UW freshmen offensive lineman John Moffitt learned his craft from one of the best UW has ever seen. As a freshman, the 6'4', 307-pound lineman from Guilford, Conn., was able to practice every day and focus on getting better as he redshirted.
Watching and learning from All-American Joe Thomas did not hurt either.
My redshirt year, seeing a guy like Joe Thomas was just really helpful,"" Moffitt said. ""It made a big difference.""
Moffitt had a chance to show how much of a difference his red-shirt year made. He was inserted into the starting lineup against Northern Illinois when junior offensive lineman Andy Kemp injured his hand. When asked if nerves kicked in, Moffitt did not hesitate.
""Of course. I don't understand how a person couldn't,"" Moffitt said. ""80,000 people, my first start since high school - but after that first play, you're playing football, so it just goes away.""
UW went on to have one of its more successful rushing attacks of the season, as sophomore running back P.J. Hill rushed for 184 yards and the team as a whole topped the 300-yard mark rushing the ball. Moffitt did a stand-up job, creating multiple holes for the running backs all game long.
""I thought [Moffitt] did a good job for his first time out,"" offensive line coach Bob Palcic said. ""He's a young player. I think he has good ability.""
While UW has a rich tradition of star running backs, they can only do so much if they do not have blockers that do their job.
It might take some time for Moffitt to be considered one of the greats like Thomas. But, as Palcic noted, improvement can come with experience.
""He has an awful lot to learn, [but] if he keeps working hard I think he has the potential to be a good player at some point,"" Palcic said.
""He needs a better understanding of the offense. He needs to continue to work on his technique.""
Coming out of high school, Moffitt was ranked as the No. 13 player in the New England area. However, it did not take much convincing for him to take on a new challenge and accept a scholarship at UW.
""I came out here on my official visit and just loved it,"" Moffitt said. ""It was my first game ever being at Camp Randall, and the atmosphere is unbelievable. I think that was one of the things that really drew me to it.
""It was just a fit, it was something that you just ... know it's right. I committed actually two days later.""
This weekend, against a bowl-hungry Indiana team, Moffitt may be given another chance to start if Kemp's hand prevents him from getting back on the field. If so, he has proven his worth to one of the best running backs in the nation.
""He's a tough guy, strong, he's athletic, he's fast [and] he gets on his blocks,"" sophomore P.J. Hill said. ""So I was pretty satisfied with his performance, he did a good job.
