The 2006 season was going to be the year junior fullback Chris Pressley finally broke through and earned a starting spot as fullback. However, a lower leg injury derailed that opportunity for the entire season as Pressley was forced to use his redshirt season.
I always look at it positively and say look, now I can focus on school, and that was what I was able to do,"" Pressley said. ""In football, it takes away a lot of your 'me' time, just analyzing yourself, analyzing the way you want to go about things.""
Enter 2007. Five games into the season the Badgers possess the sixth highest rusher in the nation in sophomore P.J. Hill. However, even Hill himself understands he wouldn't be where he is without the punishing blocks his fullback leads with.
""Chris is just a fullback that you really want to have in front of you,"" Hill said. ""He's a very sound, strong dude. He's going one on one with that [line]backer and 100 percent of the time that backer is not going to get through; he's either going to make a big hit on him or open holes for me.""
A native of Woodbury, N.J., Pressley was considered one of the top prospects in his entire state. However, attending Wisconsin almost never became a reality for him as he had committed himself to become a Tennessee Volunteer.
""I had committed to Tennessee formally; I went down there on a visit and was pretty psyched about it,"" Pressley said. ""It didn't work out for me just because a few things that went on with my parents and things.""
Wisconsin never gave up on him, however, and brought him in for a visit. The rest is history.
""Wisconsin came, and I really liked it when I was here on a visit,"" Pressley said. ""Coming from Jersey it was kind of a thing that I wanted to get away from all that was going on back there. I just wanted to be a representative from my neighborhood and what we go through.""
While Pressley's roommate Hill garners more media attention, Pressley understands that there is a fundamental difference between the two positions, but is grateful for what he can provide on the football field.
""I take a lot of pride, people don't know too much about the fullback, and it was just one of those things where I am out there doing my job,"" Pressley said.
As one of the most crucial players when protecting both the running back and quarterback, Pressley is starting to gain recognition as a leader not only on the offensive side of the ball but on the entire team.
""Our players just like to see that guy up front, guys who really want it, really want to win, and Chris Pressley is a guy you put in that category. He really wants to win so he just goes out and play[s] hard every play,"" Hill said.
