Better Know A Badger: Joe Tippmann

Wisconsin's 2019 signing class will be moving up to Madison in June, so BadgerBlitz.com reached out to the newest members of the UW roster to get their thoughts as they prepare to start their college careers.

Joe Tippmann, a three-star offensive lineman from Fort Wayne, Ind., spoke with BadgerBlitz.com about how Wisconsin's tradition of putting offensive linemen in to the NFL helped him decide that Madison was where he needed to spend his college career.

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RB Julius Davis | CB James Williams | TE Hayden Rucci | CB Dean Engram |

I know it’s been a while since you were able to officially sign your letter of intent, but now that you’re so close to getting on campus at Wisconsin what are you looking forward to the most at this point?

Joe Tippmann: I’m just ready to get up there and see what they can do with me and, honestly, see where I’m going to end up position-wise. I’m just excited for them to make me the best player I can be.

Have you heard from Joe Rudolph much about where he thinks they will end up putting you on the offensive line to start your career?

Joe Tippmann: From what I’ve heard from Coach Rudolph he said he sees me playing anywhere on the line: center, guard or tackle and on either side of the line. He said he wants me to learn all of the positions so right now he’s got me working on snaps (before I get on campus).

Have you played multiple positions before like that or will this be a bit of a learning experience for you?

Joe Tippmann: It’s going to be a learning experience for me, but I’m eager to learn.

Do you remember how it felt for you back in December to really officially wrap up your recruitment and sign with the Badgers? Did that moment kind of live up to the hype for you?

Joe Tippmann: Yeah it really got me excited. I was just … at the time the recruiting cycle was pretty much dead but it was still a great experience to just finally be able to say that I’m officially going to Wisconsin.

What was it about Wisconsin that really made them stand out to you when you were still uncommitted and going through the process?

Joe Tippmann: On my first visit that I ever took there … it wasn’t even technically a visit, I was there for camp. They invited me back the next day because I had done pretty well at the camp. So I stayed the night and then came back to Camp Randall for the tour and whatnot and while I was there I got to meet every individual coach that would pertain to me. Then when I was on other visits I didn’t even get a chance to meet the coaches and I was like, "Well, Wisconsin feels like a family to me and I hadn’t even gotten an offer yet." Eventually when they did offer me I started comparing all of my other offers to Wisconsin, and then I realized - it was like, "Yeah, the reason I’m doing this is because I want to go to Wisconsin."

So building up that chemistry early on helped you feel like Wisconsin was the right place when they did eventually offer you?

Joe Tippmann: Ever since the first time I was up there I felt like I was already starting to develop relationships with the coaches who were up there. Once they offered me I was pretty much set.

How much did Wisconsin’s tradition of developing strong offensive lines play in to your thought process when you were evaluating schools?

Joe Tippmann: Yeah I would say that their offensive line tradition was pretty much one of my top three deciding factors, because, I mean, after watching how they were running the ball and running it straight down the middle and running it in any situation, that should be appealing to any offensive lineman. I really liked that.

Is there anything you really learned about yourself or about football in general that you think will stick with you? Something that will help you make the transition to playing college football?

Joe Tippmann: I would probably say our own tradition of running the ball. We were a big running team - almost running the ball on every play. We were known in our conference for being the unstoppable running team, so I think that’s what I’ll take away and what really excites me (about the future).

Are there any players in college or the NFL right now who you really look up to? Someone you can watch and try to learn something from?

Joe Tippmann: Zac Martin for the Cowboys. From what I hear from the news and everything he’s one of the best offensive linemen in the nation as of right now. But he’s just an overall great player, and I’ve met him a couple of times because he’s married to my friend’s sister. After meeting him and talking to him … he’s a very good person. Everyone on the team looks up to him, he’s a team captain, and I’ve just always had a liking for him.

Last thing: what are you looking forward to the most about getting on campus with the Badgers next month? Will it be hard to wait for summer workouts and fall camp to get started in a few months?

Joe Tippmann: I’m just excited to see the competition that I’m going to have team-wise. The people that I’m going to get to compete for a position against. I’m just excited to get a chance to learn - as of right now there’s a bunch of great offensive linemen on the team already. I’m eager to get a chance to learn from them and eventually compete against them for a position.

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John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.