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.
Dean Engram, a three-star athlete from Washington, D.C. who will start out at cornerback for the Badgers spoke with BadgerBlitz.com about what he's hoping to do when he gets on campus in early June.
Miss an interview? Catch up here:
How excited were you to make your commitment official last December and send in your letter of intent to Wisconsin? Was it a relief for you to put the recruiting process to bed?
Dean Engram: It was definitely exciting to me because even though I had been committed for a while putting the pen to paper definitely made it feel more real. I’ve been excited ever since I committed.
At the end of the day what was it that made Wisconsin stand out to you? Why did the Badgers separate from the pack and earn your commitment?
Dean Engram: First of all it was the people. The coaching staff, the teachers, the players, they all just seemed so genuine and willing to help me on and off the field. They laid out everything for me. When I went on my other visits … they were good schools but they just didn’t put forth the same effort. You could tell (Wisconsin) was real. I was able to build some genuine relationships with the people there.
Did you enjoy the recruiting process in general? Or did it kind of drag on after a little while?
Dean Engram: I got my first offer during my freshman year. I never played (football) for the offers, I just played because that’s what I liked to do. The recruiting process wasn’t something I really thought about until my junior year when my head coach took me on visits to Virginia Tech and Penn State - that really started my recruiting. I never really took a lot of visits, I only took one official visit and that was to Wisconsin. I kinda knew what I liked and what I didn’t like. I wasn’t that interested in the whole "recruitment" process. I wanted to make the right decision but I wasn’t going to do it with a lot of flashiness for myself.
Do you remember when you realized that getting to play Division football was a realistic option for you?
Dean Engram: I’ve always had dreams of playing at the college level. It became real when … I would say after my freshman year when I got my first offer. I always knew I could do it, and I had people around me encouraging me. That made it feel real, but it was always an aspiration of mine.
After you signed your letter of intent has it been any harder for you to wait to get your college career started? Or have you been taking some time to enjoy your last part of high school?
Dean Engram: I wouldn’t say it’s gotten any harder, it’s just that you have to prepare and plan and time things out. It does cross my mind and it’s exciting, so I’m just trying to spend a lot of time with my family and my friends and in my area since I know I won’t be back for a while. But I’m excited to get up there and to start my new adventure. It’s definitely an exciting time.
What are you looking forward to the most about getting up to Madison this summer to start working with the Badgers?
Dean Engram: I’m excited to learn as much as I can. Whether it’s from the players or the coaches I’m just going to go up and be a sponge. I’m excited to learn everything - from the school part to the football part.
Are there any players in college or the NFL right now who you kind of look up to and try to pattern yourself after?
Dean Engram: I look at a lot of NFL and college guys who can do this at a high level. But a guy I really look at and study a lot is Tavon Young from the Ravens. He’s a corner who can go on the outside and do some special teams things. I kind of have a similar body type to him.
Last thing: do you have any advice for your teammates or friends who might be recruited later in their high school careers? What would you tell yourself if you could go back to when you first started the process?
Dean Engram: I would say to live for the moment. Don’t worry about the offers or the coaches coming to see you … focus on the things that are controllable.
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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.
