BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Out of the corner of his eye, T.J. Edwards spotted Jack Cichy, who was holding court for the media; one of the first interview sessions that he has conducted since blowing out his ACL in August.
"Good ol' Three-Sack," Edwards chuckled.
In the 2015 Holiday Bowl, Cichy sacked USC quarterback Cody Kessler on three consecutive plays and thereafter morphed into "Three-Sack Jack" or a facsimile thereof among teammates.
Cichy, who was the Defensive MVP of that game, and Edwards, who was the Defensive MVP of the 2017 Cotton Bowl, have been impact linebackers and good friends the last four years.
They have a special bond that allows Edwards to answer a question about his first impression of Cichy by saying "I just remember him being loud and obnoxious" before adding, "Still the same guy."
Even though they have never lived together on campus, they have been roommates the night before games. Through thick and thin, highs and lows, they've been there for each other.
"We have a good relationship. We click really well," said Cichy, a fifth-year senior. "We both like to joke around and we're pretty easy-going guys.
"Being together on the scout team his first year (2014) was a lot of fun. It was me, him and Ryan (Connelly) grinding it out together. We definitely grew a lot over that season."
Cichy lettered as a true freshman walk-on in 2013 and then took his redshirt the following year at a time when Edwards was making the transition from high school quarterback to inside linebacker.
"That's when we really started to bond," said Edwards. "It still makes me mad to this day that he came back (from an injury) halfway through that year and won Scout Team Player of the Year.
"He still holds it over me every day. I think that's when we started to connect."
That connection was never stronger than this season. Especially after Cichy's knee injury.
"Whether it was physical or emotional stress I was going under," Cichy said, "he was always there to listen and offer words of encouragement and a laugh every once in a while."
Early on, it was tough for Edwards to process what his friend was going through knowing Cichy had spent the offseason rehabbing a torn pectoral muscle that had cost him the final seven games of 2016.
"I was just a guy that he could lean on and talk to whenever," Edwards said. "I don't know how well I've helped him or if I did at all. But I just felt I needed to be there for him."
Since Cichy couldn't play, he coached.
"The way he looks at the game is kind of different, especially coming from a guy who has been in the system and has seen all the looks," said Edwards. "He has a different way of telling you things."
Hearing it from a peer — particularly someone who has battle scars from putting everything on the line — Edwards noted was "something you can't really get from a coach."
Cichy's support went beyond just motivating Edwards with his non-stop intensity. It was more about his attention to detail and knowledge of the position, nuances and all.
"I know how he plays and how he has been successful in the past," Cichy said. "I wanted him to continue that success as well as have success in going down some different avenues.
"He was just able to play a little differently. He continued to be a stout run-stopper. He takes that personally and he really enjoys being physical at the point of attack.
"But the one thing he took upon himself this year was to get better in pass coverage. And, obviously, he did that with the production that he had."
Edwards, a sure-handed tackler, also exhibited that he could play in space with four interceptions, including a pick-six against Maryland, and seven pass break-ups.
"I just knew I had to be more of a factor in it," he said of the pass defense. "I knew our D-line was phenomenal and our run defense would be fine. But we needed a middle of the field presence.
"He (Cichy) has been really good helping me with that — not even in pass drops — but just in terms of route concepts and seeing initially what's going on."
Edwards is a quick study. Others, meanwhile, have noticed how complete of a linebacker he has become. He was consensus first-team All-Big Ten and first-team All-American.
"I was a little shocked, a little surprised, but I was proud," he said of the recognition. "I set that (All-American) as one of my goals this year. And to actually accomplish it was huge.
"I felt last year that I didn't really do my part in terms of being a bigger part of this defense. I held myself to higher expectations this year. And I needed to play to that standard."
Edwards wrote down his goals before the season. Where did he write All-American?
"It was low on the list," he conceded. "I put down, 'Get faster. Get stronger. All-Big Ten.' And then I was, 'Wow, what can I even write here?' So, I thought, 'All-American would be cool.'
"I felt confident in All-Big Ten. But not so much in that (All-American) because I know it's a deep talent pool. I thought it was bold on my part. But you never know what can happen."
Cichy is on his way to the NFL. He declined petitioning for another year of college eligibility. Edwards, who has one year remaining, is unsure of his future. He's waiting on feedback from the pros.
"I'm weighing all options," said the 21-year-old Edwards. "It's just a blessing to be even talking about it. Leaving early was not something I wrote down on my goal list."
But there's a more pressing goal left. "I want to send our seniors out the right way," he said of the Orange Bowl. "I want them to go out with a good memory."
