Better Know A Badger: Three-Star Tight End Cam Large

Wisconsin's 2020 signing class will be joining the team full-time in June, so BadgerBlitz.com will be checking in with the team's incoming freshmen as they make the jump from being high school prospects to a Wisconsin student-athlete.

Cam Large, a three-star tight end from Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Mass., was the 14th commit for the Badgers in the cycle, making his decision in June 2019 from a final list that included Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State, not to mention other offers from LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and roughly 20 other major programs.

He spoke with BadgerBlitz.com about how he's feeling now that his career with the Badgers is right around the corner. Our questions and his answers are included below.

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OL Trey Wedig / OL Ben Barten / OL Tanor Bortolini / ILB Malik Reed

What was it like for you to officially wrap up your recruitment and send in your letter of intent in December?

Large: It’s kind of nice to know where my home is, what to expect and know the people I’ll be playing with. It’s a really comforting feeling, and I’m just excited to get started.

Because you had a lot of high-profile offers, did schools still aggressively recruit you up until your signing?

Large: They respected the decision. They were all really professional about it, but they did keep in contact until I signed.

Was there one phone call to a coach that was harder to make once you decided?

Large: Actually, probably the hardest one was calling (Alabama) Coach (Nick) Saban the day I committed, because they wanted me to talk to him. I told them I wasn’t coming there, but they wanted one more phone call. I said, “All right, but I’m not going to change my mind.” That was the hardest one.

He was completely professional about it. You can tell that he’s been there a million times, so he just wished me the best. It was really nice.

Did you enjoy being recruited, or was it something you had to get used to before you could get comfortable with the process?

Large: It was stressful, but it was a blessing to have people asking you to play for their team. I kind of looked at it that way. It was a dream come true to really have that many schools ask me to play for them.

You took officials to Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Wisconsin, as well as multiple unofficial visits. What helped Wisconsin stand out? Was it one thing that made you want to play for the Badgers?

Large: The people, really. The coaches, the players, everybody at Madison was just very genuine and very like minded and competitive. I really like that. I want to be around people who are like me. I want to do something that has really never been done before, and I want to take this game to the next level in any way that I can. I think all the recruits in my class and all the recruits below me feel the same way. That’s why I think it’s coming together so well, and it feels so special right now because everybody wants the same thing. I think that’s really cool.

How did you go about deciding? Was it a family conversation the whole time, did you think about it yourself and then you talked to your parents or did you not tell your parents?

Large: They made it pretty clear that it was my decision. I thought it through on my own, thought it through in what I wanted from a school, what I wanted for my future and what school fit best. That was definitely Wisconsin.

What are you trying to do to stay active during quarantine? Have you been able to maintain your strength with your routine?

Large: It’s actually really cool. I have got a trainer who has a rack and weights in his garage, so when I need to do compound work like bench, squat, dead lift, I can go there. I have some pretty heavy dumbbells here, so I’ve been staying pretty active, getting stronger and getting faster. I’m not really being negatively affected by this. It’s been good, just focusing on my diet, focused on my studying and all that.

With tight end coach Mickey Turner also being your recruiting coach, do you think it’s an advantage to you to be recruiting by coach who will also be your position coach? How will that help you make the transition?

Large: I think it’s great. You build a relationship with that person before you even have a practice. You have a connection with the person, you know them and you feel comfortable talking to them. It’s really good. You feel like you are a little bit ahead of the game in that sense with the relationship.

What do you think you'll take away from playing high school football? Is there a game you'll remember or a lesson you learned that will stick with you?

Large: I think the biggest thing is I am going to remember the people I played with. I played with so many kids who were just great football players and great people. I think that’s what’s going to stick with me most. I’m going to remember all the time I spent with all those kids.

In a year from now, what would you like to look back on and say you accomplished during your first year with the team? Do you have any goals like that?

Large: I just want to help the team in any way I possibly can. I’m just a team-first guy, and all I really care about is getting a win. I want to get on the field any way I can, help any way I can, workout in practice, workout in games, workout in the weight room. That’s all you really can do and that’s what you can control. That’s my goal.