. '""
""I said it all along, 'I've liked it, [and] I can hit it'. I was up to the challenge,"" Mehlhaff said. ""I'm hitting the ball very well '""from there and I hope to have it be an advantage for our team the rest of the year.""'""
