Badgers' head coach Bret Bielema is entering his seventh season patrolling UW's sidelines. While that may not sound like much, he is already the second-longest tenured head coach in the Big Ten (trailing only Iowa's Kirk Ferentz). Among the 66 BCS schools, only 12 coaches (Frank Beamer - Virginia Tech, Mack Brown - Texas, Ferentz, Bob Stoops - Oklahoma, Jim Grobe - Wake Forest, Gary Pinkel - Missouri, Mark Richt - Georgia, Jeff Tedford - California, Mike Riley - Oregon State, Mike Gundy - Oklahoma State, Steve Spurrier - South Carolina and Les Miles - LSU) have been in their current roles longer than Bielema.

With that as a backdrop, we felt it was a good time to take a look back and see what would happen if we took the best players from the past six seasons and lined them up on one team. A number of spirited debates come to mind. Who plays left tackle, Gabe Carimi or Joe Thomas? Which 1,000-yard rusher do you prefer, P.J. Hill, John Clay or Montee Ball? Who do you want directing the offense, John Stocco, Scott Tolzien or Russell Wilson? What's your preference at linebacker, Jonathan Casillas, DeAndre Levy, Mike Taylor or Chris Borland?

Since 2006, UW has produced some great football players. Sixteen different players have earned All-America honors, with 11 of them being named first-team All-Americans. The Badgers have had finalists for the Heisman Trophy, Doak Walker Award, John Mackey Award, Rimington Trophy, Ted Hendricks Award, Manning Award and Lou Groza Award. In addition, Tolzien won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Watt won the Lott IMPACT trophy, and Carimi and Thomas both won the Outland Trophy.

Nineteen Badgers that played for Bielema were on NFL rosters at the end of the 2011 season. In five NFL drafts, 16 UW players have been taken and this year Wisconsin had eight players invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, the most in school history and the second-most in the country.

So instead of just coming up with a team on our own and have people question our thought process, we wanted to open it up to fans to pick the team. Starting today (Monday, Feb. 20) fans will be able to vote on the Wisconsin Football Facebook page. Each day until Sunday, March 11, a different poll will be revealed asking for the fans' choice at a different position. Fans can also vote on Twitter using the hashtag #AllBielemaTeam (follow @BadgerFootball).

After compiling all the votes, the All-Bielema team will be announced in the March 15 edition of 'Varsity' the official online magazine of Wisconsin Athletics.

Vote early and often!

Running backs coach Thomas Hammock, for one, is no stranger to offensive coordinator Matt Canada, who coached him at Northern Illinois.

"The greatest compliment a player can give to a coach is to recommend him,'' said Hammock, a former 1,000-yard rusher who had to give up football because of a heart conditioning.

"There were times when I was a player where I didn't understand why we were doing things or why I had to run 50 yards and everyone else ran 20.

"But as you get older those things that he (Canada) taught me at a young age carried over as far as the type of person and coach that I am now.''

By the sounds of it, Hammock is already on the same wavelength with offensive line coach Mike Markuson. That is critical since Hammock is responsible for coaching Wisconsin's running backs.

"He loves to run the ball which I'm sure my guys are going to be happy about,'' Hammock said. "I'm anxious to get started on putting together a playbook and building our offense for next season.''

Having Montee Ball return for his senior year is a tremendous starting point, of course.

"My philosophy is not going to change and I explained that to Montee,'' Hammock said. "You have to go back out there and earn it - it's the 'What have you done for me lately?' approach.
    
"I know Montee is going to take the challenge, along with some of other guys. You've got James White, who wants a bigger piece of the pie and Melvin Gordon and Jeff Lewis competing on a daily basis.

"You definitely have to have a plan of attack and I expressed that to the whole group. I talked to them about everyone starting from ground zero, which is no different from a year ago at this time.''

How much, if at all, will the Badgers expose Ball to contact during spring practice?

"We practice so hard and with so much intensity,'' Hammock said, "to me that can override a lot of things to where maybe Montee doesn't have to get tackled in the spring.''

The Badgers have been known for a high practice tempo that precludes scrimmaging.

"I told Montee, 'You're going to get a lot of reps this spring because you came back (to Wisconsin) to get better; you didn't come back to just stay the same,''' Hammock related.

"The only way to do that is go out there every day and do the work to improve.''

What about working Ball and White into the same formation?

What about maximizing the depth at the tailback position?

"We lost a lot of key pieces from last season (Russell Wilson, Nick Toon, Bradie Ewing) so you try to find ways to fill that production,'' Hammock said.

"I thought the way we (the running backs) were used in the passing game was really, really good. We went from 30 catches to 60 and we can go from 60 to 90. That's an area we can help the team.

"Maybe in different ways that involves using guys out of the backfield or lining up at wide receiver. All that stuff is down the line as we continue to develop and mold the playbook.''
 

Alabama and LSU were pretty good last year. I think most rational people will agree on that. To be a good team, you need good players. Again, pretty much a no-brainer. And if you are a good player in college, you will go on to play in the NFL. A pretty simple equation. Good college teams have good players who move on to the NFL.

So it shouldn't come as a huge shock that Alabama had the most players (9) invited to the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine. Nor should anyone be surprised that LSU was tied for second with eight players. Here's where the script deviates a little. One of three teams LSU is tied with is Wisconsin. While that may give some people pause, it shouldn't.

Six players from UW's record-breaking 2011 offense are heading to Indianapolis. That is the most offensive players from one school. Included in that group are three offensive linemen. Wisconsin has a long tradition of producing NFL caliber o-linemen and just last year had three drafted (Gabe Carimi, John Moffitt and Bill Nagy) each of whom started for their respective teams on opening weekend.

The Badgers have won back-to-back Big Ten titles and to do that, you need some talent. Looking at the players who made the jump to the NFL last year and those preparing to do so this year tells you a little about just how talented they were.

Last year, six Badgers were invited to the combine, five were drafted, a total of 12 were in NFL camps when they kicked off in July and eight of them stuck with NFL teams. A total of 23 former Badgers were under NFL contract last season, a number that should grow this year.

Of the eight Badgers invited to the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, offensive linemen Peter Konz and Kevin Zeitler look to be the highest-rated. After that, QB Russell Wilson intrigues a lot of teams with his athleticism and makeup. WR Nick Toon is a big body with good hands. FB Bradie Ewing can do a little bit of everything and is a beast on special teams, something that should earn him a long look at the next level.

As Coach Bielema said a number of times, you just don't see that many people the size of OT Josh Oglesby walking around, even at the NFL level. CB Antonio Fenelus may be a bit undersized but UW's defensive coaches will tell you he has been the Badgers' best player on that side of the ball the last two seasons. Lastly, P Brad Nortman impressed a lot of folks with a good week and good performance at the Senior Bowl.

While they weren't invited to the combine, S Aaron Henry, K Philip Welch, LS Kyle Wojta, DT Patrick Butrym and DE Louis Nzegwu all have shots to be late-round picks or free agent pick-ups.  

All five former Badgers drafted in 2011 started for their teams last year, combining to log 41 starts. That number would have been much higher had Carimi, Moffitt and Nagy not all suffered season-ending injuries. This year's class looks to have a similar impact.

Badgers at the NFL Scouting Combine
Bradie Ewing (RB08)
Antonio Fenelus (DB13)
Peter Konz (OL26)
Brad Nortman (PK06)
Josh Oglesby (OL38)
Nick Toon (WO43)
Russell Wilson (QB18)
Kevin Zeitler (OL54)

Schools with most players at 2012 NFL Scouting Combine
Alabama - 9
Wisconsin - 8
LSU - 8
Georgia - 8
Miami - 8

As the lone holdover on the offensive coaching staff, Thomas Hammock felt an obvious urgency to hold recruiting together with defensive assistants Charlie Partridge and Chris Ash.

More to the point, Hammock said, "We were just trying to do the best we could to hold on and keep this thing moving forward for our kids in the program and the kids we were trying to get.''
    
That entailed, he said, "Mapping out a plan and seeing the kids we needed to see'' from the standpoint of "making sure we allocated our time and resources appropriately'' on home visits.

As the interim recruiting coordinator, Partridge suggested, "I won't say it was survival mode, but it was right on the edge of it - you're making sure you're hitting and covering all of your bases.''

Partridge was invaluable in this capacity.

"Charlie is great at organizational skills,'' said UW head coach Bret Bielema.

Partridge's resume includes a two-year stint as the director of football operations at Iowa State.

"My mind is very grid-oriented,'' he said. "I'm a mathematical-type guy.''

That led to making sure there was a list and everything was prioritized.

"We really got into that mode where every important kid in this class was getting hit and getting hit by the right person,'' he said. "Thomas and Chris did a great job.''

There were also significant contributions from the staff underlings:  graduate assistants Ben Strickland and Luke Swan and quality control coordinators Bart Miller and Terrance Jamison.

Strickland has since been promoted to a full-time position.

"Putting those four guys on the road was a great opportunity for them and they came through in flying colors,'' Partridge said. "The in-state (prep) coaches talked about how great of a job they did.

"I'm so proud of them for that.''

Besides laying the groundwork for this season's preferred walk-ons, Partridge noted, "Every staff in the country is getting ahead on junior recruiting and we didn't want to lose ground there.''

The Badgers signed 12 players on Wednesday.

"I think it was a blessing in disguise that it was a small class,'' Bielema admitted. "If you were dealing with a class of 22 or 23, it would have been, I think, a real challenge (to hold the class together).''

Ash had experienced similar circumstances at previous coaching stops.

"Been there before, done it before, so it wasn't anything that was really unexpected for me,'' he said. "You've got to be on the same page, you've got to be organized and you can't waste time.

"There's no down time at all. You're on the go all the time. It's pretty much non-stop. But that's why we're each in this profession. I love meeting people, I love to travel, and I love the university here.

"January is always hectic and crazy as you're coming down to the wire with recruiting. When you're shorthanded with staff, it just means you have to get to a few more places in a few less days.''

With the signing of safety D.J. Singleton, the Badgers were able to reopen the door to New Jersey, which has historically been a very fertile recruiting area for the UW program. QB Joe Brennan and TE/FB Sherard Cadogan will both be redshirt sophomores next year.

"This was my first year recruiting there (New Jersey),'' Hammock acknowledged. "But one thing I've always believed is that if you can recruit, you can recruit anywhere.

"Wisconsin is a great brand to a lot of people out East. We had a small class overall this year and the number of kids we offered was smaller but we're certainly making progress (in that region).''

Throughout the recruiting period, Hammock reassured high school prospects and coaches that "Wisconsin is a program that has been doing well for a long time and that's not going to change.''

In the end, Hammock stressed, the objective was to send the message to each recruit that "You're going to be a key piece to the puzzle as we try to win another Big Ten championship.''

That recruiting pitch never gets old.

With national signing day for football coming up on Wednesday, this is the time of year a lot of folks get wrapped in recruiting rankings, "five-star" athletes and "winning" signing day. I thought it would be a good idea to go back and look at the Badgers' signing day classes in recent history and see how they fared. I left out last year's class because obviously the jury is still out on most of the players.

Signing Day links:
Feb. 1, 2011 - USA Today: Wisconsin consistently outperforms recruiting rank
Jan. 30, 2012 - USA Today: Future All-America players are often not the top recruits
Jan. 31, 2012 - 'Varsity' preview: Early enrollees get jump on becoming Badgers

I don't want this taken as an indictment of recruiting rankings. According to Rivals.com, Alabama has had the No. 1 class in the country three of the last four years. And I heard they were pretty good this season. So there is some correlation between success on the recruiting trail and succeeding on the field. However, both Illinois and Minnesota were ranked higher than UW in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Their combined record over the last three seasons was 29-46 (.387). Wisconsin was 32-8 (.800).

From 2007-10, Wisconsin signed 86 players to National Letters of Intent. Sixty-four of those players (74.4 percent) are either still on the Badgers' roster or finished their careers at UW. A recent story came out that Auburn has only retained 57 percent of its signees from 2009 and 2010 (both classes ranked in the top 20 in the country by Rivals). UW has 39 of its 45 signees (86.7 percent) still on the roster over that span.

On the field, these classes have helped UW win back-to-back Big Ten titles, play in consecutive Rose Bowls and become one of just six teams in the country to win at least 10 games in each of the last three seasons.

Below are some facts and figures for the Badgers' classes in question:

2007
- 17 players signed
- Ranked 34th nationally and 7th in the Big Ten by Rivals
- Produced 11 starters
- 10 players finished their careers as Badgers
- 7 earned All-Big Ten honors and 1 All-American
- Notable signees: RB John Clay (4 stars), S Aaron Henry (3 stars), OL Josh Oglesby (5 stars), WR Nick Toon (4 stars)

2008
- 24 players signed
- Ranked 41st nationally and 6th in the Big Ten by Rivals
- Produced 14 starters (includes 2 walk-ons)
- 15 players finished their careers as Badgers or are still on the roster
- 6 earned All-Big Ten honors (includes 1 walk-on) and 2 All-Americans
- Notable signees: CB Antonio Fenelus (2 stars), OL Peter Konz (4 stars), LB Mike Taylor (2 stars), OL Kevin Zeitler (3 stars)
- Notable walk-ons: FB Bradie Ewing (2 stars), OL Ricky Wagner (not rated)

2009
- 21 players signed
- Ranked 43rd nationally and 8th in the Big Ten by Rivals
- Produced 9 starters (includes 2 walk-ons)
- 17 players are still on the roster
- 5 earned All-Big Ten honors (includes 1 walk-on) and 2 All-Americans
- Notable signees: RB Montee Ball (4 stars), LB Chris Borland (3 stars), OL Travis Frederick (3 stars), TE Jacob Pedersen (2 stars)
- Notable walk-ons: Ethan Hemer (not rated), Jared Abbrederis (not rated)

2010
- 24 players signed
- Not ranked in Rivals top 50, 11th in the Big Ten
- 22 players are still on the roster
- Notable signees: DT Beau Allen (3 stars), OL Rob Havenstein (3 stars), RB James White (3 stars), WR Manasseh Garner (3 stars)
- Notable walk-ons: K Kyle French (not rated), LB Marcus Trotter (not rated)

As the teams make their final preparations for the Saturday's Senior Bowl, the Badgers who are participating in the game are still turning heads. However, inclement weather forced the North squad to "practice" inside a ballroom in the Mobile Convention Center.



Russell Wilson and the other North Team QBs have impressed the Minnesota Vikings coach staff they have been working with all week (Minneapolis Star-Tribune).

Pro Football Weekly's two reporters both couldn't help but notice Wilson during Wednesday's practice ("I wasn't watching the North quarterbacks closely this morning, but Wisconsin's Russell Wilson nonetheless caught my eye").

NFL.com's Simon Samano says "Wilson isn't short on confidence."

Pro Football Weekly also broke down Kevin Zeitler's draft prospects (2nd round - "A very smart, steady, blue-collar man blocker capable of eliminating defenders when he gets his hands on them").

NFLMocks.com has Zeitler among its top 10 prospects at the Senior Bowl, calling him, "Another massive offensive lineman who is primed to play guard in the NFL."

Even though he's not at the Senior Bowl (probably because he left as a junior), C Peter Konz shows up on Pro Football Weekly's Mock draft 1.0 at No. 18 to San Diego ("Konz has the strength and power to make an immediate impact and fortify the Chargers' interior").

The Senior Bowl will start at 3 p.m. CT with coverage beginning on NFL Network at 2:30 p.m.

During the 1989 and 1990 Badger football seasons, I had the privilege of working with legendary announcer Jim Irwin. In those days, Jim did the play-by-play alongside Elroy Hirsch and Brian Manthey. My role was hosting the pregame, halftime and postgame shows.

I certainly knew about Jim. In those days, every sports fan in Wisconsin was familiar with the name. Among his many duties, Jim was the voice of the Badgers, the Milwaukee Bucks and, most notably, the Green Bay Packers. When needed, Jim also would fill in for Bob Uecker on the Brewers' broadcasts.  

He did it all. On Friday, Jim would call a Bucks game. On Saturday, he would be in the booth for a Badgers game, and then he would either head up to Lambeau Field or race to catch a plane to wherever  the Packers were playing on Sunday.

It was quite the schedule, but Jim was the consummate professional. There is a reason he is a Hall of Famer.

Like so many sports fans in this state and beyond, I am saddened at the news of his passing. Irwin died earlier this week in Southern California at age 77.

For many years, Jim Irwin was the voice of teams that had very little success. When we worked together for those two years on the UW football broadcasts, the Badgers' record was 3-19. On the field, those seasons were anything but pretty, but Jim always had plenty of energy, and he was the eternal optimist.

As for your truly, I was a twenty-something kid from Ohio still trying to figure out the business. The next think I knew, I was sitting next to a Wisconsin broadcasting icon.

While those were trying times for the Badgers and their fans, the 1989 and 1990 Wisconsin football seasons are years that I cherish. Why? Because Jim could not have been more welcoming to someone who was still fairly new to the industry.

Someone like Jim could have "big timed" me, but he always offered words of encouragement. In a sense, perhaps he was taking me under his wing. It was only 22 Saturdays, but for me they were important Saturdays, and Jim made me feel as though I was a big part of the Badgers' radio crew. He did not have to be that way, but he was. The same goes for Jim's lovely wife, Gloria, who often joined him in Madison for those home football games.

Jim retired more than a decade ago, and clearly the Packers have a great announcer in Wayne Larrivee. The Bucks' Ted Davis also does terrific work. But I think we all understand that for so many people, hearing Jim Irwin's voice takes us back to so many memorable moments.

From Wes Matthews' half-court heave to beat Michigan State in 1979, when he told his listeners, "Yes! He made it! He made it! He made it, and we win the ballgame! 83 to 81! From mid-court! Wesley Matthews made it!" to the 1981 Badger football team's upset of No. 1 Michigan.

On that September afternoon, Irwin described Matt VandenBoom's three interceptions, including the pick that sealed the game: "Back goes (Steve) Smith. He's gonna throw. He looks. This is the last play of the game. He fires it over the middle. Picked off!  The Badgers win it. With 2 seconds to go, Matt VandenBoom intercepts the ball!"

Then there was the Packers' Super Bowl XXXI victory against the New England Patriots: "The Vince Lombardi Trophy is coming home where it started!" said Irwin that day.

Hearing those calls is like turning back the clock and being a kid again.

I am proud to say that I had the chance to work with Jim Irwin. I was very lucky to have had that opportunity. It isn't every day that one can say he was able to spend time with a Hall of Famer who was gracious, supportive and just a pretty down-to-earth man who loved his craft and performed it at a level that most of us can only hope to reach.

Rest in peace, Jim. Thank you for all of your wonderful calls, and thank you for believing in that young broadcaster.

Some observations and links from Tuesday morning's North team practice at the 2012 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.:

QB Russell Wilson was again largely discussed on the NFL Network coverage. Badger head coach Bret Bielema called in to talk about his quarterback with Paul Burmeister and Mike Mayock (VIDEO).

The beat writer for the Houston Texans (Badgers south?) from the Houston Chronicle weighed in with his thoughts on Wilson ("Wilson has a nice, over-the-top delivery and keeps high during his backpedal") and Kevin Zeitler ("I was very excited to see Kevin Zeitler because he's such a powerful and technically sound run blocker and he didn't disappoint in the scrimmage phase").

Pro Football Weekly also briefly touched on Wilson ("Wilson was very impressive. He was accurate, consistent and had the best zip on his ball of the three quarterbacks"). They also checked in later on video breaking down Wilson's day.

Zeitler, who moved over and played a little center during practice, impressed Tom Melton ("As I said in my preview of the Senior Bowl I think that Kevin Zeitler is the top senior offensive guard and I still believe that").

Tony Softli, who covers the Rams, also had good things to say about Zeitler ("Tough and aggressive lineman. Is not the best athlete of the bunch, but he has that over-achiever attitude with skill set to develop at the next level. I like this young man.") and Wilson ("When it's all said and done, this quarterback might be the best at the 2012 Senior Bowl. Play-maker!").

Punter Brad Nortman also has been turning some heads. After Monday's practice, SI.com's Tony Pauline said, "Brad Nortman (P/Wisconsin) was kicking moon shots all afternoon. His punts were consistently flying 55-to-60 yards with great hang time."

SB Nation also chimed in following Tuesday's practice, "Wisconsin punter Brad Nortman boomed his kicks and routinely got quite a bit of hang time, garnering him some attention from a few scouts after practice."

Practice continues today, televised live at 10 a.m. CT on NFL Network.

Three former Badger defensive players took part in all-star games last weekend, with Aaron Henry playing in the East-West Shrine game, Patrick Butrym in the NFLPA Collegiate All-Star game and Antonio Fenelus in the Battle of Florida.

Fenelus, the only one of the three Badgers with an official invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine, was on the losing end of a 51-3 score at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla. He did account for one of the South Team's highlights, recording an interception. Fenelus also added two tackles and pass breakup.

Henry was voted the captain of the victorious West team in the East-West Shrine game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Defensive stats were hard to come by but The Naples Daily News caught up with Henry before the game.

Butrym played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, but information and stats on the game are scarce.

In contrast to that, the Senior Bowl is like the Super Bowl of college all-star games. Practices are televised, reporters are numerous and scouts fill the stands. Five Badgers are participating this week, including QB Russell Wilson, FB Bradie Ewing, OL Kevin Zeitler, P Brad Nortman and LS Kyle Wojta. WR Nick Toon was invited to the Senior Bowl but is sitting out due to a foot injury.

As is usually the case, the QBs garnered a lot of attention, especially on NFL Network's coverage of practice (VIDEO). The New York Times blog also broke down the QBs:
"Wilson is an exceptional athlete and it showed on the first day of practice. He didn't start particularly well, but as the session progressed he was the most impressive quarterback in the first practice of the week."

And the Charlotte Observer also caught up with Wilson to discuss the one thing he has no control over, his height.

Ewing is doing a blog for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and talked about getting an invite the Senior Bowl. New Era Scouting also caught up with Ewing prior to Senior Bowl Week.

In the early going, Zeitler is the highest rated draft prospect among the former Badgers. He impressed a number of folks, including the web site NEPatriotsDraft.com:
"Kevin Zeitler was a stud all day long, I didn't see him get beat at all and when I did watch him he dominated Alameda Ta'amu, knocking his helmet off of him. He is feisty and a battler."

NFLmocks.com also praised Zeitler:
"I find it funny that everyone talks about DeCastro but no one talked about Zeitler.  DeCastro might be better but I am not willing to admit that yet.  Zeitler dominated in both run blocking and pass blocking in college and faced much stiffer competition.  He fared well against Devon Still and Jerel Worthy who are both thought to be 1rst Round talents.  With a week in front of scouts many might start wondering if Zeitler is DeCastro's equal."

The strongest endorsement came from DraftCountdown.com:
"Wisconsin OG Kevin Zeitler was incredible at right guard. Zeitler wowed onlookers and showed a real nasty streak in the 1-on-1 drills. Alameda Ta'amu is just one of the guys who struggled to make anything happen against the Badger blocker. On the day Zeitler was only beat once and looked every bit the part of a first rounder."

Coverage of the Senior Bowl practices continue on Wednesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. CT on NFL Network. There is also a daily recap show on Wednesday and Thursday on NFL Network at 9:30 p.m. CT. The Senior Bowl game is then televised live on NFL Network at 3 p.m. CT.

One year after having five players taken in the 2011 NFL Draft, including two in the first round, a number of former Badgers are embarking on a three-month job interview that will culminate in late April. The 2012 draft will be held April 26-28 and, for a number of familiar names to UW fans, the "Path to the Draft" has already started.

Some of the seniors from the 2011 Wisconsin squad that have NFL scouts talking are QB Russell Wilson, OL Kevin Zeitler, WR Nick Toon, FB Bradie Ewing and FS Aaron Henry. With junior center Peter Konz forgoing his senior season to put his name into the draft, there's a good chance that as many as seven or eight Badgers will hear their name called in late April.

As the former UW players train for the draft, they are spread all over the country, in Florida, Arizona, California and even Milwaukee and Madison. Over the course of the next three weeks, we will try to catch up with as many of them as possible to keep tabs on their progress.

There are a number of important dates between now and late April. Some of them are below:

East-West Shrine Game (Orlando, Fla.)
Jan. 21    3 p.m.    East-West Shrine Game    NFL Network

NFLPA Collegiate All-Star (Carson, Calif.)
Jan. 21    5 p.m.    NFLPA Collegiate All-Star    NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus)

Senior Bowl (Mobile, Ala.)
Jan. 23    3 p.m.         Senior Bowl Practice            NFL Network
               9:30 p.m.    Senior Bowl Recap: Day 1    NFL Network
Jan. 24    10 a.m.       Senior Bowl Practice: North  NFL Network
               9:30 p.m.    Senior Bowl Recap: Day 2    NFL Network
Jan. 25    10 a.m.       Senior Bowl Practice: North  NFL Network
               9:30 p.m.    Senior Bowl Recap: Day 3    NFL Network
Jan. 26    10 a.m.       Senior Bowl Practice: North  NFL Network
               9:30 p.m.    Senior Bowl Recap: Day 4    NFL Network
Jan. 28    3 p.m.         Senior Bowl                         NFL Network

NFL Scouting Combine (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Feb. 22-28    NFL Network

NFL Draft (New York City)
April 26-28    NFL Network and ESPN

This weekend, senior defensive captains Henry and DT Patrick Butrym have the chance to show off for scouts. Henry will be playing in the East-West Shrine Game while Butrym takes part in the NFLPA Collegiate All-Star Game.

Those two games are a prelude to the Senior Bowl. A school-record six Badgers will play in that game and take part in a week's worth of practices in front of NFL scouts. The UW players include Ewing, P Brad Nortman, Toon, Wilson, LS Kyle Wojta and Zeitler.

The "main event" of the NFL draft prep is the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine on Feb. 22-28 in Indianapolis. The NFL released its initial invite list, which does not include underclassmen and is not a final list. Among the Badgers heading to Indy are CB Antonio Fenelus, Nortman, OL Josh Oglesby, Toon and Wilson. More UW players, including Konz, should be added to the invite list later.

If nothing else, this should be an interesting offseason for the Wisconsin seniors. And for Badger fans, if you don't get NFL Network, you should probably find a way to watch it because UW should have a strong presence there for the next couple of months.